T' Quest X-30 Aerospace plane caught me eye, and it was on sale at Magnum for $4. Ahoy! Blimey! 50, but I was a little wary o' t' paper shroud construction.   Well, t' Quest HL-20 uses paper shroud construction, ya bilge rat, too, and it was also on sale, for $2. 50, matey, and it's supposed t' be easier. Well, blow me down! I figured I'd try t' HL-20 as an introduction t' paper shroud construction. (I got two o' each just in case. Well, blow me down! Begad! )

Construction started out well. Begad! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, and gluin' in t' engine block. Ahoy! About t' only hint here is t' use an 18mm engine casin' cut around t' nose cone positionin' disk. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! It was very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Well, blow me down! Nice touch. Blimey!

Next came t' main body shroud. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! (No painting, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, ya bilge rat, matey, and had no problems with it. T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Begad! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Arrr! But, o' course, arrr, you don't want it flat, me hearties, arrr, so I chose t' roll it up close t' it's intended shape, and hold it in place with rubber bands while I cut out t' rest o' t' paper pieces. Ahoy! Well, me bucko, blow me down! That went fine.

And then came t' moment o' truth. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! . Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! . Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! time t' put t' shroud together, me bucko, permanently. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Provided in t' kit for this purpose, is a strip o' double-sided adhesive. Begad! Blimey! T' idea is t' peel back t' coverin' on one side o' t' adhesive strip, me bucko, matey, place that on t' tab o' t' shroud, shiver me timbers, then peel off t' coverin' on t' 2nd side, matey, and finally attach t' other edge o' t' shroud. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Despite some problems gettin' t' coverings off t' adhesive, this actually worked quite well. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It took care, but was nay particularly difficult t' get t' shroud edges lined up and held in place. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Whew. Whew. It's all downhill from here. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! . Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! . Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! right?

Nope. Avast, me proud beauty! T' trouble was just beginning. T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. This is done in two steps. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! In t' first step, shiver me timbers, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, arrr, me bucko, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. Blimey! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. T' problem is that t' nose cone is attached t' t' engine tube and tri-oval centerin' ring, and it's basically impossible t' get t' nose cone t' slip through that hole without gettin' plastic cement all over t' nose cone. Aye aye! I wiped this up immediately, me hearties, but, as you can probably guess, arrr, t' result be a pretty screwed up nose cone. T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, matey, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone be disfigured. Blimey! This be almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, but it wasn't nice. Aye aye! Blimey! Unfortunately, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, clever way t' avoid this. Blimey! Let me know if you figure it out.

T' second part o' attachin' t' engine tube assembly t' t' main body shroud is t' apply a fillet o' glue around t' tri-oval centerin' rin' / shroud joint. No problemo, ya bilge rat, me hearties, right? No problemo, right? Wrong. Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. Arrr! Blimey! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, ya bilge rat, so I went with yellow glue (a. k. Avast! Blimey! a. carpenter's wood glue, a. Avast, me proud beauty! k. Aye aye! a. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Avast! Well, it be still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, and nay a pretty one at that. Ahoy! T' shroud didn't want t' form t' t' tri-oval shape, matey, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! This, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, matey, ya bilge rat, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Ya scallywag! (You can't see them well in t' photos, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. )White glue may give better results, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Avast! Begad! Blimey! Thick CA, me bucko, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, but if it leaks through, matey, ya bilge rat, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. I've been told that Aleene's Original "Tacky" Glue sets up quick and doesn't shrink so much (and it dries clear); I may try that on me second one. Avast, me proud beauty!

Well, about this time, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I noticed that t' adhesive strip that was holdin' t' shroud together, arrr, shiver me timbers, arrr, was startin' t' let go. Begad! It wasn't bad, shiver me timbers, but it be clear that it wasn't goin' t' hold forever. Well, blow me down! I wicked some thin CA into this area. Aye aye! It's permanent now. Well, blow me down! It's permanent now. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Ok, now this kit is startin' t' annoy me. . Ya scallywag! . Begad! Well, arrr, blow me down!

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Blimey! These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Arrr! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! This actually worked out quite well, but you have t' be aware (and t' instructions do not point this out) that t' rudder has a wider base than t' wings, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Arrr! Nice. Arrr! Well, blow me down!

Next up, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Aye aye! T' "air scoop" is just a piece o' paper attached on t' outside bottom o' t' main body shroud, me hearties, t' form rectangular air passageway. As you can see in t' photo above, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, me hearties, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. Avast! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug was a nice aesthetic touch. Well, blow me down!

Next, me hearties, addin' tail weight. Arrr! You glue two pennies t' a piece o' paper, and glue that t' t' inside bottom o' t' main body shroud. Arrr! Arrr! No problem. Avast!

Next, arrr, me bucko, me bucko, t' cockpit canopy. Avast! Blimey! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! It was unclear exactly where t' cut, and t' instructions aren't helpful here. Aye aye! T' idea is that you need t' cut so that thar's a little base (about 2mm) all t' way around t' canopy, so that you have somethin' for t' glue t' hold onto. If you're a stickler for such details, arrr, me hearties, you might want t' cut it out with more edge material initially, arrr, and try placin' it on t' shroud t' see where you can remove t' excess. Arrr! Arrr! This piece, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, matey, requires some finishing, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Avast! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, me bucko, me hearties, I opted t' use black magic marker. Blimey! This worked out very well, if I do say so myself. Blimey! Nice, smooth, arrr, arrr, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Avast! Gluin' t' canopy in place was simple and straightforward, me hearties, but it didn't make a complete seal all t' way around. Ya scallywag! Ahoy!

T' last step in t' instructions makes a small compartment for t' streamer (which attaches t' t' engine for proper recovery when it ejects t' engine t' enable glide mode). This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, matey, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, with an end cap glued t' one end. Ahoy! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Ahoy! Well, ya bilge rat, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, arrr, I be surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap was too small. Avast, me proud beauty! Nay a big deal, me hearties, me hearties, but odd, arrr, because everythin' else fit well enough. Ahoy! I just used t' tube a template and cut a proper end cap from some o' t' scrap shroud paper. Fixed. Begad! Fixed. Begad! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Aye aye! What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), or on t' outside (facin' back). Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, arrr, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, rather than glide back. Ya scallywag! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), arrr, as you can see from t' aft photo, above. Well, blow me down! Ahoy!

There is one more construction step (described in t' section "Preppin' your HL-20 for flight"), arrr, matey, settin' up t' streamer for t' engine. Arrr! Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Avast! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, ya bilge rat, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Then, for each flight, you tie t' other end o' t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' around t' end o' t' engine (reinforce this with tape), and stuff t' streamer in t' streamer compartment, arrr, shiver me timbers, and you're all set. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. Begad! T' instructions say that thar's a 12" streamer in t' kit. Begad! Arrr! Mine measured 11". Begad! Avast, me proud beauty!

T' only other step before flight is t' hand-toss t' glider (without an engine) t' get it trimmed properly. Aye aye! In other words, you may need t' adjust t' tabs on t' wings t' make it glide in a nice, big spiral. Unfortunately, t' model glides like a brick in hand-toss mode, matey, makin' it basically impossible t' trim in any meaningful way. Trimmin' will have t' wait until after t' first flight. Blimey!

To summarize t' construction, shiver me timbers, I have t' give this model a construction ratin' o' 2 out o' 5. Begad! Ya scallywag! It's nay bilge-suckin' or outrageously complex, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but thar were too many little problems and shortcomings t' even give it an "average" rating. Begad!

I must preface this flight description and me opinion by sayin' that it was very windy t' day o' these flights. Begad! Ahoy! It's entirely possible that things would be very different in more rocket-friendly conditions. Well, blow me down! . Aye aye! . Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty!

T' launch was held on Saturday, March 14, 1998 at Deer Path Park in central New Jersey. Arrr! I set up t' pad and prepped t' rocket. Blimey! Bein' a rear-ejection boost glider, thar's no need for recovery wadding, me bucko, but you have t' tape t' streamer line t' t' motor itself. Begad! Blimey! T' kit documentation recommends a B6-2 for t' first flight, but I didn't have any o' those, so I opted for a B6-4. Aye aye! There were no problems preppin' t' rocket, but when I tried t' slide it down t' launch rod, me hearties, t' engine fell out, shiver me timbers, and pulled t' streamer out with it. Aye aye! No biggie, but I didn't put tape around t' engine t' get a tighter fit, for fear that t' engine would jam at ejection time. Well, blow me down! Begad! I repacked it, and held t' engine in place while I set it up this time. Begad!

T' first launch be ugly. It went up in a wobbly arc, reached about 50feet AGL, shiver me timbers, and headed down, still under power. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I'm nay sure if it be still under power when it plowed nose-first into t' (fortunately soft) ground, but it definitely hit hard. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' nose stuck in t' ground, me hearties, and t' ejection charge blew t' engine up and out. Blimey! Blimey! T' streamer separated from t' "gripper" tab, makin' t' engine casing, shiver me timbers, with t' Keelhaul®©™ line still attached, shiver me timbers, arrr, rather difficult t' locate. Avast! Blimey! Nay exactly a picture-perfect flight, but thar was absolutely no damage t' any o' t' pieces, matey, ya bilge rat, and I was determined t' try again. Begad! Blimey!

T' streamer was re-attached, and Keelhaul®©™ line was taped t' another B6-4 engine. Begad! Blimey! I thought about tryin' a C6-3, shiver me timbers, but was afraid t' extra power would simply get used t' ram t' rocket into t' ground even harder. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! This launch be quite a bit nicer, but by no means a beautiful flight. Begad! T' rocket went up, a bit straighter, me hearties, but still hit apogee before burnout. This time, though, it stayed in a nose-up attitude, so t' last little bit o' thrust had t' rocket losin' altitude slowly, tail first. Then t' engine ejected, ya bilge rat, and t' rocket transitioned t' "glide" mode. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! I'm usin' t' term "glide" rather loosely here, arrr, since this glide was pretty much a repeat o' me hand-tossed glide attempts. Aye aye! Blimey! . Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! . Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! more like a brick than a plane. Avast! Blimey! It hit t' ground nose-first with moderate velocity, arrr, arrr, but again, matey, thar be absolutely no damage. Avast! It does appear t' be a fairly sturdy rocket, if nothin' else. Avast, me proud beauty! As for t' glide, ya bilge rat, it simply seems rather nose-heavy, with little in t' way o' lift. Begad! Begad! Blimey! I may try addin' more tail weight for t' next flight, but, me hearties, with so little lift, I'm nay sure addin' weight anywhere is a good idea. Blimey! Blimey! Once again, ya bilge rat, t' "gripper" tab didn't grip, ya bilge rat, and t' streamer separated from t' engine. Ahoy! Blimey! All parts were found. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

So, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, and if t' flights are much better, I will update this page immediately. I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, arrr, and report any successes here. I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, arrr, but so far, me bucko, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. Blimey! I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Well, blow me down! 5 out o' 5 points (at least it didn't self-destruct), me bucko, ya bilge rat, and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. Ya scallywag! At this point, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Ahoy!

As a final note, I would like t' assure you that I'm nay tryin' t' bash Quest as a rocket company. Well, blow me down! I have several o' their rockets, shiver me timbers, me bucko, me hearties, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, arrr, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely. Aye aye!