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

Construction started out well. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, matey, matey, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, me bucko, and gluin' in t' engine block. About t' only hint here is t' use an 18mm engine casin' cut around t' nose cone positionin' disk. Begad! It be 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. Begad! Arrr!

Next came t' main body shroud. Ya scallywag! This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. Ya scallywag! (No painting, ya bilge rat, yeah!) I took me time and be very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, shiver me timbers, and had no problems with it. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. But, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, o' course, you don't want it flat, 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. That went fine. Arrr!

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

Nope. Ya scallywag! T' trouble was just beginning. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Begad! Ya scallywag! This is done in two steps. In t' first step, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. Arrr! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. Blimey! Avast! T' problem is that t' nose cone is attached t' t' engine tube and tri-oval centerin' ring, arrr, and it's basically impossible t' get t' nose cone t' slip through that hole without gettin' plastic cement all over t' nose cone. Begad! I wiped this up immediately, ya bilge rat, but, as you can probably guess, arrr, arrr, t' result was a pretty screwed up nose cone. Ya scallywag! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Ya scallywag! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, but it wasn't nice. Ya scallywag! Unfortunately, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, ya bilge rat, clever way t' avoid this. Arrr! Begad! 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. Ahoy! No problemo, me hearties, ya bilge rat, right? No problemo, me bucko, right? Wrong. Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. Aye aye! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, shiver me timbers, so I went with yellow glue (a. Avast! k. Well, blow me down! a. Avast, me proud beauty! carpenter's wood glue, shiver me timbers, a. Begad! Aye aye! k. Ahoy! a. Blimey! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, ya bilge rat, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, and nay a pretty one at that. Blimey! Blimey! T' shroud didn't want t' form t' t' tri-oval shape, ya bilge rat, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. This, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, me bucko, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Aye aye! (You can't see them well in t' photos, matey, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, me bucko, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. Begad! )White glue may give better results, me bucko, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Well, blow me down! Thick CA, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, matey, but if it leaks through, matey, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Avast! Begad! 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.

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. Ya scallywag! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Aye aye! Begad! T' paper is scored, me bucko, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Ahoy! Avast! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Well, blow me down! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. 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, me bucko, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Ya scallywag! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Nice.

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

Next, arrr, ya bilge rat, addin' tail weight. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! You glue two pennies t' a piece o' paper, arrr, and glue that t' t' inside bottom o' t' main body shroud. No problem. Blimey!

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

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

There is one more construction step (described in t' section "Preppin' your HL-20 for flight"), settin' up t' streamer for t' engine. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, arrr, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Blimey! Begad! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, ya bilge rat, 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, ya bilge rat, and you're all set. T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. Blimey! T' instructions say that thar's a 12" streamer in t' kit. Aye aye! Mine measured 11". Well, blow me down!

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

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

I must preface this flight description and me opinion by sayin' that it was very windy t' day o' these flights. Avast! It's entirely possible that things would be very different in more rocket-friendly conditions. Ya scallywag! . Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! .

T' launch was held on Saturday, arrr, arrr, March 14, 1998 at Deer Path Park in central New Jersey. Blimey! Ya scallywag! I set up t' pad and prepped t' rocket. Ya scallywag! Bein' a rear-ejection boost glider, arrr, thar's no need for recovery wadding, but you have t' tape t' streamer line t' t' motor itself. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! T' kit documentation recommends a B6-2 for t' first flight, but I didn't have any o' those, shiver me timbers, so I opted for a B6-4. Avast, me proud beauty! There were no problems preppin' t' rocket, but when I tried t' slide it down t' launch rod, t' engine fell out, me bucko, and pulled t' streamer out with it. Ahoy! 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. Arrr! I repacked it, and held t' engine in place while I set it up this time.

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

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

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

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