T' Quest X-30 Aerospace plane caught me eye, and it be on sale at Magnum for $4. Well, blow me down! Blimey! 50, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but I was a little wary o' t' paper shroud construction.   Well, t' Quest HL-20 uses paper shroud construction, arrr, matey, too, and it be also on sale, for $2. 50, matey, and it's supposed t' be easier. Avast! Blimey! 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! Blimey! )

Construction started out well. Begad! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, ya bilge rat, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, and gluin' in t' engine block. Ahoy! Blimey! About t' only hint here is t' use an 18mm engine casin' cut around t' nose cone positionin' disk. Aye aye! Well, me hearties, blow me down! 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. Avast, me proud beauty!

Next came t' main body shroud. Blimey! This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. Well, blow me down! (No painting, shiver me timbers, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, shiver me timbers, 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! Avast! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Arrr! But, o' course, you don't want it flat, me bucko, matey, so I chose t' roll it up close t' it's intended shape, me hearties, me bucko, and hold it in place with rubber bands while I cut out t' rest o' t' paper pieces. Begad! That went fine. Begad! Ya scallywag!

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

Nope. Begad! T' trouble was just beginning. Ya scallywag! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Arrr! This is done in two steps. Begad! In t' first step, shiver me timbers, matey, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, matey, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. Ahoy! Blimey! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. Well, blow me down! Arrr! 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! Ya scallywag! I wiped this up immediately, arrr, me hearties, but, shiver me timbers, as you can probably guess, t' result be a pretty screwed up nose cone. Ahoy! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, but it wasn't nice. Begad! Unfortunately, matey, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, clever way t' avoid this. Begad! Avast! Let me know if you figure it out. Arrr!

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

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Blimey! Avast! These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. Begad! Begad! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Avast! Avast! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Arrr! 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. Ya scallywag! Avast! This actually worked out quite well, arrr, 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. T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Begad! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Well, blow me down! Nice. Aye aye!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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