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

Construction started out well. Blimey! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, me hearties, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, 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. Blimey! Blimey! It was very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Nice touch. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey!

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

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

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

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

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

Next up, arrr, 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, t' form rectangular air passageway. 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. Aye aye! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug was a nice aesthetic touch. Aye aye! Well, blow me down!

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

Next, arrr, t' cockpit canopy. Ahoy! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. It be unclear exactly where t' cut, and t' instructions aren't helpful here. Arrr! 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. 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. Well, blow me down! This piece, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, requires some finishing, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, I opted t' use black magic marker. Ahoy! This worked out very well, me hearties, arrr, if I do say so myself. Arrr! Nice, smooth, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Aye aye! Gluin' t' canopy in place was simple and straightforward, me hearties, 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! Begad! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, shiver me timbers, arrr, with an end cap glued t' one end. Well, blow me down! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Ahoy! Well, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, I was surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap be too small. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Nay a big deal, but odd, me bucko, shiver me timbers, me bucko, because everythin' else fit well enough. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I just used t' tube a template and cut a proper end cap from some o' t' scrap shroud paper. Well, arrr, blow me down! Fixed. Well, blow me down! Fixed. Begad! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, inside t' back o' t' rocket. What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), me bucko, or on t' outside (facin' back). Ahoy! T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). Ya scallywag! My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, matey, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, me hearties, me hearties, arrr, rather than glide back. Avast! Avast! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), arrr, as you can see from t' aft photo, above. Blimey!

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

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

To summarize t' construction, I have t' give this model a construction ratin' o' 2 out o' 5. Ahoy! Begad! It's nay bilge-suckin' or outrageously complex, me bucko, but thar were too many little problems and shortcomings t' even give it an "average" rating. Well, arrr, blow me down!

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

T' launch was held on Saturday, shiver me timbers, me hearties, March 14, me hearties, matey, 1998 at Deer Path Park in central New Jersey. Arrr! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I set up t' pad and prepped t' rocket. Bein' a rear-ejection boost glider, ya bilge rat, me bucko, 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, me bucko, but I didn't have any o' those, ya bilge rat, so I opted for a B6-4. Aye aye! There were no problems preppin' t' rocket, me bucko, but when I tried t' slide it down t' launch rod, matey, t' engine fell out, and pulled t' streamer out with it. Avast! No biggie, but I didn't put tape around t' engine t' get a tighter fit, matey, for fear that t' engine would jam at ejection time. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I repacked it, and held t' engine in place while I set it up this time.

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

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

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

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, me bucko, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Begad! Begad! Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, arrr, me bucko, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely. Avast!