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

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

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

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

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

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, right? No problemo, right? Wrong. Ya scallywag! Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. Begad! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. k. Ya scallywag! Begad! a. Avast! carpenter's wood glue, a. Arrr! k. Ya scallywag! a. Aye aye! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Begad! Well, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and nay a pretty one at that. Begad! 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. Aye aye! Blimey! This, matey, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Avast! (You can't see them well in t' photos, matey, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, matey, 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. Thick CA, matey, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, but if it leaks through, matey, 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. Blimey!

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

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

Next up, me bucko, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Ahoy! Aye aye! 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, matey, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me hearties, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. Aye aye! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug be a nice aesthetic touch. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy!

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

Next, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' cockpit canopy. Ya scallywag! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. Avast! It was unclear exactly where t' cut, arrr, and t' instructions aren't helpful here. Blimey! T' idea is that you need t' cut so that thar's a little base (about 2mm) all t' way around t' canopy, arrr, 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. This piece, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, ya bilge rat, requires some finishing, shiver me timbers, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Ahoy! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I opted t' use black magic marker. Begad! This worked out very well, if I do say so myself. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Nice, smooth, ya bilge rat, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Well, blow me down! Gluin' t' canopy in place was simple and straightforward, me bucko, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but it didn't make a complete seal all t' way around. Begad!

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

There is one more construction step (described in t' section "Preppin' your HL-20 for flight"), settin' up t' streamer for t' engine. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, shiver me timbers, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Ya scallywag! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, me hearties, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Avast! Then, me hearties, me bucko, 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, me bucko, and you're all set. Blimey! 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. Mine measured 11". Avast!

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

To summarize t' construction, I have t' give this model a construction ratin' o' 2 out o' 5. Aye aye! 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.

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

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

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

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

So, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights be less than inspiring. I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, and if t' flights are much better, arrr, I will update this page immediately. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, arrr, and report any successes here. Well, blow me down! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, arrr, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, but so far, me bucko, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Aye aye! 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, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Ya scallywag!

As a final note, me bucko, I would like t' assure you that I'm nay tryin' t' bash Quest as a rocket company. Aye aye! I have several o' their rockets, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Ya scallywag! Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, arrr, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely. Begad! Avast!