T' Quest X-30 Aerospace plane caught me eye, and it was on sale at Magnum for $4. 50, but I was a little wary o' t' paper shroud construction. Avast! Ya scallywag!   Well, matey, arrr, t' Quest HL-20 uses paper shroud construction, too, shiver me timbers, and it be also on sale, for $2. Aye aye! 50, matey, ya bilge rat, 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. Well, me bucko, blow me down! (I got two o' each just in case. )

Construction started out well. It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, matey, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, and gluin' in t' engine block. Aye aye! About t' only hint here is t' use an 18mm engine casin' cut around t' nose cone positionin' disk. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! 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. Blimey!

Next came t' main body shroud. Arrr! This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. (No painting, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, me bucko, and had no problems with it. Arrr! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, me hearties, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Well, blow me down! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. But, shiver me timbers, o' course, arrr, 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. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! That went fine. Well, blow me down!

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

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

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! Begad! No problemo, arrr, right? No problemo, ya bilge rat, right? Wrong. Part o' t' problem be me choice o' glues. Arrr! Begad! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. k. Ya scallywag! a. carpenter's wood glue, a. Blimey! k. a. Well, blow me down! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Well, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, matey, and nay a pretty one at that. Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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. Ahoy! This, 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, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, arrr, shiver me timbers, 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. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Thick CA, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, but if it leaks through, arrr, matey, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Arrr! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! 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. Aye aye! Blimey!

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

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

Next up, ya bilge rat, 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. Arrr! Begad! As you can see in t' photo above, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, arrr, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug be a nice aesthetic touch. Ahoy!

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

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

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

T' only other step before flight is t' hand-toss t' glider (without an engine) t' get it trimmed properly. 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, arrr, makin' it basically impossible t' trim in any meaningful way. Avast, me proud beauty! Trimmin' will have t' wait until after t' first flight. Begad!

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

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. . Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! . Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty!

T' launch be held on Saturday, me bucko, March 14, 1998 at Deer Path Park in central New Jersey. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I set up t' pad and prepped t' rocket. Arrr! Bein' a rear-ejection boost glider, matey, thar's no need for recovery wadding, but you have t' tape t' streamer line t' t' motor itself. 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. Blimey! There were no problems preppin' t' rocket, arrr, me bucko, but when I tried t' slide it down t' launch rod, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' engine fell out, and pulled t' streamer out with it. No biggie, me hearties, but I didn't put tape around t' engine t' get a tighter fit, for fear that t' engine would jam at ejection time. I repacked it, and held t' engine in place while I set it up this time. Ya scallywag!

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

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

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

As a final note, 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, matey, shiver me timbers, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Avast, me proud beauty! Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag!