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

Construction started out well. Ya scallywag! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, and gluin' in t' engine block. Well, blow me down! About t' only hint here is t' use an 18mm engine casin' cut around t' nose cone positionin' disk. Arrr! It was very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Blimey! Arrr! Nice touch. Begad! Well, blow me down!

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

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

Nope. Begad! T' trouble be just beginning. Aye aye! Arrr! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Arrr! Blimey! This is done in two steps. Avast! In t' first step, me hearties, 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. Arrr! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. Avast! Well, matey, blow me down! 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. Ahoy! I wiped this up immediately, but, as you can probably guess, t' result be a pretty screwed up nose cone. Blimey! Ahoy! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, arrr, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Well, blow me down! Begad! This be almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, ya bilge rat, arrr, shiver me timbers, but it wasn't nice. Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, arrr, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, me bucko, clever way t' avoid this. 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. Well, blow me down! Begad! No problemo, me bucko, right? No problemo, ya bilge rat, right? Wrong. Blimey! Part o' t' problem be me choice o' glues. Aye aye! Ahoy! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. k. Well, blow me down! Begad! a. Blimey! carpenter's wood glue, a. Ya scallywag! k. a. aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Blimey! Well, me hearties, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, shiver me timbers, and nay a pretty one at that. 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! This, shiver me timbers, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Well, arrr, blow me down! (You can't see them well in t' photos, matey, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. Ya scallywag! )White glue may give better results, me hearties, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Begad! Thick CA, matey, shiver me timbers, me hearties, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, me bucko, me bucko, but if it leaks through, matey, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, 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. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

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

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. Ya scallywag! Blimey! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Arrr! This actually worked out quite well, me bucko, 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. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Nice. Arrr! Begad!

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

Next, addin' tail weight. Aye aye! You glue two pennies t' a piece o' paper, matey, and glue that t' t' inside bottom o' t' main body shroud. Blimey! No problem. Ahoy!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights be less than inspiring. Avast, me proud beauty! I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, me hearties, and if t' flights are much better, 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! Ahoy! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, ya bilge rat, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, me hearties, but so far, me hearties, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. Arrr! Blimey! I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Ya scallywag! 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.

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