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

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

Next came t' main body shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This is made o' heavy paper, matey, ya bilge rat, with t' design already printed on it. Aye aye! Blimey! (No painting, ya bilge rat, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, and had no problems with it. Begad! Blimey! 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! Blimey! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! But, me hearties, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, o' course, matey, you don't want it flat, ya bilge rat, 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. Aye aye! Blimey! That went fine. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

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

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

Well, shiver me timbers, about this time, matey, I noticed that t' adhesive strip that was holdin' t' shroud together, ya bilge rat, was startin' t' let go. Aye aye! It wasn't bad, but it be clear that it wasn't goin' t' hold forever. I wicked some thin CA into this area. Begad! It's permanent now. It's permanent now. Ok, now this kit is startin' t' annoy me. Blimey! . 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. These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Arrr! Avast! T' paper is scored, me bucko, matey, 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. This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. 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, ya bilge rat, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Avast! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Arrr! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Begad! Nice.

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. Avast! Blimey! As you can see in t' photo above, me bucko, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. Begad! Begad! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug was a nice aesthetic touch. Begad!

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

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

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, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Begad! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Begad! 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 hearties, shiver me timbers, and you're all set. Begad! T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. Begad! T' instructions say that thar's a 12" streamer in t' kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Mine measured 11". Blimey!

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

To summarize t' construction, I have t' give this model a construction ratin' o' 2 out o' 5. Avast! It's nay awful or outrageously complex, 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! It's entirely possible that things would be very different in more rocket-friendly conditions. Well, blow me down! Avast! . Aye aye! . Aye aye! Avast!

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

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

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

So, ya bilge rat, 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, I will update this page immediately. Begad! Ahoy! I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, and report any successes here. Ahoy! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, shiver me timbers, but so far, matey, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. Blimey! I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Blimey! 5 out o' 5 points (at least it didn't self-destruct), me bucko, and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. At this point, arrr, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Arrr! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

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