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

Construction started out well. Arrr! Avast! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, arrr, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, me hearties, and gluin' in t' engine block. Ahoy! Arrr! 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). Nice touch. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr!

Next came t' main body shroud. Ya scallywag! This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. (No painting, me hearties, arrr, yeah!) I took me time and be very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, matey, and had no problems with it. Arrr! 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. But, o' course, ya bilge rat, arrr, me bucko, 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. Begad! That went fine. Begad! Begad!

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

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

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

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Avast, me proud beauty! These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. Ya scallywag! Arrr! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Begad! T' paper is scored, ya bilge rat, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Begad! Begad! 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, 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. T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Begad! Nice.

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

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

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

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, me hearties, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, with an end cap glued t' one end. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Avast! Blimey! Well, me bucko, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, matey, I was surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap was too small. Ahoy! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Nay a big deal, shiver me timbers, but odd, shiver me timbers, because everythin' else fit well enough. Avast! Blimey! I just used t' tube a template and cut a proper end cap from some o' t' scrap shroud paper. Fixed. Fixed. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, me hearties, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Ahoy! Blimey! Arrr! 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). Well, blow me down! Blimey! My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, arrr, shiver me timbers, rather than glide back. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), as you can see from t' aft photo, above. Aye aye! Blimey!

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

T' only other step before flight is t' hand-toss t' glider (without an engine) t' get it trimmed properly. Blimey! Begad! In other words, ya bilge rat, me hearties, you may need t' adjust t' tabs on t' wings t' make it glide in a nice, matey, big spiral. Well, blow me down! 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. Avast!

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

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

T' launch be held on Saturday, March 14, 1998 at Deer Path Park in central New Jersey. I set up t' pad and prepped t' rocket. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! 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. Begad! T' kit documentation recommends a B6-2 for t' first flight, but I didn't have any o' those, arrr, matey, 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, me hearties, t' engine fell out, arrr, arrr, and pulled t' streamer out with it. No biggie, but I didn't put tape around t' engine t' get a tighter fit, shiver me timbers, for fear that t' engine would jam at ejection time. Begad! I repacked it, and held t' engine in place while I set it up this time. Ya scallywag!

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

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

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

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