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

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

Next came t' main body shroud. Begad! This is made o' heavy paper, me bucko, arrr, shiver me timbers, with t' design already printed on it. (No painting, yeah!) I took me time and be 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. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Avast! But, o' course, me hearties, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! That went fine. Arrr! Arrr!

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

Nope. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! T' trouble be just beginning. T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. This is done in two steps. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! In t' first step, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, me hearties, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. 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, ya bilge rat, and it's basically impossible t' get t' nose cone t' slip through that hole without gettin' plastic cement all over t' nose cone. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I wiped this up immediately, matey, but, as you can probably guess, shiver me timbers, t' result was a pretty screwed up nose cone. Avast! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Blimey! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, me bucko, but it wasn't nice. Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, matey, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, clever way t' avoid this. Arrr! Let me know if you figure it out. 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! Aye aye! No problemo, shiver me timbers, right? No problemo, right? Wrong. Begad! Blimey! Part o' t' problem be me choice o' glues. I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, arrr, so I went with yellow glue (a. Begad! Begad! k. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! a. Ya scallywag! Arrr! carpenter's wood glue, a. Avast, me proud beauty! k. Well, blow me down! a. Avast! Ahoy! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, 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, matey, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! This, matey, arrr, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, ya bilge rat, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Well, blow me down! (You can't see them well in t' photos, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. Well, blow me down! )White glue may give better results, me bucko, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Avast, me proud beauty! Thick CA, matey, 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, arrr, 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. Begad! Blimey!

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Arrr! Avast! 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. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Ya scallywag! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Aye aye! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Ya scallywag! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Arrr! Nice. Ya scallywag!

Next up, shiver me timbers, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Begad! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! As you can see in t' photo above, arrr, me hearties, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. Ya scallywag! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug be a nice aesthetic touch. Blimey!

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

Next, t' cockpit canopy. Aye aye! Blimey! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. Aye aye! Blimey! 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, so that you have somethin' for t' glue t' hold onto. Well, blow me down! Blimey! If you're a stickler for such details, you might want t' cut it out with more edge material initially, me bucko, matey, and try placin' it on t' shroud t' see where you can remove t' excess. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This piece, shiver me timbers, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, matey, requires some finishing, me bucko, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, I opted t' use black magic marker. This worked out very well, if I do say so myself. Blimey! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Nice, arrr, smooth, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Gluin' t' canopy in place was simple and straightforward, but it didn't make a complete seal all t' way around. Begad! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey!

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

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

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

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

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

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

T' first launch was ugly. Begad! It went up in a wobbly arc, reached about 50feet AGL, and headed down, matey, still under power. Aye aye! I'm nay sure if it be still under power when it plowed nose-first into t' (fortunately soft) ground, matey, but it definitely hit hard. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' nose stuck in t' ground, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, 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, shiver me timbers, rather difficult t' locate. Blimey! Nay exactly a picture-perfect flight, me bucko, me bucko, but thar be absolutely no damage t' any o' t' pieces, shiver me timbers, and I was determined t' try again. Aye aye! Aye aye!

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

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

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