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

Construction started out well. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Blimey! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, arrr, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, ya bilge rat, 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. It was very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Blimey! Nice touch. Arrr!

Next came t' main body shroud. Begad! Ahoy! This is made o' heavy paper, me hearties, with t' design already printed on it. Avast! Begad! (No painting, yeah!) I took me time and was 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. But, o' course, arrr, you don't want it flat, me bucko, so I chose t' roll it up close t' it's intended shape, ya bilge rat, and hold it in place with rubber bands while I cut out t' rest o' t' paper pieces. Avast! That went fine. Well, blow me down!

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

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

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

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

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

Next up, ya bilge rat, matey, matey, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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! 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 was a nice aesthetic touch.

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

Next, ya bilge rat, t' cockpit canopy. Avast! Avast! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. Arrr! It was unclear exactly where t' cut, matey, and t' instructions aren't helpful here. Avast! T' idea is that you need t' cut so that thar's a little base (about 2mm) all t' way around t' canopy, ya bilge rat, 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, ya bilge rat, matey, and try placin' it on t' shroud t' see where you can remove t' excess. This piece, me hearties, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, me bucko, me hearties, requires some finishing, me hearties, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Avast! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, me bucko, I opted t' use black magic marker. Arrr! Ya scallywag! This worked out very well, me bucko, if I do say so myself. Blimey! Nice, ya bilge rat, smooth, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Gluin' t' canopy in place was simple and straightforward, arrr, shiver me timbers, but it didn't make a complete seal all t' way around. Aye aye!

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

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

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, me hearties, big spiral. Unfortunately, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' model glides like a brick in hand-toss mode, makin' it basically impossible t' trim in any meaningful way. Ya scallywag! Trimmin' will have t' wait until after t' first flight. Begad!

To summarize t' construction, shiver me timbers, 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! Avast, me proud beauty!

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

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

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

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

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

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