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

Construction started out well. 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. Blimey! About t' only hint here is t' use an 18mm engine casin' cut around t' nose cone positionin' disk. It be very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Avast! Nice touch. Aye aye!

Next came t' main body shroud. Aye aye! Aye aye! This is made o' heavy paper, me hearties, with t' design already printed on it. Arrr! (No painting, me bucko, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, and had no problems with it. Avast! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, matey, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Ya scallywag! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Aye aye! But, o' course, you don't want it flat, arrr, 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. Arrr! That went fine. Ahoy!

And then came t' moment o' truth. Aye aye! . Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! . Blimey! time t' put t' shroud together, permanently. Provided in t' kit for this purpose, 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, matey, then peel off t' coverin' on t' 2nd side, arrr, 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. It took care, but was nay particularly difficult t' get t' shroud edges lined up and held in place. Aye aye! Whew. Avast! Ahoy! Whew. Aye aye! It's all downhill from here. Begad! . Begad! Begad! . Aye aye! right?

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

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

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. Well, blow me down! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Begad! Avast! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! 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. Well, blow me down! This actually worked out quite well, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, me hearties, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Blimey! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Arrr! Avast! Blimey! Nice.

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

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

Next, t' cockpit canopy. Begad! Avast! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. Avast! It was unclear exactly where t' cut, shiver me timbers, and t' instructions aren't helpful here. Blimey! T' idea is that you need t' cut so that thar's a little base (about 2mm) all t' way around t' canopy, arrr, so that you have somethin' for t' glue t' hold onto. Ya scallywag! If you're a stickler for such details, you might want t' cut it out with more edge material initially, matey, matey, and try placin' it on t' shroud t' see where you can remove t' excess. Begad! This piece, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, requires some finishing, me hearties, matey, arrr, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Avast! Begad! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, I opted t' use black magic marker. Ahoy! This worked out very well, matey, if I do say so myself. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Nice, smooth, arrr, me bucko, matey, 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. Ya scallywag!

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). Begad! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, with an end cap glued t' one end. Blimey! Begad! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Arrr! Blimey! Well, 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! Nay a big deal, but odd, matey, because everythin' else fit well enough. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! 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. Aye aye! Ahoy! Fixed. Ya scallywag! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Well, blow me down! What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), shiver me timbers, or on t' outside (facin' back). Well, blow me down! T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, me hearties, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, me hearties, 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, shiver me timbers, me bucko, above.

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

T' only other step before flight is t' hand-toss t' glider (without an engine) t' get it trimmed properly. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! In other words, you may need t' adjust t' tabs on t' wings t' make it glide in a nice, me bucko, big spiral. Begad! Ahoy! Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, arrr, me bucko, 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, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I have t' give this model a construction ratin' o' 2 out o' 5. Aye aye! It's nay awful or outrageously complex, matey, arrr, but thar were too many little problems and shortcomings t' even give it an "average" rating. 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. It's entirely possible that things would be very different in more rocket-friendly conditions. Arrr! . Avast, me proud beauty! . Arrr!

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

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

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

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

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