T' Quest X-30 Aerospace plane caught me eye, arrr, and it was on sale at Magnum for $4. Avast! 50, but I be a little wary o' t' paper shroud construction. Begad! Arrr!   Well, t' Quest HL-20 uses paper shroud construction, too, and it be also on sale, arrr, ya bilge rat, for $2. 50, me hearties, me hearties, and it's supposed t' be easier. Aye aye! 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. Well, blow me down! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, me bucko, ya bilge rat, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, and gluin' in t' engine block. About t' only hint here is t' use an 18mm engine casin' cut around t' nose cone positionin' disk. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! It was very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Begad! Nice touch. Well, blow me down!

Next came t' main body shroud. This is made o' heavy paper, arrr, with t' design already printed on it. Ahoy! (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. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, me bucko, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Avast! Avast! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! But, shiver me timbers, o' course, ya bilge rat, 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. Arrr! That went fine. Arrr!

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

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

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, right? No problemo, me hearties, 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. Ahoy! k. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! a. Blimey! carpenter's wood glue, a. Ahoy! Blimey! k. a. Ya scallywag! Blimey! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Well, me hearties, it was 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, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. This, 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. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! (You can't see them well in t' photos, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, me bucko, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. )White glue may give better results, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey! Thick CA, me hearties, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! 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.

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

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. Begad! Avast! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' paper is scored, me bucko, arrr, 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. Ya scallywag! 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, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Blimey! Blimey! 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! Avast! Blimey! Nice. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

Next up, arrr, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Ya scallywag! T' "air scoop" is just a piece o' paper attached on t' outside bottom o' t' main body shroud, shiver me timbers, t' form rectangular air passageway. As you can see in t' photo above, me hearties, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, me bucko, ya bilge rat, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. Blimey! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug was a nice aesthetic touch. Ahoy!

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

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

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! Aye aye! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, matey, matey, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, me bucko, with an end cap glued t' one end. Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Well, shiver me timbers, arrr, me hearties, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, I was surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap be too small. Ya scallywag! Nay a big deal, ya bilge rat, but odd, shiver me timbers, 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. Aye aye! Fixed. Fixed. Blimey! 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), me bucko, matey, or on t' outside (facin' back). Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! 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, matey, arrr, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, rather than glide back. Ahoy! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), me bucko, me bucko, as you can see from t' aft photo, above. Begad!

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. Avast, me proud beauty! Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Arrr! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, me bucko, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Then, for each flight, arrr, 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, matey, and you're all set. Aye aye! Blimey! T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. Arrr! T' instructions say that thar's a 12" streamer in t' kit. Mine measured 11". Blimey!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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