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

Construction started out well. Begad! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, shiver me timbers, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, me bucko, and gluin' in t' engine block. Arrr! 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, me hearties, me proud beauty! Nice touch. Well, blow me down! Avast!

Next came t' main body shroud. This is made o' heavy paper, me bucko, with t' design already printed on it. (No painting, arrr, shiver me timbers, yeah!) I took me time and be very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, and had no problems with it. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Begad! Blimey! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Ya scallywag! Blimey! But, me bucko, o' course, matey, you don't want it flat, ya bilge rat, so I chose t' roll it up close t' it's intended shape, me hearties, and hold it in place with rubber bands while I cut out t' rest o' t' paper pieces. Begad! Blimey! That went fine.

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

Nope. Arrr! Blimey! T' trouble was just beginning. Aye aye! Blimey! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. This is done in two steps. Avast! In t' first step, arrr, 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. Ya scallywag! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! T' problem is that t' nose cone is attached t' t' engine tube and tri-oval centerin' ring, me hearties, 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, matey, but, as you can probably guess, t' result was a pretty screwed up nose cone. Ya scallywag! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Ya scallywag! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, but it wasn't nice. Unfortunately, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, arrr, me hearties, clever way t' avoid this. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Let me know if you figure it out.

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. Blimey! No problemo, me hearties, right? No problemo, me bucko, right? Wrong. Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. Begad! Well, blow me down! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, me bucko, arrr, me hearties, so I went with yellow glue (a. Begad! k. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! a. Ahoy! carpenter's wood glue, a. k. Avast, me proud beauty! a. aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Well, it be still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, and nay a pretty one at that. Well, blow me down! 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, 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. (You can't see them well in t' photos, arrr, 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, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Thick CA, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, shiver me timbers, but if it leaks through, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Avast! 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, ya bilge rat, me hearties, about this time, shiver me timbers, I noticed that t' adhesive strip that be holdin' t' shroud together, was startin' t' let go. It wasn't bad, but it was clear that it wasn't goin' t' hold forever. I wicked some thin CA into this area. Begad! It's permanent now. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! It's permanent now. Ok, now this kit is startin' t' annoy me. Arrr! . Ahoy! Begad! . Ahoy!

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Arrr! 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. T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Blimey! Begad! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Well, blow me down! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Ahoy! Aye aye! 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, ya bilge rat, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Arrr! 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. Ahoy! Nice.

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

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

Next, t' cockpit canopy. Aye aye! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. Begad! Ahoy! It was unclear exactly where t' cut, ya bilge rat, 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, matey, me bucko, matey, so that you have somethin' for t' glue t' hold onto. Avast! If you're a stickler for such details, matey, 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. This piece, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, matey, requires some finishing, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, me bucko, I opted t' use black magic marker. Ya scallywag! This worked out very well, if I do say so myself. Blimey! Arrr! Nice, arrr, smooth, shiver me timbers, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Gluin' t' canopy in place was simple and straightforward, 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). This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, with an end cap glued t' one end. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, I was surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap be too small. Ahoy! Ahoy! Blimey! Nay a big deal, arrr, but odd, 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. Ahoy! Blimey! Fixed. Aye aye! Fixed. Begad! Blimey! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, me hearties, me bucko, inside t' back o' t' rocket. What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), me bucko, or on t' outside (facin' back). Avast, me proud beauty! T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). Avast, me proud beauty! My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, rather than glide back. Blimey! Blimey! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), arrr, as you can see from t' aft photo, arrr, above. Ahoy! Blimey!

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

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

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

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

T' launch was held on Saturday, arrr, March 14, 1998 at Deer Path Park in central New Jersey. Avast, me proud beauty! I set up t' pad and prepped t' rocket. Avast! Bein' a rear-ejection boost glider, ya bilge rat, 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, so I opted for a B6-4. Aye aye! Aye aye! 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, arrr, and pulled t' streamer out with it. Blimey! No biggie, 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! I repacked it, ya bilge rat, and held t' engine in place while I set it up this time. Aye aye!

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

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

So, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. Avast! I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, me bucko, and if t' flights are much better, I will update this page immediately. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, me bucko, 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, shiver me timbers, arrr, but so far, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. Avast! I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. 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. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! At this point, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Well, blow me down!

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