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

Construction started out well. Ahoy! Blimey! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, 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. It be very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Arrr! Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! Nice touch. Aye aye! Blimey!

Next came t' main body shroud. This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. Ahoy! Blimey! (No painting, arrr, arrr, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, and had no problems with it. Ya scallywag! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Avast! Blimey! But, ya bilge rat, o' course, shiver me timbers, you don't want it flat, me bucko, 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. Begad! Blimey! That went fine. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

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

Nope. Blimey! T' trouble be just beginning. Begad! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. This is done in two steps. In t' first step, me hearties, 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. Begad! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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! Blimey! I wiped this up immediately, matey, me hearties, but, ya bilge rat, me hearties, as you can probably guess, arrr, t' result was a pretty screwed up nose cone. Avast, me proud beauty! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Begad! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, ya bilge rat, but it wasn't nice. Begad! Begad! Unfortunately, arrr, me hearties, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, clever way t' avoid this. 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. Ya scallywag! No problemo, ya bilge rat, me hearties, right? No problemo, right? Wrong. Begad! Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. Begad! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. Blimey! k. Aye aye! a. Ahoy! Avast! carpenter's wood glue, matey, matey, a. Blimey! k. Ya scallywag! Begad! a. Well, me hearties, blow me down! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Avast! Ahoy! Well, it be still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, and nay a pretty one at that. Begad! T' shroud didn't want t' form t' t' tri-oval shape, ya bilge rat, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. Ahoy! This, arrr, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, me hearties, arrr, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Well, blow me down! Begad! (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. )White glue may give better results, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Ya scallywag! 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. 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. Avast, me proud beauty!

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. Arrr! Avast! 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. Begad! 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. Avast! 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. Arrr! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Begad! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Aye aye! Nice. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty!

Next up, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. 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. Arrr! Aye aye! As you can see in t' photo above, matey, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug was a nice aesthetic touch.

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

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

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, ya bilge rat, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, with an end cap glued t' one end. T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Well, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, I be surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap was too small. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Nay a big deal, but odd, shiver me timbers, because everythin' else fit well enough. Avast! Blimey! I just used t' tube a template and cut a proper end cap from some o' t' scrap shroud paper. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Fixed. Fixed. Arrr! Blimey! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Arrr! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), or on t' outside (facin' back). Ahoy! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, ya bilge rat, matey, me hearties, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, rather than glide back. I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), matey, as you can see from t' aft photo, shiver me timbers, above.

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

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

To summarize t' construction, I have t' give this model a construction ratin' o' 2 out o' 5. Ya scallywag! It's nay awful or outrageously complex, 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 was very windy t' day o' these flights. Begad! It's entirely possible that things would be very different in more rocket-friendly conditions. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! . Arrr! .

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

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

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

So, arrr, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, and if t' flights are much better, matey, matey, I will update this page immediately. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, and report any successes here. Begad! Blimey! 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, arrr, matey, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. Arrr! Blimey! I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Arrr! Begad! 5 out o' 5 points (at least it didn't self-destruct), matey, and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. Well, blow me down! At this point, I simply cannot recommend this rocket.

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