Buildin' t' Quest X-30 

In me first incarnation, ya bilge rat, I had built t' Centuri Vulcan, a body-wrap design o' marginal performance. Aye aye! Arrr! I had liked t' looks o' that exotic, me bucko, so when I ran across a Quest X-30 in me local hobby shop's "buy this stuff or we'll throw it away" bin, I snapped it up. Begad! Arrr! T' reduced price o' $10.99 over their original askin' o' $16.99 didn't hurt either. Blimey! Arrr! (Discount Rocketry had them for a paltry $7.) Bein' an almost exclusive Estes buyer as a BAR, I thought this would give me a chance t' see what Quest was all about without too serious an investment.

T' Bad Points

T' kit was unopened, but was still missin' t' engine hook; I used an Estes standard engine hook that fit just fine. Aye aye! T' model has a great deal o' paper cut-outs, some requirin' a steady hand t' trim properly. Aye aye! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' balsa fins are poorly die-cut, ya bilge rat, needin' a sharp knife t' be extracted successfully from t' stock. Ahoy! T' stock, me hearties, BTW, appears t' be a notch below Estes' almost competition grade, as are t' 'chutes, ya bilge rat, which are flimsy, me bucko, arrr, poorly printed, prone t' deformation and tearin' and nay easily packed. All three bulkheads were uniformly over-size, requirin' careful sandin' t' brin' them t' t' proper dimensions. Well, blow me down! T' key phrase here is 'dry fit-up'; and nay just once, me hearties, but numerous times. Over-all, arrr, matey, fit was poor, ya bilge rat, me hearties, loose some places, tight in others.

Printed Material

T' 'bag art' is misleadin' on a number o' points; t' images are retouched, showin' some details where thar are none (the cockpit, for instance) and hidin' others (e.g., me bucko, t' air scoop joint). Begad! One downright incorrect illustration shows t' shock cord attachin' t' both t' front and aft o' t' model, shiver me timbers, and recovery as belly-first. Arrr! Don't believe it; this bird recovers tail- first, matey, just as with every other conventionally recoverin' rocket. Begad! T' instructions are clear and easy t' follow, matey, though little technique is discussed and at least one dimension is a total gaff. Ahoy! Arrr! On t' other hand, t' printin' on t' body wrap and sheetin' was good except for one glitch; I've seen much worse.

T' Good Points

There are a few things about this bird I did like, though. Arrr! T' Keelhaul®©™ shock cord is great idea, matey, I'll be usin' on me own designs in t' future. Strong and light-weight, its primary advantage is its extreme heat resistance. Avast! This allows t' designer t' mount it darn near anyplace, me hearties, even right in front o' t' engine, as is done on t' X-30. Arrr! (You can buy bulk cord from Rogue.) I also appreciated t' pre-cut shroud lines.

T' Body and Bulkheads

T' dual sided adhesive strip that joins t' body wrap is amazingly strong and easy t' apply. Ya scallywag! As with all wrapped designs, care must be taken in t' joinin' step, matey, arrr, but even though t' strip provides less workin' time than white glue (practically none, arrr, in fact), I didn't have too much trouble at all. Aye aye! Avast! No paper swellin' as with glue, and extremely thin, keepin' t' joint darn near invisible. Aye aye! Why thar isn't a similar strip for t' air scoop joint is beyond me.

Unlike t' body wrap, t' bulkheads were a big disappointment. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! All must be sanded, arrr, t' ones in t' body just t' fit and t' one in t' nose t' match. Failin' t' do so will result in creases in t' body which will require special attention t' t' fins t' get a good mount. Begad! Avast! Don't believe t' placement dimension given in t' instructions for t' stern (i.e., larger) bulkhead; fit it up last, matey, after you make sure t' bow bulkhead is even with t' edge o' t' body wrap. Avast, me proud beauty! Even with careful work, me X-30 looks like a golf shoe.

Vacu-formed Parts

As I do with all plastic-to-paper or -balsa attachments, I used CA on these instead o' t' suggested plastic model cement, and also as usual, arrr, with much greater success. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! For t' cockpit, ya bilge rat, I used maskin' tape t' form a holdin' tab on t' upper surface, arrr, lettin' me apply t' glue and place t' part without ever touchin' t' edges. Sand t' edges o' t' cockpit smooth and even, me bucko, it'll look real crummy if you don't. Ya scallywag! Care must be taken when placin' t' nose bulkhead; you only get one chance with CA. Begad! If you don't screw it up too much, sandin' t' bulkhead might brin' t' surface back t' square, but don't count on it.

Sheetin' t' Fins

Balsa sheetin' adhesive (the "glue stick" mentioned in t' instructions) is available from your local RC shop. Begad! Drop by for a bottle and ask how they use it (most RC planes have some type o' sheeting), and be sure t' mention your sheetin' is pre-printed paper. Blimey! If you'd rather go it alone, ya bilge rat, thin some white glue about 2:1 and brush it on, me hearties, shiver me timbers, arrr, payin' special attention t' t' edges. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Don't be surprised t' see t' fins warp after you've applied t' glue; set them in a warm place t' dry and they'll come back. Trimmin' t' sheetin' and plastic can be done with a good pair o' scissors and a final light sanding.

For construction, I'd rate this model a 2 points on t' Essence scale, matey, matey, 'Needs Improvement'.

Flying

As with all tapered body designs, extra nose weight is required, me bucko, and when combined with her wide body, me hearties, arrr, t' X-30 is less than a stellar performer. Begad! Ahoy! Only two engines are on t' recommended list, arrr, me bucko, arrr, B6-2 (~110') and C6-3 (~210'), though I wouldn't recommend t' former myself. Blimey! T' Quest versions o' these are "hotter" than their Estes counterparts, arrr, so I'd suggest usin' them; this bird needs all t' impulse she can get. Ahoy! Blimey! An Estes C5-3 also works (~220'), ya bilge rat, and if you've been able t' get darn near all (1 oz.) o' t' nose weight clay installed, I'd also recommend t' Apogee D3-3 for a flight commensurate with t' X-30's namesake (~490'). Begad! If your bird comes in heavy as mine did (3.25 oz. Blimey! vs. Arrr! t' stated 2.75), don't be surprised t' see her nose over before ejection on t' three second delay engines.

For flight, shiver me timbers, I'd rate this bird a 3 points on t' Essence scale, 'Average'.

Summary

This model is listed as Skill Level 4, Quest's highest, "Recommended for t' Expert Modeler", me bucko, and rightly so. Arrr! It contains a number o' hurdles and techniques most Estes rocketeers will nay be familiar with, me hearties, such as sheeted balsa fins and ill-fittin' parts. Blimey! Aye aye! RC aircraft modelin' experience is more suited t' this ship's design, but with attention t' detail and patience, shiver me timbers, it can be conquered without too much difficulty. And under D3-3 power, she's bound t' be impressive once she's airborne.

Overall, I'd rate this bird a 3 points on t' Essence scale, matey, 'Average'.

Would I buy another Quest model? Probably, but only because I know what I'd be in for and felt I could handle it. Avast! If you're nay used t' improvisin' on a design or lack o' quality, matey, me hearties, go with t' more thoughtfully produced products o' t' better-known manufacturers.