Buildin' t' Quest X-30 

In me first incarnation, I had built t' Centuri Vulcan, shiver me timbers, a body-wrap design o' marginal performance. Avast! I had liked t' looks o' that exotic, arrr, 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, ya bilge rat, I snapped it up. Blimey! Arrr! T' reduced price o' $10.99 over their original askin' o' $16.99 didn't hurt either. Avast, me proud beauty! (Discount Rocketry had them for a paltry $7.) Bein' an almost exclusive Estes buyer as a BAR, matey, 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 be unopened, but be still missin' t' engine hook; I used an Estes standard engine hook that fit just fine. Arrr! Ahoy! T' model has a great deal o' paper cut-outs, arrr, some requirin' a steady hand t' trim properly. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' balsa fins are poorly die-cut, me hearties, ya bilge rat, needin' a sharp knife t' be extracted successfully from t' stock. Begad! T' stock, me bucko, me hearties, BTW, shiver me timbers, appears t' be a notch below Estes' almost competition grade, me bucko, as are t' 'chutes, matey, which are flimsy, me bucko, poorly printed, shiver me timbers, prone t' deformation and tearin' and nay easily packed. Ahoy! All three bulkheads were uniformly over-size, requirin' careful sandin' t' brin' them t' t' proper dimensions. Blimey! T' key phrase here is 'dry fit-up'; and nay just once, ya bilge rat, but numerous times. Over-all, fit be poor, loose some places, tight in others.

Printed Material

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

T' Good Points

There are a few things about this bird I did like, me bucko, arrr, me bucko, though. Avast! T' Keelhaul®©™ shock cord is great idea, I'll be usin' on me own designs in t' future. Avast! Strong and light-weight, arrr, its primary advantage is its extreme heat resistance. Arrr! This allows t' designer t' mount it darn near anyplace, matey, even right in front o' t' engine, as is done on t' X-30. Avast, me proud beauty! (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. Avast! Avast! As with all wrapped designs, arrr, shiver me timbers, care must be taken in t' joinin' step, but even though t' strip provides less workin' time than white glue (practically none, in fact), ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I didn't have too much trouble at all. Arrr! Begad! No paper swellin' as with glue, and extremely thin, keepin' t' joint darn near invisible. Arrr! Why thar isn't a similar strip for t' air scoop joint is beyond me.

Unlike t' body wrap, ya bilge rat, t' bulkheads were a big disappointment. All must be sanded, t' ones in t' body just t' fit and t' one in t' nose t' match. Avast! Failin' t' do so will result in creases in t' body which will require special attention t' t' fins t' get a good mount. Avast, me proud beauty! Don't believe t' placement dimension given in t' instructions for t' stern (i.e., arrr, larger) bulkhead; fit it up last, after you make sure t' bow bulkhead is even with t' edge o' t' body wrap. Arrr! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Even with careful work, shiver me timbers, matey, 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, with much greater success. For t' cockpit, ya bilge rat, I used maskin' tape t' form a holdin' tab on t' upper surface, lettin' me apply t' glue and place t' part without ever touchin' t' edges. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Sand t' edges o' t' cockpit smooth and even, it'll look real crummy if you don't. 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. Arrr! 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. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! If you'd rather go it alone, ya bilge rat, thin some white glue about 2:1 and brush it on, payin' special attention t' t' edges. 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, 'Needs Improvement'.

Flying

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

For flight, me hearties, 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, matey, "Recommended for t' Expert Modeler", and rightly so. Aye aye! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! It contains a number o' hurdles and techniques most Estes rocketeers will nay be familiar with, ya bilge rat, matey, arrr, such as sheeted balsa fins and ill-fittin' parts. RC aircraft modelin' experience is more suited t' this ship's design, arrr, but with attention t' detail and patience, it can be conquered without too much difficulty. Begad! Aye aye! And under D3-3 power, she's bound t' be impressive once she's airborne.

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

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