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

Construction started out well. Ya scallywag! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, shiver me timbers, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, ya bilge rat, and gluin' in t' engine block. Arrr! Avast! 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). Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Nice touch. Blimey!

Next came t' main body shroud. This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. Aye aye! Aye aye! (No painting, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, and had no problems with it. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, ya bilge rat, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Blimey! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. But, o' course, 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. That went fine. Arrr!

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

Nope. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' trouble be just beginning. T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Begad! This is done in two steps. Begad! In t' first step, 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. T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. T' problem is that t' nose cone is attached t' t' engine tube and tri-oval centerin' ring, and it's basically impossible t' get t' nose cone t' slip through that hole without gettin' plastic cement all over t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I wiped this up immediately, me bucko, but, shiver me timbers, as you can probably guess, t' result was a pretty screwed up nose cone. T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, me hearties, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone be disfigured. Ahoy! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, matey, me bucko, but it wasn't nice. Unfortunately, me hearties, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, me hearties, clever way t' avoid this. Let me know if you figure it out. Blimey!

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. Aye aye! No problemo, right? No problemo, right? Wrong. Ya scallywag! Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. Well, blow me down! Blimey! k. Blimey! a. Arrr! carpenter's wood glue, me hearties, a. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! k. Ahoy! a. Ahoy! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, it be 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, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. Well, blow me down! This, arrr, 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, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. Aye aye! Ahoy! )White glue may give better results, ya bilge rat, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Begad! Begad! 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, matey, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Aye aye! 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. Blimey!

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Avast! Blimey! These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. Begad! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Ahoy! T' paper is scored, 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. Begad! Ahoy! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. 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, matey, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Avast! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Avast! Nice. Avast! Begad!

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

Next, me hearties, shiver me timbers, addin' tail weight. Arrr! Blimey! You glue two pennies t' a piece o' paper, me hearties, me bucko, and glue that t' t' inside bottom o' t' main body shroud. No problem. Begad! Blimey!

Next, t' cockpit canopy. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. Aye aye! 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, ya bilge rat, so that you have somethin' for t' glue t' hold onto. Aye aye! Avast! If you're a stickler for such details, me bucko, 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. Begad! This piece, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, arrr, ya bilge rat, requires some finishing, shiver me timbers, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, I opted t' use black magic marker. Begad! This worked out very well, arrr, if I do say so myself. Ahoy! Nice, matey, 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.

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). Aye aye! Ya scallywag! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, matey, matey, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, with an end cap glued t' one end. T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Well, blow me down! Well, ya bilge rat, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, arrr, I was surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap be too small. Begad! Nay a big deal, but odd, me bucko, ya bilge rat, arrr, 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. Fixed. Ya scallywag! Fixed. Blimey! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Arrr! What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), or on t' outside (facin' back). Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). Ahoy! My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, me bucko, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, arrr, rather than glide back. I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), as you can see from t' aft photo, arrr, above.

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! Avast, me proud beauty! Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, shiver me timbers, 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. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Then, arrr, for each flight, shiver me timbers, you tie t' other end o' t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' around t' end o' t' engine (reinforce this with tape), ya bilge rat, and stuff t' streamer in t' streamer compartment, and you're all set. Aye aye! T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions say that thar's a 12" streamer in t' kit. Ya scallywag! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Mine measured 11". Avast!

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

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

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

T' launch was held on Saturday, ya bilge rat, arrr, March 14, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, 1998 at Deer Path Park in central New Jersey. Begad! Well, blow me down! I set up t' pad and prepped t' rocket. Bein' a rear-ejection boost glider, arrr, thar's no need for recovery wadding, but you have t' tape t' streamer line t' t' motor itself. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! There were no problems preppin' t' rocket, me hearties, me hearties, but when I tried t' slide it down t' launch rod, t' engine fell out, and pulled t' streamer out with it. Begad! No biggie, me bucko, arrr, but I didn't put tape around t' engine t' get a tighter fit, for fear that t' engine would jam at ejection time. I repacked it, and held t' engine in place while I set it up this time. Aye aye! Aye aye!

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

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

So, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. Arrr! I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, me hearties, arrr, and if t' flights are much better, matey, me bucko, matey, 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. Aye aye! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, ya bilge rat, arrr, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, arrr, but so far, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Well, blow me down! 5 out o' 5 points (at least it didn't self-destruct), arrr, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. At this point, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Avast!

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