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

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

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

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

Nope. T' trouble was just beginning. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Arrr! Well, blow me down! This is done in two steps. Ahoy! Ahoy! In t' first step, matey, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. Blimey! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! I wiped this up immediately, arrr, shiver me timbers, but, as you can probably guess, arrr, me bucko, t' result be a pretty screwed up nose cone. Blimey! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone be disfigured. Avast, me proud beauty! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, but it wasn't nice. Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, clever way t' avoid this. Well, blow me down! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! No problemo, matey, right? No problemo, right? Wrong. Part o' t' problem be me choice o' glues. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. Begad! k. Well, blow me down! Arrr! a. carpenter's wood glue, a. Blimey! k. Begad! a. aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Well, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, and nay a pretty one at that. Begad! Avast! 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. Ya scallywag! This, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! (You can't see them well in t' photos, ya bilge rat, me bucko, 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. Blimey! Aye aye! Thick CA, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, but if it leaks through, shiver me timbers, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Begad! 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. Avast!

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Begad! These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. Aye aye! Blimey! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Ahoy! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Avast! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Begad! This actually worked out quite well, arrr, but you have t' be aware (and t' instructions do not point this out) that t' rudder has a wider base than t' wings, shiver me timbers, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Aye aye! 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. Avast! Nice. Ahoy!

Next up, me hearties, me bucko, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Avast, me proud beauty! T' "air scoop" is just a piece o' paper attached on t' outside bottom o' t' main body shroud, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' form rectangular air passageway. Aye aye! As you can see in t' photo above, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. Begad! Begad! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug was a nice aesthetic touch. Begad!

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

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

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, arrr, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Arrr! Begad! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, matey, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Then, for each flight, you tie t' other end o' t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' around t' end o' t' engine (reinforce this with tape), me hearties, arrr, shiver me timbers, and stuff t' streamer in t' streamer compartment, and you're all set. T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. T' instructions say that thar's a 12" streamer in t' kit. Mine measured 11". Aye aye!

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, matey, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights be less than inspiring. Blimey! I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, and if t' flights are much better, matey, shiver me timbers, I will update this page immediately. I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, ya bilge rat, matey, ya bilge rat, 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, me bucko, but so far, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. Blimey! Ahoy! 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), and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. Blimey! At this point, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Ya scallywag!

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