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

Construction started out well. Aye aye! Ahoy! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, me hearties, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, ya bilge rat, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, and gluin' in t' engine block. Begad! Ahoy! About t' only hint here is t' use an 18mm engine casin' cut around t' nose cone positionin' disk. Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! It was very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Begad! Begad! Nice touch.

Next came t' main body shroud. This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. Aye aye! (No painting, me bucko, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, and had no problems with it. Blimey! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, me bucko, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Aye aye! But, me hearties, ya bilge rat, o' course, you don't want it flat, me hearties, 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. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! . Ya scallywag! Blimey! . Blimey! Blimey! time t' put t' shroud together, permanently. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Provided in t' kit for this purpose, me bucko, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, is a strip o' double-sided adhesive. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' idea is t' peel back t' coverin' on one side o' t' adhesive strip, place that on t' tab o' t' shroud, then peel off t' coverin' on t' 2nd side, and finally attach t' other edge o' t' shroud. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Despite some problems gettin' t' coverings off t' adhesive, this actually worked quite well. Begad! Blimey! It took care, matey, but be nay particularly difficult t' get t' shroud edges lined up and held in place. Whew. Avast! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Whew. Arrr! Blimey! It's all downhill from here. . Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! . Blimey! Blimey! right?

Nope. Begad! Blimey! T' trouble be just beginning. Avast! 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 bucko, 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. Blimey! I wiped this up immediately, but, as you can probably guess, t' result was a pretty screwed up nose cone. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Aye aye! This be almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, shiver me timbers, but it wasn't nice. Begad! Unfortunately, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, shiver me timbers, matey, clever way t' avoid this. Ya scallywag! Let me know if you figure it out. Arrr! Begad!

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. No problemo, right? No problemo, arrr, right? Wrong. Avast! Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. Ahoy! Begad! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. k. a. Well, blow me down! carpenter's wood glue, me bucko, a. Well, blow me down! k. Avast! a. Blimey! Aye aye! 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. T' shroud didn't want t' form t' t' tri-oval shape, matey, ya bilge rat, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. Blimey! This, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, me bucko, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Aye aye! (You can't see them well in t' photos, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, me hearties, me hearties, arrr, 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. Begad! Thick CA, matey, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, arrr, but if it leaks through, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Well, blow me down! Arrr! 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.

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Blimey! These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! T' paper is scored, ya bilge rat, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Blimey! Blimey! 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. This actually worked out quite well, matey, 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. T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Aye aye! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Ya scallywag! Nice. Ahoy! Begad!

Next up, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Begad! T' "air scoop" is just a piece o' paper attached on t' outside bottom o' t' main body shroud, matey, t' form rectangular air passageway. Blimey! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug was a nice aesthetic touch. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

T' first launch was ugly. It went up in a wobbly arc, reached about 50feet AGL, and headed down, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, still under power. I'm nay sure if it was 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. Ahoy! T' streamer separated from t' "gripper" tab, me bucko, matey, makin' t' engine casing, matey, with t' Keelhaul®©™ line still attached, rather difficult t' locate. Blimey! Nay exactly a picture-perfect flight, but thar was absolutely no damage t' any o' t' pieces, me bucko, and I was determined t' try again. Well, blow me down! Well, arrr, blow me down!

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

So, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, and if t' flights are much better, I will update this page immediately. Avast, me proud beauty! I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, me hearties, and report any successes here. Ya scallywag! Begad! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, shiver me timbers, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, but so far, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. 5 out o' 5 points (at least it didn't self-destruct), shiver me timbers, matey, and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. Avast! Begad! At this point, me bucko, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Arrr! Well, blow me down!

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