Brief:
I won this on eBay for $10.00. Well, blow me down! This be t' entire, unopened Quest starter kit with launcher, launch controller, ya bilge rat, kit and 3 C6-3 engines. It was packaged in t' mid-1990s. Avast, me proud beauty! I didn't expect t' engines t' be included, but they were sent.

I'd always liked t' simplicity o' t' Quest PVC Tripod launcher. Blimey! Begad! T' older hand-held controller be very comfortable and ergonomic. Aye aye! I might use this for me new utility "home" launcher.

I had seen t' Space Clipper years ago. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' model looked interesting, ya bilge rat, and might be a great odd-ball build.

Everyone always makes claim t' a great buy on eBay. Blimey! I guess this be mine.

Construction:
This model used Conical Stabilty with no fins. Ahoy! Two 12" parachutes are used, one is for t' nose cone alone as it is heavy with all t' clay nose weight.

T' yellow engine mount tube and centerin' rings seem thin. Ahoy! You are instructed t' make a slight bend in t' engine hook. Avast! There was already a slight bend in t' hook. Instead o' wrappin' tape around t' engine hook, arrr, I substituted a Semroc HR-20 mylar retainin' ring.

Many o' t' black cardstock frame pieces had already become free from t' die-cut frame. Begad! There were a few attachment tabs that required trim and sanding.

T' markin' guide is cut from t' instruction sheet. Begad! I fit nearly perfect around t' tube. Aye aye! Because t' tube is pre-colored black, matey, matey, it doesn't accept pencil markin' lines well. Ahoy! T' lines were more o' a "scribe" down t' tube.

T' lug is also pre-colored black. It's 8-½" long and runs t' entire length o' t' inside body tube. Ahoy! I scraped t' lug line on t' body tube and sanded t' lug gluin' line t' ensure a good adhesion.

T' Base Plate hole is a larger diameter than t' body tube. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! While t' instructions direct you t' "push" t' tube into t' large hole, it loosely slips right through. Avast! You can see light through t' joint on all sides. I decided t' tack t' base in place with glue drops on three sides, me bucko, nay on t' launch lug side yet. Arrr! Also, me hearties, t' hole for t' lug is larger than t' lug diameter.

When gluin' t' internal frames, I found it easier t' line them up by lookin' down from t' top. I had me doubts about t' strength o' t' internal structure. Ahoy! At first it was a little hard t' get t' frames t' line up. Avast, me proud beauty! But after t' white glue started t' set up, ya bilge rat, they held in place well.

Other reviews have talked o' how weak these tubes are. Many have replaced them with dowels. T' kit tubes seemed just as strong as a 1/4" dowel. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I went ahead and used t' supplied tubes.

T' supplied black gussets weren't wide enough t' reach both sides t' landin' tubes. T' tubes do need t' glue t' a gusset for strength. Ya scallywag! I ended up cuttin' wider gussets from cereal box cardboard.

Even though t' kit was probably 15 years old, me bucko, me hearties, me bucko, t' double faced tape strip was still very usable. Begad! Begad! T' adhesive transferred well and t' joined shroud edges are strong.

Earlier, t' shroud be ironed flat and pre-formed. Begad! Avast! On t' printed face thar be a horizontal line with rivets on either side. Avast, me proud beauty! Instead o' tryin' t' line up t' top or bottom first, matey, shiver me timbers, I lined up this horizontal line. Aye aye! This stuck t' shroud together in t' middle first and joined from t' middle out. Arrr! Bein' it be a long tab, this seemed t' be a easier way t' go.

I had built X-24 Bugs before and t' Quest HL-20. Aye aye! It seemed every time t' shroud is nay perfectly round, matey, thar can be problems with fit at t' bottom. Nay so here.

I had no problems gettin' t' shroud over t' base plate. Aye aye! Aye aye! Fillets were applied t' t' rounded corners first. Aye aye! On t' "flats" I came back and applied fillets but needed a little maskin' tape t' hold t' shroud edge t' t' base.

I made sure t' lessen t' tackiness o' t' tape by stickin' t' tape t' me jeans and pullin' it up (several times) before layin' it on t' paper shroud. Well, blow me down! Blimey! By stickin' t' tape t' me jeans, it pulls jean fiber onto t' tape and diminishes its stickiness. Ya scallywag! I didn't want t' pull up any paper when removin' t' tape.

Around t' top o' t' lug, ya bilge rat, t' shroud "lifts" slightly away from t' shroud/tube joint. Well, blow me down! I used a small drop o' CA glue t' hold t' edge down. Begad! Blimey! I also touched a small drop o' CA at t' top and bottom o' t' shroud seam.

T' instructions have you cut a "hole" with a razor saw into t' plastic adapter shoulder. Aye aye! I decided t' simply widen t' small hole already in t' base. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! With a cutlass and small file I made t' hole about 1/4" round.

T' clay was old and very oily on t' outside. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! It be still usable though. It be rolled into a thin clay "snake" and push into t' nose with a dowel. With all t' clay in place, ya bilge rat, it's heavy! No wonder t' nose cone comes down on its own parachute.

T' moldin' seams on t' outside o' t' cone were noticeable. Avast, me proud beauty! I used sandpaper t' remove them and smooth it out.

Two 12" parachutes are provided. Arrr! I've read a few stories about t' stiffness o' he Quest parachutes. Some have had trouble gettin' t' parachutes t' open at ejection. Begad! I will fly t' model as directed by t' instructions, arrr, however, matey, I'll be sure t' let t' parachutes air out right before launch. If t' Quest chutes don't work out, I've installed snap swivels on both and will switch them out for another brand.

Finishing:
There is no paintin' involved. T' pre-printed shroud looks great. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! As others have written, me hearties, t' decals are nay so good. They are self-adhesive stickers, arrr, nay waterslide.

T' package illustrations show t' USA decal t' be in red, only red, against t' grey shroud. Avast! Blimey! These stickers are on a white background, nay clear. Used as supplied, t' USA decal is surrounded by a white rectangular box. Avast, me proud beauty! T' other stickers could be cut close and appear as in t' photograph but with a raised surface.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
NEFAR be havin' their "Half-Blast" near Bunnell, me bucko, Florida on June 13, 2009. Arrr! Begad! T' two parachutes took up more space than t' model had room for. I packed t' waddin' a little tighter t' make room for t' two parachutes.

I set up t' Clipper on t' low-power rack with a Estes C6-3. Begad! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! There were two "no go" launches as someone had kicked t' power cable loose. Aye aye! T' igniter was still fine. Third try was good. Begad! Ahoy! T' Clipper rose straight up for about 50 feet then turned 45 degrees and flew diagonally t' t' west. Blimey! Ejection be fine, no damage except for a slight bend in one o' t' legs. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' leg is repairable. Blimey! I don't think I'll fly it again, shiver me timbers, it didn't seem very stable, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, or safe.

Recovery:
CONs: Nay enough room for t' waddin' and two parachutes. There was a small bend on one landin' leg tube.

Flight Rating: 2 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Fun build, ya bilge rat, me hearties, definitely different. Blimey! Arrr! Great fit o' t' large shroud. Avast! Blimey! Nice display model.

CONs: Bad fit o' landin' gear gussets. Ya scallywag! Sticker "decals." Weak, thin centerin' rings and motor mount tube. Aye aye! Heavy nosecone with all t' clay weight. Ya scallywag! Nay very stable. Blimey! I would probably reinforce t' tube landin' legs, maybe with gluin' a dowel inside t' hollow tubes.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5