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

Construction started out well. Avast, me proud beauty! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, ya bilge rat, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, me bucko, 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. Avast! It be very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Nice touch.

Next came t' main body shroud. This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. Begad! (No painting, ya bilge rat, me bucko, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, and had no problems with it. Ahoy! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, me hearties, 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. Begad! But, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, o' course, ya bilge rat, you don't want it flat, ya bilge rat, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! That went fine. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

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

Nope. Avast! T' trouble was just beginning. Aye aye! Blimey! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. This is done in two steps. Well, blow me down! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! In t' first step, matey, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, me bucko, me hearties, 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, ya bilge rat, 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! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I wiped this up immediately, me hearties, but, arrr, as you can probably guess, t' result was a pretty screwed up nose cone. Ahoy! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone be disfigured. Aye aye! Blimey! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, arrr, but it wasn't nice. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Unfortunately, shiver me timbers, matey, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, arrr, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, clever way t' avoid this. 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. Ya scallywag! No problemo, me hearties, right? No problemo, ya bilge rat, right? Wrong. Blimey! Ahoy! Part o' t' problem be me choice o' glues. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, ya bilge rat, so I went with yellow glue (a. Avast, me proud beauty! k. Ahoy! a. Avast, me proud beauty! carpenter's wood glue, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, a. Aye aye! k. Ya scallywag! a. aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Well, 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, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Well, blow me down! (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. Arrr! Aye aye! )White glue may give better results, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Avast! Thick CA, matey, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, matey, me hearties, but if it leaks through, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Blimey! 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. Begad!

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Arrr! Arrr! 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. T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Begad! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! This actually worked out quite well, me bucko, but you have t' be aware (and t' instructions do not point this out) that t' rudder has a wider base than t' wings, arrr, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Ahoy! Blimey! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! Nice. Ahoy! Blimey!

Next up, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. T' "air scoop" is just a piece o' paper attached on t' outside bottom o' t' main body shroud, t' form rectangular air passageway. Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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. Ahoy! Blimey! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug be a nice aesthetic touch. Ahoy! Blimey!

Next, ya bilge rat, addin' tail weight. Blimey! Well, blow me down! You glue two pennies t' a piece o' paper, and glue that t' t' inside bottom o' t' main body shroud. No problem. Avast!

Next, matey, t' cockpit canopy. Begad! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. It was 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, arrr, so that you have somethin' for t' glue t' hold onto. Aye aye! If you're a stickler for such details, arrr, you might want t' cut it out with more edge material initially, me hearties, and try placin' it on t' shroud t' see where you can remove t' excess. Aye aye! This piece, matey, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, matey, requires some finishing, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, I opted t' use black magic marker. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! This worked out very well, if I do say so myself. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Nice, smooth, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Blimey! Blimey! Gluin' t' canopy in place be simple and straightforward, arrr, but it didn't make a complete seal all t' way around. Arrr!

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). Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Blimey! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, shiver me timbers, with an end cap glued t' one end. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Avast! Well, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, matey, shiver me timbers, I be surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap be too small. Aye aye! Nay a big deal, but odd, me hearties, because everythin' else fit well enough. Well, blow me down! I just used t' tube a template and cut a proper end cap from some o' t' scrap shroud paper. Aye aye! Blimey! Fixed. Ahoy! Blimey! Fixed. Begad! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, inside t' back o' t' rocket. What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), matey, or on t' outside (facin' back). T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). Begad! My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, arrr, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, ya bilge rat, 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. Avast!

There is one more construction step (described in t' section "Preppin' your HL-20 for flight"), arrr, settin' up t' streamer for t' engine. Aye aye! Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Then, for each flight, me hearties, ya bilge rat, 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, me bucko, 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". Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr!

T' only other step before flight is t' hand-toss t' glider (without an engine) t' get it trimmed properly. Avast! In other words, me hearties, you may need t' adjust t' tabs on t' wings t' make it glide in a nice, shiver me timbers, big spiral. Avast! Unfortunately, me hearties, t' model glides like a brick in hand-toss mode, 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, I have t' give this model a construction ratin' o' 2 out o' 5. It's nay awful or outrageously complex, matey, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but thar were too many little problems and shortcomings t' even give it an "average" rating. Ahoy! Avast!

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

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

T' first launch was ugly. Avast! It went up in a wobbly arc, reached about 50feet AGL, and headed down, still under power. 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, matey, and t' ejection charge blew t' engine up and out. Ahoy! T' streamer separated from t' "gripper" tab, makin' t' engine casing, matey, with t' Keelhaul®©™ line still attached, ya bilge rat, rather difficult t' locate. Begad! Aye aye! Nay exactly a picture-perfect flight, matey, arrr, but thar be absolutely no damage t' any o' t' pieces, and I was determined t' try again.

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

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

As a final note, matey, shiver me timbers, 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, arrr, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Well, blow me down! Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, me bucko, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely.