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

Construction started out well. Arrr! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, me bucko, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, me hearties, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, and gluin' in t' engine block. Begad! Aye aye! About t' only hint here is t' use an 18mm engine casin' cut around t' nose cone positionin' disk. Avast! It was 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! Arrr! (No painting, matey, ya bilge rat, yeah!) I took me time and be very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, and had no problems with it. Avast! 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. 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, o' course, me hearties, you don't want it flat, so I chose t' roll it up close t' it's intended shape, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and hold it in place with rubber bands while I cut out t' rest o' t' paper pieces. That went fine.

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

Nope. T' trouble was just beginning. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Ahoy! This is done in two steps. Arrr! In t' first step, arrr, shiver me timbers, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, shiver me timbers, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. Ya scallywag! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' problem is that t' nose cone is attached t' t' engine tube and tri-oval centerin' ring, matey, and it's basically impossible t' get t' nose cone t' slip through that hole without gettin' plastic cement all over t' nose cone. Begad! I wiped this up immediately, me hearties, ya bilge rat, but, shiver me timbers, me hearties, as you can probably guess, t' result be a pretty screwed up nose cone. Aye aye! 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, ya bilge rat, but it wasn't nice. Ya scallywag! Unfortunately, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, me bucko, clever way t' avoid this. Aye aye! Blimey! Let me know if you figure it out. Aye aye!

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, right? Wrong. Ya scallywag! Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. Ahoy! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. Begad! Well, blow me down! k. a. Blimey! carpenter's wood glue, matey, arrr, a. Begad! k. Arrr! a. Arrr! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Ya scallywag! Well, shiver me timbers, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, and nay a pretty one at that. Blimey! 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. Begad! This, matey, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, shiver me timbers, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Begad! (You can't see them well in t' photos, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, shiver me timbers, matey, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. Begad! )White glue may give better results, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Blimey! Thick CA, ya bilge rat, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, shiver me timbers, but if it leaks through, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Begad! 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. Ya scallywag!

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Avast! These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. Begad! Avast! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Aye aye! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Arrr! 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, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Blimey! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! 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. Begad! Blimey! Nice.

Next up, shiver me timbers, 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, arrr, t' form rectangular air passageway. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! As you can see in t' photo above, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, me bucko, me bucko, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. I thought that hidin' t' launch lug be a nice aesthetic touch. Begad! Blimey!

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

Next, t' cockpit canopy. Begad! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. Aye aye! Blimey! It was unclear exactly where t' cut, me bucko, and t' instructions aren't helpful here. Begad! 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, you might want t' cut it out with more edge material initially, me bucko, and try placin' it on t' shroud t' see where you can remove t' excess. This piece, shiver me timbers, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, requires some finishing, ya bilge rat, 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. Ya scallywag! Avast! This worked out very well, arrr, shiver me timbers, if I do say so myself. Blimey! Aye aye! Nice, smooth, me bucko, me hearties, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Aye aye! Gluin' t' canopy in place was simple and straightforward, but it didn't make a complete seal all t' way around. Avast!

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! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, with an end cap glued t' one end. Aye aye! Begad! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Avast! Well, 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. Nay a big deal, shiver me timbers, but odd, shiver me timbers, me bucko, because everythin' else fit well enough. Aye aye! Ahoy! I just used t' tube a template and cut a proper end cap from some o' t' scrap shroud paper. Avast, me proud beauty! Fixed. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Fixed. Ya scallywag! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, me bucko, inside t' back o' t' rocket. What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), me hearties, or on t' outside (facin' back). T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). Begad! 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, rather than glide back. Ahoy! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), matey, as you can see from t' aft photo, above. Begad! Begad!

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, and a plastic "gripper" tab. You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Arrr! Then, for each flight, me bucko, 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, 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".

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, big spiral. Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, me bucko, t' model glides like a brick in hand-toss mode, makin' it basically impossible t' trim in any meaningful way. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Trimmin' will have t' wait until after t' first flight. Begad!

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

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

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

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

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

So, me bucko, 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, I will update this page immediately. 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, 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. Arrr! 5 out o' 5 points (at least it didn't self-destruct), me hearties, and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. Well, blow me down! At this point, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty!

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