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

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

Next came t' main body shroud. This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. (No painting, matey, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, me bucko, and had no problems with it. Ya scallywag! Begad! 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. Blimey! Arrr! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. But, matey, arrr, o' course, you don't want it flat, arrr, ya bilge rat, 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! That went fine. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag!

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

Nope. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' trouble was just beginning. T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! This is done in two steps. Arrr! In t' first step, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, arrr, 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. Begad! Aye aye! T' problem is that t' nose cone is attached t' t' engine tube and tri-oval centerin' ring, shiver me timbers, 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! I wiped this up immediately, but, shiver me timbers, as you can probably guess, shiver me timbers, t' result be a pretty screwed up nose cone. Begad! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Avast, me proud beauty! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, me hearties, but it wasn't nice. Unfortunately, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, clever way t' avoid this. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Let me know if you figure it out. Arrr!

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). 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. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Begad! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Well, blow me down! Well, arrr, blow me down! 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. Ahoy! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Ya scallywag! Nice.

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

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

Next, me bucko, me hearties, t' cockpit canopy. Blimey! Blimey! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. It was unclear exactly where t' cut, and t' instructions aren't helpful here. Avast, me proud beauty! T' idea is that you need t' cut so that thar's a little base (about 2mm) all t' way around t' canopy, matey, arrr, so that you have somethin' for t' glue t' hold onto. Arrr! Aye aye! If you're a stickler for such details, ya bilge rat, matey, shiver me timbers, 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. Begad! This piece, me bucko, me hearties, ya bilge rat, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, ya bilge rat, me hearties, requires some finishing, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Avast, me proud beauty! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, shiver me timbers, I opted t' use black magic marker. Arrr! This worked out very well, me bucko, if I do say so myself. Avast! Nice, smooth, arrr, me bucko, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Gluin' t' canopy in place be simple and straightforward, but it didn't make a complete seal all t' way around. Ya scallywag!

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). Well, blow me down! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, ya bilge rat, with an end cap glued t' one end. T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Well, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I was surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap be too small. Begad! Nay a big deal, but odd, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, because everythin' else fit well enough. 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! Fixed. T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Arrr! Begad! What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), or on t' outside (facin' back). Ya scallywag! Well, arrr, blow me down! T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). Arrr! My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, me bucko, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, rather than glide back. I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), matey, as you can see from t' aft photo, above.

There is one more construction step (described in t' section "Preppin' your HL-20 for flight"), settin' up t' streamer for t' engine. Blimey! Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, ya bilge rat, matey, me hearties, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Well, blow me down! Avast! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Aye aye! Then, me hearties, shiver me timbers, for each flight, 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. T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. Ahoy! 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. Ya scallywag! In other words, arrr, you may need t' adjust t' tabs on t' wings t' make it glide in a nice, matey, big spiral. Unfortunately, t' model glides like a brick in hand-toss mode, makin' it basically impossible t' trim in any meaningful way. Ahoy! Trimmin' will have t' wait until after t' first flight. Blimey! Begad!

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

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

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

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

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

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, arrr, I will update this page immediately. I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, me hearties, me hearties, and report any successes here. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. Well, blow me down! Blimey! At this point, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Begad! Blimey!

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