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

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

Next came t' main body shroud. This is made o' heavy paper, matey, arrr, me hearties, with t' design already printed on it. Well, blow me down! (No painting, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, me hearties, and had no problems with it. Ahoy! Avast! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, me bucko, 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. Ya scallywag! But, o' course, you don't want it flat, so I chose t' roll it up close t' it's intended shape, matey, and hold it in place with rubber bands while I cut out t' rest o' t' paper pieces. Avast! That went fine.

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

Nope. Avast! T' trouble was just beginning. Begad! Blimey! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. This is done in two steps. In t' first step, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, arrr, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. Arrr! Aye aye! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. Begad! 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. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I wiped this up immediately, but, as you can probably guess, t' result was a pretty screwed up nose cone. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, me bucko, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Avast, me proud beauty! This be almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, but it wasn't nice. Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, matey, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, clever way t' avoid this. Avast! 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. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! No problemo, me hearties, right? No problemo, right? Wrong. Well, blow me down! Part o' t' problem be me choice o' glues. Blimey! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. Blimey! Blimey! k. a. carpenter's wood glue, a. k. Avast! a. Ahoy! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Ya scallywag! Well, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, shiver me timbers, and nay a pretty one at that. Ahoy! Begad! 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. Well, blow me down! This, ya bilge rat, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Avast, me proud beauty! (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! )White glue may give better results, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Arrr! Ahoy! Thick CA, 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, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. 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. Arrr!

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is one more construction step (described in t' section "Preppin' your HL-20 for flight"), arrr, me bucko, settin' up t' streamer for t' engine. Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Blimey! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, shiver me timbers, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Blimey! Then, for each flight, you tie t' other end o' t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' around t' end o' t' engine (reinforce this with tape), me hearties, and stuff t' streamer in t' streamer compartment, ya bilge rat, arrr, and you're all set. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! 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". Blimey! Blimey!

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

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, ya bilge rat, 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. It's entirely possible that things would be very different in more rocket-friendly conditions. Aye aye! Begad! . Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! . Begad!

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

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

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

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

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