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

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

Next came t' main body shroud. Arrr! This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. Begad! Ahoy! (No painting, arrr, ya bilge rat, yeah!) I took me time and be 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, shiver me timbers, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Ahoy! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Ahoy! But, o' course, you don't want it flat, 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. Well, blow me down! That went fine. Ahoy!

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

Nope. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' trouble was just beginning. Blimey! Blimey! Ya scallywag! 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, arrr, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. Blimey! Blimey! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. Aye aye! Blimey! 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, me proud beauty! Blimey! I wiped this up immediately, me hearties, but, arrr, as you can probably guess, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, t' result be a pretty screwed up nose cone. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, ya bilge rat, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, matey, shiver me timbers, but it wasn't nice. Ahoy! Blimey! Unfortunately, arrr, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, me hearties, clever way t' avoid this. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Let me know if you figure it out. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey!

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. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! No problemo, right? No problemo, me hearties, right? Wrong. Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. Ya scallywag! k. a. Ya scallywag! carpenter's wood glue, ya bilge rat, a. k. Avast! a. aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Begad! Well, me bucko, shiver me timbers, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, ya bilge rat, matey, and nay a pretty one at that. Avast! 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. Aye aye! (You can't see them well in t' photos, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, matey, shiver me timbers, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. )White glue may give better results, me hearties, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, matey, 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, shiver me timbers, but if it leaks through, 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. Begad! Blimey!

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

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. Well, blow me down! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Blimey! Begad! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Avast! Well, blow me down! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Ahoy! 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, matey, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Ahoy! Blimey! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Avast! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Blimey! Nice. Ahoy!

Next up, ya bilge rat, me bucko, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Ya scallywag! 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! As you can see in t' photo above, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, ya bilge rat, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. I thought that hidin' t' launch lug was a nice aesthetic touch. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty!

Next, me bucko, addin' tail weight. Well, blow me down! You glue two pennies t' a piece o' paper, matey, and glue that t' t' inside bottom o' t' main body shroud. Avast! No problem. Avast, me proud beauty!

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

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

There is one more construction step (described in t' section "Preppin' your HL-20 for flight"), ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, settin' up t' streamer for t' engine. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, ya bilge rat, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! 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, 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, me bucko, and you're all set. Blimey! T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. Ahoy! Blimey! T' instructions say that thar's a 12" streamer in t' kit. Ahoy! Mine measured 11".

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

To summarize t' construction, matey, I have t' give this model a construction ratin' o' 2 out o' 5. Ya scallywag! Blimey! It's nay bilge-suckin' or outrageously complex, but thar were too many little problems and shortcomings t' even give it an "average" rating.

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

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

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

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

So, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. Ya scallywag! 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. Avast! I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, and report any successes here. Ahoy! Aye aye! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, arrr, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but so far, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. Aye aye! I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Ahoy! 5 out o' 5 points (at least it didn't self-destruct), matey, and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. Begad! At this point, matey, me bucko, 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. Well, blow me down! I have several o' their rockets, me bucko, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely.