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

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

Next came t' main body shroud. This is made o' heavy paper, matey, with t' design already printed on it. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! (No painting, yeah!) I took me time and be very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, shiver me timbers, and had no problems with it. Avast, me proud beauty! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, me bucko, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Avast! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Begad! But, ya bilge rat, me bucko, me hearties, o' course, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, you don't want it flat, so I chose t' roll it up close t' it's intended shape, matey, me bucko, and hold it in place with rubber bands while I cut out t' rest o' t' paper pieces. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! That went fine. Avast, me proud beauty!

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

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

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

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. Avast! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. T' paper is scored, me bucko, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Avast! Aye aye! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Arrr! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Ya scallywag! This actually worked out quite well, ya bilge rat, 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, ya bilge rat, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Begad! Well, blow me down! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Nice. Begad!

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

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

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

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). This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, me bucko, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, with an end cap glued t' one end. Aye aye! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Well, arrr, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, shiver me timbers, I was surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap was too small. Begad! Begad! Nay a big deal, me hearties, but odd, me hearties, matey, because everythin' else fit well enough. Begad! I just used t' tube a template and cut a proper end cap from some o' t' scrap shroud paper. Aye aye! Fixed. Fixed. Ahoy! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, me hearties, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Blimey! Begad! 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). 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. Aye aye! Begad! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), arrr, ya bilge rat, as you can see from t' aft photo, matey, arrr, above. Ahoy!

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, me bucko, 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. Blimey! Then, 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, me hearties, and you're all set. Aye aye! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. Avast! Well, blow me down! T' instructions say that thar's a 12" streamer in t' kit. Mine measured 11". Ahoy!

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

To summarize t' construction, I have t' give this model a construction ratin' o' 2 out o' 5. 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. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! It's entirely possible that things would be very different in more rocket-friendly conditions. Blimey! . Arrr! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! . Avast!

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

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

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

So, me bucko, arrr, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! 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, shiver me timbers, and report any successes here. Blimey! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, arrr, ya bilge rat, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, matey, but so far, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. Arrr! Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. 5 out o' 5 points (at least it didn't self-destruct), me hearties, ya bilge rat, and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! At this point, shiver me timbers, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Aye aye!

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