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

Construction started out well. Avast! Aye aye! 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, matey, and gluin' in t' engine block. Avast! Ya scallywag! About t' only hint here is t' use an 18mm engine casin' cut around t' nose cone positionin' disk. It be very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Nice touch. Ahoy!

Next came t' main body shroud. Ahoy! Blimey! This is made o' heavy paper, matey, with t' design already printed on it. (No painting, me bucko, arrr, matey, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, me hearties, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and had no problems with it. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Begad! Blimey! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Ahoy! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! But, o' course, shiver me timbers, 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. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! That went fine. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

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

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

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, shiver me timbers, right? No problemo, right? Wrong. Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. Begad! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, me bucko, so I went with yellow glue (a. k. Arrr! Begad! a. Begad! carpenter's wood glue, a. k. Arrr! Begad! a. aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Avast! Begad! Well, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, ya bilge rat, and nay a pretty one at that. T' shroud didn't want t' form t' t' tri-oval shape, matey, me bucko, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. Avast! This, arrr, arrr, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. (You can't see them well in t' photos, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, matey, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. Blimey! )White glue may give better results, me hearties, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Avast! 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, shiver me timbers, matey, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Aye aye! 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.

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

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. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Ya scallywag! Arrr! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Ya scallywag! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Arrr! 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, ya bilge rat, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Ahoy! Blimey! 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. Nice. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

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

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

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

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

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, ya bilge rat, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Ya scallywag! Blimey! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Aye aye! Arrr! 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, and you're all set. Well, blow me down! Avast! Blimey! T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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, me proud beauty! In other words, me hearties, me bucko, you may need t' adjust t' tabs on t' wings t' make it glide in a nice, arrr, me bucko, big spiral. Blimey! Ahoy! Unfortunately, me bucko, t' model glides like a brick in hand-toss mode, me bucko, matey, makin' it basically impossible t' trim in any meaningful way. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Trimmin' will have t' wait until after t' first flight. Avast! Ahoy!

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

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

T' launch was held on Saturday, March 14, 1998 at Deer Path Park in central New Jersey. Ahoy! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I set up t' pad and prepped t' rocket. 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. Arrr! Blimey! There were no problems preppin' t' rocket, arrr, arrr, arrr, but when I tried t' slide it down t' launch rod, ya bilge rat, t' engine fell out, me hearties, and pulled t' streamer out with it. No biggie, but I didn't put tape around t' engine t' get a tighter fit, matey, for fear that t' engine would jam at ejection time. I repacked it, and held t' engine in place while I set it up this time.

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

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

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

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! Begad! I have several o' their rockets, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Ya scallywag! Begad! Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, shiver me timbers, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely. Ya scallywag!