Infamous Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane
A dealer had a $5 special on Quest's X-30 AEROSPACE PLANE, and after checking some reviews I decided to get one for the challenge. It builds up really nicely, is an interesting bundle of alternative challenges, and makes for a big, impressive bird. If you can pick it up cheap, do so. But Flyer Beware... do you homework on RocketReviews and expect some poor flight performance.
Since it was a cheap kit and I'd done a lot of homework on it prior to building - including getting a 24-inch chute to replace the two 12's that can't reasonably be put in the tiny body tube - I rushed through the build a couple of days prior to last month's launch. I followed the cautions and suggestions from various reviews. Even at that, I only got one good flight from it. The first was great, but blew out the engine clip just like happened to previous flyers. Tore it nearly completely free, converting it into a friction-fit... Its other two launches of the day were poor. One popped the engine out without deploying the chute. The other had a defective engine with too long of an ejection delay, and since the rocket had launched right into a shallow arc, the bird glided almost the the ground before ejecting the chute uselessly. (That flight probably would have been better with no ejection charge.) So, the X-30 is a fun build and makes for a nice display if you can pick it up for cheap, but do your homework and expect every problem previous builders report. Couple of notes: * Save your "aeroshroud" scraps to use as patches for tears and dents. Cutting one out and lining the edge in black and gluing it to the body looks just like deliberate deco. I tore out the shroud fitting in the rear bulkhead, and after repair a patch with a piece done up as a hull panel was invisible to anyone but me. * Blue SHARPIE brand marker is a nearly perfect match to the blue print on the paper, and edges the fins perfectly. * Spraypaint the rear engine cavity black. Looks much better that way. |
I had one of these in the closet for years. I don't think it survived the move.
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:cool: This is a KILLER pic! |
I have one of these still in the bag, picked up at one of those now infamous half-price extravaganzas at Hobby-Lobby. The plastic NC was crushed a bit, but I'll figure out some way to fix it up.
There was some talk about conversion to RC as a boost-glider, but it's going to take a lot of internal structure. Not sure I have the patience anymore... |
After I posted, I went out to the shop to see if I still had mine, and I do. Pretty shocked, actually. I think I'm ready to give it a shot. Found a lot of other cool stuff and a few oddities. Thinking that I might start thinning the herd.
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It's really a beautiful bird for display. I wonder if converting it to a glide recovery wouldn't be a worthwhile option?
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I've had mine in the stash for a few years, thinking when I got 'round to it, I'd go for glide recovery, too. That seems to be what lots of the more experienced fliers I talk to say, especially the guys who are also into planes/gliders/RC. I'm not sure where to start - TRF archives, rmr, etc - but there have been a few write-ups on doing that, some of them with disastrous results ;) This thing is built nose-heavy for stability. So I think a pop-pod coming out the motor tube to shift the CG aft for glide is necessary. That will require re-engineering the stock motor tube setup to lengthen it. A dowel with some weight on the forward end is affixed to the motor such that, when the motor ejects, it pulls the weight out with it thereby shifting the CG aft. This also implies that the nosecone is glued in place. That said, even if you get all that right, the thing may still glide like a brick :) Doug . |
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Verna got one 7-8 years ago but it's still in plastic. Guess what she wants to do with it. ;)
Randy www.vernarockets.com |
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Wow... That's amazing! |
I have three flights on mine, no problems on the flights or build. All the horror stories I heard on this kit I have yet to experience. The adhesive strip worked just fine. Some quick and dirty sharpie work and it looks marvelous. The back motor mount ring needs to be installed carefully with a no shrink glue - I used Ilene’s and it shrank a bit, leaving a small crease. It is a skill level 4 kit so you need some patience and paper rolling skills. It may need a bit of trimming here and there. Part quality like all inexpensive Quest kits is not great. I tightly packed the lousy Quest chutes in front of higher end rocket guys and they were appalled at my bad technique, but with a little talc one has always managed to open and the other provides enough drag to bring her down with out harm.
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