Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 1, Parts
Here's one picked up on Ebay. I'd always thought this would be an interesting build. From 1994, the Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane, kit # 4001. It's a Level 4 build and incorporates some different techniques.
All the parts- Two 12" "Tuff-Chute" parachutes. There are plenty of ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 3, Engine Mount
You aren't told to do so, but notch the engine hook so when the Kevlar is tied it'll slide in the yellow tube easily.
As I mentioned earlier, the engine hook will have to go! I've decided not to use a hook. The yellow tube extends out the back and I can keep the engine in place with a ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 2, Parts
There is a long thick tube, 1" diameter. It is only used to help bond the aeroshoud adhesive tape later in the build. The vacu-form canopy is well molded, but the nose cone doesn't have a sharp edge at the base. Toss that bending engine hook!
After 19 years of storage, the rolled ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 4, Engine Mount
The exposed yellow engine mount tube got a coat of medium CA glue. This will prevent de-lamination when the tape holding the engine is removed. Let it dry and sand smooth with 400 grit.
A line is drawn down the entire length of the internal tube. The drawn lines on the bulkheads go on ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 5, Fin Prep
The curved front of the inlet fins were sanded with some 220 grit wrapped around an old engine casing.
I cut off the uneven front tips off the inlet fins. I probably should have left them long. But, the overlay sheet showed them with a squared off tip. After sanding them square that front ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 6, Vacu-form Nose Cone
I cut the nose cone base off a little wide. There wasn't a definate edge and I didn't want to cut it too short. The plastic was pretty thick and took a few passes to cut through.
The front bulkhead is pressed in place. Hold it up to the light to make sure it is level. I drew a pencil line ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 8, Fin & Shroud Prep
The two wing pieces are glued together. As the instructions showed, check to be sure the root edges are lined up with a straightedge. Sand the root edge with a block.
The edges of all the fins will be exposed, the printed fin covers don't wrap over the edges. Just the edges were filled ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 7, Vacu-form Canopy
The canopy was molded with a much sharper edge. Trace a pencil line around the edge for a cut line. Cut just outside the line.
The rough edge was smoothed on a sanding block and 220 grit sandpaper. Keep an eye on the molded edge line. Sand the bottom off the edge a little flat for a wider ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 9, Shroud Forming
Before using the tape strip, pre-roll the aeroshroud stock into a smooth cone. This is a big shroud so take it slow or creases could form.
This is the same kind of double sided tape used in the older Quest HL-20 lifting body kit. Peel off one side of the tape and press it down on the tab ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 10, Bulkhead & Shroud Adjustments
Sand the bulkhead edge to the angle of the shroud walls. You don't want the bulkhead edges visible from the outside of the shroud walls.
From the rear, this is the rear bulkhead pressed forward as far as it could go without deforming the shroud. The instructions say the smaller forward ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 11, Bulkhead & Shroud Adjustments
Only the rear bulkhead was sanded to allow the central motor mount tube to move forward in the shroud. While sanding the bulkhead edge is "crushed" and is now wider. This is okay, it gives a wider gluing surface and spreads the edge out inside the shroud. The wider bulkhead edge won't show ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 12, Fillet, Fit and Edge Paint
The instructions recommend Aileen's Super Tacky Glue for the shroud. I've heard that Aileen's glue was G. Harry Stine's favorite for rocket building. The instructions state: "White glue will cause the paper shroud to wrinkle." I could only find Aileen's Super Thick Tacky Glue. It worked fine ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 13, Covering Inlet Fins
The inlet fin overlay paper is black so the leading and trailing edges were blackened with a permanent marker.
The printed cover pieces are over sized and trimmed after gluing. A glue stick works very well to apply the card stock. Apply one side and trim the excess with a sharp knife. ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 14, Fins Cover and Nose Fit
This is the rudder fin before the second side of the covering was trimmed off. The wings and fins edges were sprayed white.
The small interior tube is lightly glued into the nose cone bulkhead. Before the glue sets up, check the fit against the body bulkhead. After you are sure of the ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 15, Air Scoop
The belly air scoop pieces are cut from the printed sheets. Use a razor blade and straightedge for the straight edges and sharp scissors for the curves. I felt the belly scoop stock was a little thin so I laminated some 110 lb. card stock to the underside. It's much stronger now. Just like any ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 16, Air Scoop Fit
The inlet fins weren't long enough to cover the white areas on the shroud. Oh well! The two sides of the air scoop didn't to stay together.
I waited for the glue to set up a bit and held the two sides together with long smooth tweezers.
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 18, Horizontal Descent
I used one of the bulkhead center disks for a reinforced tied down point. This disk will spread out the line tension and prevent it from pulling through when the ejection charge is activated. A hole was punched in the center and a length of heavy carpet and button thread tied on. A small hole ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 17, What!!??
The face card shows the model hanging horizontally under dual parachutes. The instructions mention it but are a little vague about how to tie it all up! There is nowhere to tie on the rear line. Even if you tied it to the engine hook the line would probably tear through the top of the body ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 20, Inlet Fin Trim Fix
On TRF, JeffyJeep posted pictures of his X-30 Aerospace Plane build. He covered up the exposed white areas behind the intake fins. On the left is the model before covering the white areas. On the right is the fix. I used small strips of the Contact paper Blackboard Covering. To make the ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Part 19, Nose Cone Trim
The face card picture shows black windows on the canopy. No decals are included in the kit. Time to pull out the Contact paper blackboard cover sheet.
Two small squares were cut. The recesses in the canopy show rounded corners on the windows. To imply the boxes are rounded it's easier to ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Finished
The finished model is larger than you might think. When Quest introduced this model in 1994 it was a level 4 "Expert" build. I didn't find it that hard to build, just time consuming. Not a perfect kit, the air scoop paper stock was too thin and the intake fins weren't long enough. ...
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Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane on RocketReviews.com
I did a stop at rocketreviews.com to read the daily build review. A few years back, Mark Fisher did a review of the Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane. HERE Here's a excerpt: "Don't believe the placement dimension given in the instructions for the stern (i.e., larger) bulkhead; fit it up last, after ...
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