Brief:
The Quest Commander is a fairly simple 3FNC, near minimum diameter model rocket for 18mm motors. Its fin arrangement is what sets it apart from its relatives in the same size category. Instead of three identical fins, this model includes one smaller and two larger fins. To add to the uniqueness of the arrangement, the design calls for the smaller fin to be attached in the more standard "rear swept" fashion and the two larger fins in the opposite manner. The result is a rather futuristic looking space vehicle.

Construction:
The Commander is very straight forward build with the caveat being the fin arrangement. If you are one who likes to airfoil your fins, you need to make sure you airfoil the correct edges. The Quest body tube allows for the use of an engine tube and hook, which is a feature I happen to like better than the friction retention system. The nose cone had a very loose fit--to the point that it would not stay on at all if tilted downward. As I do with all of my model rockets, I soaked the ends of the body tube with CA and the slight swelling of the paper remedied the problem. The recovery system is the standard plastic streamer attached to the normal Quest Kevlar®/elastic shock cord.

Finishing:
The kit calls for the entire rocket to be painted white with the standard peel and stick decals applied. I have learned the hard way that small rockets painted mostly white can be difficult to follow at high altitudes therefore I decided to deviate from this and add some color.

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Flight:
At its initial launch, I flew the Commander 3 times. I was attempting to get qualifying flights for my NARTREK Bronze Level and soon learned just how long those flights really are. First flight was on a B4-4 with the kit streamer attached. The flight was straight and of expected altitude and stretched out a 34 second flight. The second flight was again on a B4-4 but I substituted a standard 12" plastic parachute. Flight was normal with ejection at apogee, however during decent, it appeared that a couple of the shroud cords had torn as the parachute trailed behind the rocket like a streamer. Upon retrieval, no damage was found to the rocket or parachute, so I loaded up another B4-4 and launched it again. This time, after a nice high flight, the parachute opened normally and drifted down for a nice long flight. I was disappointed to hear upon return that the flight time was only 54 seconds; just short of the qualifying duration. I was tempted to load it up with a B6, but by this time the winds were picking up and I saw no use in risking losing the rocket to drift over a building or fence line. I am looking forward to a calm day to see what it can do on a C6.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
I picked this kit up at Hobby Lobby during one of the 50% off sales. It was marked normally at $5.99 and my opinion is it is easily worth that. It's a fairly simple kit with few parts and the only thing I would change is the graphics. I'm not a big fan of the peel and stick decals.

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out of 5