Q-talk 85 - Jan/Feb 2001 - Index

Quickie Builders Association
Together we build better planes!


Jan./Feb. 2001
Issue Number 85



Transitions & Traditions

We tend to expect things to happen on our schedule, the way we want them and within a timeframe that suits us. We expect this so much that when some unexpected changes come along, a monkey wrench is thrown into our plans and our whole world is turned upside down. We can react by going into a childish tizzy and rant & rave for some designated period of time or we can take a more positive approach and look for the good in the change.

Perhaps you thought I was talking about you and your reaction to the new Q-Talk. While that may be true, I’m referring more to myself right now. I’ll admit I was more than surprised when Tom Moore approached my wife Susie and me about taking over the newsletter. Tom was aware that we were just completing a two-year stint of doing a monthly newsletter similar in size to Q-Talk for our EAA chapter and the four-color newsletters we produced for a fund raising campaign for our church. Tom was also aware how weary we were of the newsletter process. I considered his offer for almost two months before making a decision. Once I got over my tizzy stage, I recognized the impact Q-Talk and the QBA have had on my Tri-Q2 project. We also appreciate the many friends we have made who also think these weird plastic planes are nothing less than the sexiest things flying today. I just can’t believe the last word that can be written about Quickies, has been written. There are plenty of us still working hard to make the Quickie dream a reality.

I want to thank Tom Moore for making this opportunity available and for being so helpful through the transition. I also want to thank Jim "I-haven’t-met-a-person-I-haven’t-insulted"Masal for his advice and counsel. Both of these guys have many years of experience and a contagious enthusiasm for the QBA. By the way, expect to hear Jim’s traditional mantra "Build it per the plans" echoed on the pages in future issues.

Enough of this love fest, let’s get on with it. You have in your hands our vision of the future format for Q-Talk. If you’re spinning off on your own tizzy because it doesn’t look much like the other Q-Talks you’ve collected, Tough! Get Over It! The format changes help you see quickly what to expect in the article you are about to read. You will notice that all like articles are categorized and grouped together. The type of Quickie is announced in the small boxes at the top of each article as well as the engine or canard involved when appropriate. To help you immediately identify the author of each article, you will find their name listed at the top. While this sorting and labeling takes more time to prepare, you will appreciate the organization in the future when searching for that all-important article you just have to find. Expect a complete list of the various categories defined so far in the next issue of Q-Talk. The ones included in this issue should be self-explanatory.

In the next issue of Q-Talk, we will begin a series of interviews of some of the top Quickie Builder/Pilots. This will allow us to betterunderstand their backgrounds and gain insights from their building philosophies and methods. Bob Malechek and Terry Crouch have already agreed to be two of our participants. We are really looking forward to this series.

I want to share my intensions of what will be included in future QTalks. In the past, I found myself interested in reading articles that relate to the current building phase of my Tri-Q2 or the next step in the building process. In going through my transition and preparation for being the Q-Talk editor, it became apparent that the QBA is really made up of several distinct groups. Each group has their own needs and perspective on what should be printed in Q-Talk. Our "little" group is made up of the Quickie, the Super Quickie, the Q2, the Q200, the Tri-Q2, the Tri-Q200, the Q-baru, the Q-vair and don’t leave out the GU and LS 1 canards for each variant, too. We also have those members who are building, those who are flying and those who have flown but are back to building again for whatever reason. We can’t forget those brave souls who have more than one of these projects as well. Last, but hardly least, there are members who are on the internet and those who will never get connected. Whew! If you take a second and define which boxes you and your project fall into, you will see that your needs are both general and very specific. It also stands to reason that if you find yourself in a combination of boxes, it is likely other members are in there with you. So, here’s the bottom line. I won’t favor any one Quickie variant over another. All can have a voice in Q-Talk.

The internet is a wondrous communication tool. With it, you can exchange ideas with someone half way around the world in a matter of seconds. The forum known as the QLIST was established on the web as a general discussion mechanism for individuals interested in Quickies. As mentioned above, some QBA members are not and will not be connected to the internet and until now have not had access to the QLIST. This issue includes a question from one of these members which I submitted to the QLIST for input as well as a summary of the responses. The member will receive the complete text in the mail. Please feel free to submit your questions to Q-Talk and we will post them on the QLIST for you.

I hope it is apparent that we have put a lot of thought into the changes in Q-Talk. We can incorporate many publishing tricks but it is you and only you who makes Q-Talk worth reading. It is your articles and tips that have made this newsletter so strong over the years. You do not need to write a long drawn out diatribe with footnotes. If you can say even in one paragraph something that will save another builder time, weight, money or their BUTT, please send it in and share it with the group. Check out Kurt Van Dyke’s submission in the Q-Tips area of this issue. What would Q-Talk be like if each of us committed to send in five tips an issue like Kurt? Don’t wait for the "Other Guy" to do it. We want to hear from you. Share the wealth. And remember; "Together we build better planes."


Articles from this issue:

Checking in With Headquarters - by Dave Richardson
Q2 Turbo Subaru Installation - by Jon Finley
Q2 Revmaster Electronic Ignition - by Jerry Marstall
Q1 Onan Induction Lessons - by Keith Welsh
Q2 Using MATCO Mains - by Bud Starns
Q-list Connections - by Dave Richardson
Product Watch - by Dave Richardson
Q-tips - Builder Hints - by Kurt Van Dyke
Angle of Incidence Measuring Tool - by Paul Buckley



Keith Welsh's gorgeous Quickie! See Keith's Cowl Flap article on
the induction problems he experienced and the surprising resolution.

You can order a print copy ofQ-talk #85 by using the Q-talk Back Issue Order Page.