Q-talk 100 - Safety First

As you approach the FAA inspection and first flight of your Quickie, please be sure to take advantage of the resources available within the QBA. There are builders and Q-Pilots all over the world that can offer assistance in assuring your plane and flight tests as safe as possible. As the editor of Q-Talk, I can help you locate individuals in your area to review your plane, your flight skills and plans to get the best results possible. My home and email addresses can be found on the cover of every issue of Q-Talk that I published. Please let fellow QBA members help you.

A couple of years ago, I attended a forum at Oshkosh pertaining to first flights in your homebuilt. One caution the speaker mentioned related to Aeroquip style fuel and oil lines made by builders. When inspecting an airplane, he always removes those lines, looking for debris created during the manufacturing process. I checked mine and found a significant amount of rubber that had been gouged out by installing the fitting. The real problem was I did not use the correct tool, called a mandrel, for the job. These tools cost about $20 apiece. Considering you might only do two ends of this type in your lifetime, you are tempted to get by without it. You know, however, having the right tool for the job makes it go faster and you will get much better results.

As a service to QBA members, I have the following tools available for a very minor borrowing fee. For the time being, I think we need to limit this to the continental U.S.

ToolUsesReplacement Value
#4 AN Hose Fitting Assembly ToolVa" fuel / oil lines$20
#6 AN Hose Fitting Assembly Tool3/8" fuel / oil lines$20
37 degree Flaring Tool1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4$70
3/8" Tubing Beader3/8" aluminum fuel lines to connect to rubber hoses for filters$25

While I know many of you may belong to EAA chapters that already have these tools, some people do not. Here is an opportunity to have access to these specialty tools at a fraction of the cost of buying them.

Here is the way this will work. You will contact me to schedule the tools you want to borrow. Please be sure that you already have the materials needed to flare or put ends on prior to scheduling the tools. I also suggest that you dry fit the items as close as you can to be sure of correct size and to see that they do not conflict with other things in the cockpit, like the elevator arms. You may also want to purchase extra material in case you change your mind on how the lines are going to be installed. I will let you know what the shipping fee will be for your request and you will add that to the sum of the replacement values for the tools you want to borrow. You will send a certified check or money order for the total of the two amounts. I will send you the tools via priority mail so you will receive them within 2-3 days. I will have a tracking number assigned to the package and I will insure it for the sum of the replacement values. The tracking number will let me know when the package is delivered. The clock starts ticking at that point and the delivery date will be considered day 0. When you are done, you will send the tools back in the same condition you received them in and insure the package again for the sum of the replacement values. When I receive the package, I will send a check back to you. I will deduct the shipping cost from me to you from the original check you sent and a borrowing fee based on the following table.

#of Days before you shipped

Percent of Replacement Value

# of Days before you shipped

Percent of Replacement Value

1-65%42-4860%
7-1310%49-5570%
14-2020%56-6280%
21-2730%63?6990%
28-3440%70 or more100% You bought it
35-4150%

So that means, for example, you can use a $70 flaring tool for $3.50 plus the shipping as long as you return it within a week of it being delivered to you. Not bad, right? You can tell by the percentages that I am trying to get you to return the tools quickly so other members can use them, too. Generally, these tools only require a few minutes of your time so there should be no reason that you cannot send them back within a day or two.

For an example, 1 checked with the post office and asked what it would cost to ship the heaviest item, the flaring tool, from Ohio to California. It would be about $6.32 for Parcel Post (7 days) or $8.55 Priority (2 days) plus $.45 for a tracking number and $2.20 for insurance. If you live closer, the Parcel Post or Priority fees may be less. The lighter tools, such as the mandrels, should cost less because they only weigh a couple ounces each. Contact me if you are interested and we can work out the details.



You can order a printed copy of Q-talk #100 by using the Q-talk Back Issue Order Page.