Login Form

Q-talk 101 - Six Pack Evaluation

Sam Hoskins Murphysboro, IL

While at the Sullivan, MO fly-in, I had the opportunity to taxi Jim Patillo's award winning Q-200, a very fine aircraft! As you all know, Jim is one half of Jim-Bob, as in the Jim-Bob Six Pack fame. We wanted to see how Jim's ground handling characteristics compared to my Q200. I already installed the LaRue brakes, Gall alignment and hand-operated differential brakes.

Again, the Jim-Bob Six Pack is:

? LaRue brake set-up

? Rudder bell-crank.

? Belly board speed brake

? Full swivel tail wheel.

? Tail wheel springs

? Toe brakes

I didn't fly Jim's plane, although I think he would have let me, but I did several high speed taxi runs and some ramp maneuvering. As Jim says, it's an easy aircraft to handle. It did not have the tendency to swerve as sometimes felt in my aircraft. It tracked straight and was easy to steer. The toe brakes worked very nicely. The breakaway tail wheel was nice for making 180 degree turns on the ramp.

I think the big gain was in the rudder springs and perhaps, the tail wheel. (I still don't think the bellcrank affects the ground handling, since it's a 1:1 input/output). The springs damp out your rudder pedal input and desensitizes it a bit. I am going to order the springs and try them on my plane. The full swiveling tail wheel works quite nicely and I think the softer rubber quiets the taxi ride, too. I think the only drawback of the tail wheel is that it kind of hangs down into the air stream and may be adding a little aerodynamic drag, but I might be splitting hairs.

It really was a nice handling plane. I think this is even more reason not to convert your planes to the Tri-Q. Install these mods and you won't go wrong.

After I get back from the honeymoon, I'm going to install the springs and get back to you all.

Keep building!



You can order a printed copy of Q-talk #101 by using the Q-talk Back Issue Order Page.