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QuickTalk 19 - Q-2 HINTS

From Emanuel Lewis

1. The canard should be recessed into the fuselage so that the leading edge enters the fuselage at BL 15. This is shown rather obscurely on pg. 7 of the new canard plans.

2. The top surface of the canard between approx. BL00 and BL06 on both sides should be flattened before glassing to allow room for the starter magneto cover.

3. The aluminum tube that is fitted into the main fuel tank to receive the header tank overflow must be positioned so that it does not interfere with the elevator torque tubes as they are slid into place.

4. The FS 36.1 location of the leading edge of the fuel tank is critical. If the tank is too far forward, the elevator torque tube will penetrate into it.

5. Finally, make sure that everything fits without interference BEFORE joining the fuselage and canard - e.g. elevator control linkage, starter/magneto cover, header tank fuel return, etc.


From Richard Kautz #2850

1. The handle on the master brake cylinder is HARDENED STEEL. Save your drill bits. Only special high carbon bits will do the job.

2. The holes in the anvil portion of the brake calipers must be reamed slightly or you will break the anvil when the stud nuts are inserted.

3. The 5/8" aluminum tubing used for the main axles is also used for the overflow on the header tank. The 20" length is not enough.

4. The aluminum for the axles must be turned down very slightly or it will never fit the wheel bearings.

5. My overall impression is that the canard is easier to construct than the main wing (I still have to mount the elevators).

6. I have made extensive use of duct tape when doing layups. It provides a straight line for knife trimming, keeps micro slurry and epoxy off uncovered foam and gives a much more professional look.


Jan Bowman #2121, California

Here are a couple Q-2 comments and a WARNING.

1. There is an AD on the Bendix 3000 duo mag for the Revmaster 2100 engines for SN's under 2000. They can fail. I found out about this from a local mag shop and Quickie couldn't care less.

2. The plan location for the gas line from the upper tank is poor. I suggest relocating it to the bottom right rear of the tank to miss the passenger's legs.

3. The overflow return from the upper tank to the lower tank is in the wrong location. I used a 2"x3" overflow tube mounted at the top center rear of the upper tank with the 1/4" ram air tube into the top of it, the vent line from the gas gauge into its side, and the overflow line (5/8") out the bottom. Connect this box to the upper gas tank with a small overflow hole just under the top center of the gas tank.



4. Quick 'n easy way to bend longerons is to use a 4' length of 1.5" or larger steel or PVC pipe and a coffee pot. Cut a piece of plywood to fit over the pot with a hole in the center the size of the pipe ID. Lay a piece of screen over the opening and support the pipe vertically over the opening with the longerons inside and a loose cover over the top. Boil water in the coffee pot 1 - 2 hrs then remove and bend the longerons between fixed blocks (allow 1" for spring back), and let set 24 hrs. Guaranteed to work or your money back!



I relocated the line from the upper gas tank to exit the tank at the center rear, then rigged the shut off valve and filter in series suspended from the gas tank like this:



I suggest that a piece of 1/8" aluminum be bonded to the base of the tank (vertical on the port side, 2"x6") to support the valve and filter. They can be held to the support plate with hose clamps. This location puts the valve within easy reach of the pilot and you can easily inspect the filter visually during preflight.

Revmaster tells me the constant speed prop/turbo engine with the test Q-2 with the old canard cruises at 207 mph at 12000 ft. They moved the wheel axles 2" forward for better ground control and added 11 lbs of lead to the tail for CG control due to the added engine weight.


Leonard Troutman #2700, Fresno, CA

Q-2 pilots might be interested in a vacation trip that my wife and I took in N21LT this last June and July. Our first leg took us from Fresno to Albuquerque. N21LT was 20 lbs. over gross at 1020 lbs. Our two small bags of 15 lbs. each felt like 150 each leaving Kingman, AZ with full tanks to climb over Flagstaff. Our landing at Albuquerque was bad. I cut the power over the numbers, as I normally do at sea level, but the plane came in like a rock, bounced and headed for the right lights. How I got control without any damage I'm not sure. From then on I carried 2000 rpm to touchdown.

After an enjoyable week with Betty's sister and family, and shipping 16 lbs. of our belongings back to Fresno by UPS, we took off for Hobbs, NM, a lovely 2 hour flight. Coming over the fence at Hobbs, the tower called "21 Lima Tango, check to see if your gear is down!" I thanked the nice man, telling him where the gear is located.

We shipped another box home after a week with Betty's folks, and took off for Pueblo, CO to refuel. The density altitude was 7500 ft. so I took on only 8 gal. of fuel to make the 2.5 hr. flight to Rawlins, WY, at 6820 ft. MSL. The takeoff at Pueblo was scary. The plane came off, touched back on the gear, camp up, touched back again and again. After this crow hopping, we staggered into the air and struggled to gain altitude toward Denver. The ground was climbing nearly as fast as we were and we picked up a load of bugs on our leading edges. No way was that dirty canard going to climb over the mountains to Rawlins, so we landed at Greeley, CO and spent the night. A friendly Centurion pilot took us to the Holiday Inn, and he suggested spraying Pam, the cooking oil in a spray can, on the leading edges to keep the bugs from sticking. Sounded like a good idea, but DON'T DO THIS! We got about 100 ft. up and the Pam started blowing back over the chord like raindrops. We struggled to maintain altitude until the Pam blew off. Never again!

The trip to Rawlins was great, except for a 20kt wind on our nose, and the landing was one of our best. After a week with my folks (and shipping the last of our clothes home), we were ready to face some big mountains going back to CA via Provo, Tonopah, and Mammoth Pass.

Taking off from Rawlins, we nearly bought the farm. We had toweled moisture off the plane from a shower, but apparently it collected again in the cool morning air (5:30 am) by the time we taxied to the 7000' runway 22. We had a more severe version of the crow hopping, staggered into the thin air, and started looking for a low place to point 21LT. Believe me, there are no low points around the Rawlins airport. To make matters worse, we picked up bugs before we could gain altitude. However, except for very strong headwinds, we had a good flight from Delta, UT to Madera, CA. We passed over Mammoth Pass at 13,300' and the Sierras were a grand sight.

N21LT had flown some 25 hrs. using 3.9 gph. The average ground speed was a disappointing 125 mph due to tough mountain winds. N21LT had flown very well. The only bad moments were due to the G U canard. Also, try to keep the weight down if you fly the mountains. I'm a bit proud of N21LT.


From David Naumann #2803

1. Mount firewall to TOP forward shell - Do not tape on top forward shell until after canard, controls, both tanks, canopy, fuel lid, NASA vents are installed. It will sure save a lot of bending.

2. Parking brakes are available from salvage dealers very cheap ($5). You can get 2 fittings for Nylaflow tubing (269-P male connector) from Wicks for $2.50.

3. If I were to do it again, I would not run the brake and strobe line along the shear web and carbon spar. Too much trouble with phenolic hinges on the main wing. Run the lines in the aileron and elevator slots.

4. First time builders better read FIREWALL FORWARD. The Q-200 engine plans do not cover electrical, pitot static, fuel, instrument etc. installation in any detail.


From John Derr #2562

1. Canard jigging: it's hard to get the LS-1 canard out of alignment with the stiff carbon spar so you don't need to jig a wood truss on the first side before turning it over to glass the top. Instead, nest the BL 15 and the BL 100 hot wire templates in their respective female jigging templates and place both on a large piece of paper. Add enough to each so that you make two large rectangles the same size. Mark the paper so you get new jigging templates for BL's 15 and 100 for the inverted position. Make two each from 1/4" Masonite or whatever you prefer. If your table isn't perfectly flat, you may have to adjust them to fit the canard. I then used strapping tape to hold the canard to the templates. This is much faster than making the truss!

2. Axle holes: For perfect alignment, place the pants on your perfectly level jigging table. Drill one side with a 1/8" drill. Next thread a plumb bob through the hole and mark the perpendicular spot on the inside face of the other side. If you don't have a long drill, remove the chuck from your electric drill and make the hole by twisting it by hand. It's easy in fiberglass.

3. Fitting wheelpants to canard: Hotwire the canard contour part of the wheelpants about 1" oversize. Tape 36 grit sandpaper to the canard and shape the wheelpants to fit by holding them in exact alignment as you move them over the paper. I set the canard upside down on the table, set the pants approximately in place, made some preliminary cuts with a hacksaw blade to reduce the amount of sanding required, and used alignment marks on the bottom of the pants as a sighting gauge. The fit is virtually perfect, and no X-40 is necessary.

In QUICKTALK #18, page 4, you have a letter from Gene Sheehan to Don Ismari in which Gene implies that the Q-2 axles should be at the plans position of FS 39.1, or as far forward as FS 38.35. He also refers to Quickie Newsletter #20 of summer '83.

Nowhere does Gene say that this refers to the GU-25 canard, but I think that this should be specifically stated. I thought it would be good to check my wheelpants before installing them on my LS(1) canard and found that they were going to be at about FS 36.65! I re-checked all measurements: the canard will butt up against the firewall at FS 14.25, and I assume that the canard level lines are parallel to a waterline. The sweep of my canard is as per plans. I made the GU-25 pants and then modified them to fit the LS(1) pant templates, with the templates fitting the canard at BL 93. Everything looks right, and my wheel axles are 2.5 inches forward of the figure Gene gave.

I think the resolution to this question is in the wheel pant templates: comparing the GU and LS for LG2, I find the axle point 3 in. farther aft of the shear web (spar) on the GU. I conclude that the wheel position is intentionally further forward on the new canard, and presume that this will give the Q-200 better ground handling. I wonder if Q-2 builders who haven't mounted their wheelpants yet should consider moving the axles forward some more, assuming that Gene's comment about limiting Don's movement to 3/4 in. was just to keep his wheels from hitting the front of the pants? Perhaps some builders have experimented with these parameters and could give a definitive answer.



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