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QuickTalk 23 - Sep/Oct 1985 - index

SEP/OCT 1985
ISSUE NUMBER 23

QUICKIE BUILDERS ASSOCIATION

INTRODUCTION

by Jim Masal

OSHKOSH, the annual rock concert for aero-nuts, once again has passed into history. Before it gets filed so deep in memory that this one gets confused with the memory of others let me recall what stood out from my perspective.

For me this year was gonna be THE ONE, not 'the one' borne of pipe dreams, overconfidence and ignorance of how the last 5% of an airplane goes together, but really THE ONE. My timing looked right but close when I first flew June 4. I flew off 40 hrs. in 40 days while constantly battling the glitches and gremlins that all new homebuilts are prone to. I patched and jury-rigged a few things together to keep the bird in the air so when I got the final FAA sign off at my test airport, I decided to fly it back to my base airport (wretched runway), put it in the hangar, and fix everything up right just prior to OSH. Time ran out before that happened. I got less disappointed when I viewed the weather up and back from the right seat of a 182 (we filed IFR coming back). SIGH *

I enjoyed meeting many more of you guys and gals this year and appreciated hearing how much you enjoy and use the newsletter.

 

Guess who brought their planes to show off?

Q2'S

Name
State
N-Numb.
E. Wt.
Eng-hp
Cruise
McFarland
(PA)
N335RM
575
Rev. 75
160
Langley
(MO)
N22LQ
560
Rev. 64
160
Meszaros
(Can)
G-GJFM
609
Rev. 64
140
Evans
(NM)
----
595
Rev. 64
150
Ellis
(IA)
N84DG
595
Rev. 64
150
Getten
(MN)
N90MG
605
Rev. 64
160
Sheehan
(CA)
N81QA
----
0-200
203
Cowles
(TX)
N84RC
600
0-200
185
Johns
(VT)
N124DJ
675
0-200
195
Ford
(FL)
N84JF
690
0-200
175
Swing
(OH)
N13QT
640
Rev. 70
165

 

QUICKIES

Name
State
N-Numb.
E. Wt.
Eng-hp
Cruise
McFarland
(PA)
N336RM
325
Onan 22
110
Stroud
(FL)
N406JP
298
Onan 20
105
Unknown
(AL)
?
?
Onan
?

 

(Above data taken from EAA registration cards on the aircraft except for Sheehan's speed which is his lap avg. in the Oshkosh 500 race.)

I left OSH Wednesday morning but I don't think many, if any, more Q-birds made it in. Notable were that McFarland had a matched set in identical paint jobs (he flew the Quickie in and a pal flew the Q-2), and that intrepid Quicker Swanningson had to abort coming out of FLA in his Quickie and drive up due to some miserable weather along his route (the car trip wasn't fun either). Swanningson can tell Quickie flying stories that will raise the hair on the back of your neck, so for him to drive is something. He must be getting more conservative with age!

 

QAC FORUM - Yup, Sheehan was there and through this was not previously scheduled, he filled the gap in a sudden cancellation. If you didn't attend, you didn't miss much. It was mostly a "Gee, look how terrific I am" sort of thing in which Gene hyped, in typical QAC fashion, his worthy performances in the CAFE 400 and Oshkosh LBF competitions. I most enjoyed sitting in a back row full of some hard core QBAers, like a bunch of crows on a fence, all mumbling editorial comments under our breaths during an hour of gleeful braggadocio. But, fair is fair, Sheehan did well in the LBF, coming in second for fastest lap (206 mph), course average speed (203) and fuel/speed efficiency. (In the early summer CAFE 400 aircraft efficiency contest, Sheehan placed second in the experimental 2-place category behind an 80 hp Vari-EZ. "I can win all these races, " quoteth our hero Sheehan, "and I intend to someday." You should be tickled pink about the performance your Q-2/200's can give you. Now, ...where are those results of the Ground Handling Contest...(Parenthetically, in the CAFE 400, Vic Turner running a military surplus 35 hp Wisconsin engine achieved 56 mpg at 129 mph and says he generally turns 160 mph at 2.5 gph).

At the forum, Sheehan told the audience that the suit against QAC would be resolved in 3-4 mo. and that major court blunders will cause the verdict to be overturned. He mentioned that if it weren't for builders and friends donating money, he wouldn't be here today. Unfortunately, he never could quite choke out, in real sincere actual words, "Thank you". Must be something he missed in his upbringing. Sheehan made inane quips about his courtroom adversary Mullan, who he claimed was the only person to ever be kicked out of his EAA chapter (Not true) and the old bug 'n rain canard which "we inherited from Burt Rutan".

Other random notables: Vortex generators will compensate for some builder waviness...Q-2 loses about 3 mph but loses less airspeed in turns with them...new LS(1) canard for the Quickie needs a couple more days of testing before approval (stall speed is lower)...Many engines are handmade prototypes and funding and production are significant problems but Sheehan likes the Nelson and feels it will be viable...found the smile inlet does not work equally well on the Q-2 and 200...Quickie was flutter tested to 188 mph for the current 150 redline; Q-2 to 265; Q-200 to 288 with counterbalancing.

Scott Swing was marketing his Tri-Q mod out of a corner of the QAC booth indicating, perhaps, some tacit approval by Sheehan as to its worth. Swing had about 50 orders by Oshkosh, more now.

 

QBA FORUM - We had a full tent Saturday night with 300-400 people engaging in very positive exchanges. As promised we discussed general issues for the first hour then broke into two tents for separate Q-2/200 and Quickie special sessions. It worked well and the positive info will appear in future issues of QUICKTALK. A member recorded the general session and will copy a tape for you if interested. Contact me for info. In a humorous and practical way, Canadian Peter Meszaros a longtime Q-2 flyer stated that his Revmaster probably takes a little more attention and tinkering than a pure aircraft engine but that he is well satisfied with its performance and economy. In the Quickie tent, much discussion centered on the vortex generators which are working very well though slightly modified from the QAC specs.

 

HIT OF THE SHOW - Jaded by numerous past trips to OSH, I thought, "Ho Hum, now we're going to get a low pass by some Limey airliner. Big deal!" I take it all back. The Concorde came in gracefully, made a touch 'n go then several more passes in various conditions of afterburner and speed. Exciting and thrilling...but you had to be there. Explaining it is as inadequate as trying to excite someone about flight itself without flying. The electric joy of thousands of appreciative fliers jamming the crowd line is an Oshkosh trademark to be experienced. WHAT A SHOW. The lucky captain had authorization to burn fuel like he may never in his life have again and he was playing the opportunity for all it was worth to the best flying crowd in the world. He's gotta be smiling to this very day!

 

Other Articles In This Issue

LETTERS - by Jim Masal
Q-TIPS - by Jim Masal
QUICKIE HINTS - by Jim Masal
Q-2 HINTS - by Jim Masal
CLASSIFIEDS - by Jim Masal
QUICKSHOTS - by Jim Masal
PILOT PROFILE - by Jim Masal

 


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