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Q-talk 1 - LETTERS

Norm Howell once suggested that we have a builder's hospitality club i.e. a group who would be glad to visit with out-of-towners and assist if a cross-country flier got in a jam. There was little response to his proposal: Recently, I got this:

Dear Jim,

One suggestion ... have you even floated the idea of regional get-togethers of QBA members, perhaps during the winter months, to create an opportunity to gather and exchange ideas and experiences? It could be an all day Saturday format on a three day weekend, perhaps bringing together a completed flying aircraft and another plane (or major components) at the glassing or sanding stage, and include a social evening with members' slides or videos. The builder list should tell us something about where appropriate locations would be and a simple canvassing could determine whether the interest is out there and what the scope of such a meeting should be. What do you think?

Fred Klein, Deer Harbor, WA

ED. NOTE: Terrific, BUT it is the history of organizations, parties, airshows, meetings, Christmas dinners, etc., that it ALWAYS takes one poor slob to initiate the work, spend some $, organize and follow through to the end (and clean up, if necessary). Poberezny is a successful example of the type. THIS poor slob already does his share so I will help, but I won't lead. I've suggested a similar idea here in Dallas and it fell flat. No leader. Looking at a builder list, I see possible social groupings in Atlanta, LA, San Francisco, somewhere in WA state, central MI, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Dallas, New York, OH, WI, a couple places in Canada, and one in London.

I can envision informal get-togethers once every 3-4 months in somebody's home, a back room at a pizza place, K of C hall, strip joint (nope, forget that, can't concentrate) or pub. I'll support any slob's effort with names, notices in the newsletters and ideas, etc. Who'll be the first to try one? Fred, Fred ... where'd he go??

In a similar effort to organize our natural resources and get these planes finished in the air, I have asked a few guys if they would be willing to accept calls from other builders who need to talk with someone further along than they are. These guys are NOT experts, NOT renowned technical counselors, NOT official advisors or anything of the sort. They are just buddies who can talk "hangar flying" especially well. I would like to have these "volunteers" scattered around the country to keep the long distance charges down. The fellows who have agreed to help so far will be listed in the masthead with their location and hangar-flying specialty. Anyone else who would be willing to pitch in and help this way should please let me know.

Klein's idea continued to intrigue me after I wrote this, so this slob tried leadership once again. I tried a "trial" run at a "QBA Dallas Hangar Meeting", only I figured out a way to make it low work, low stress. I invited 6 couples to my puny house and we watched Q-1/2 videotapes for 30 minutes while everyone arrived. Then I provided maps and we all took off for a local cafeteria (no fighting over the checks, no problem with dieters or special "tastes", no reservations to make or break, just pull enough tables together to seat whoever shows up). We just about closed the place down while we got acquainted and hangar talked, then everyone followed my map to a local hotel's lounge where we relaxed on someone else's furniture, had a couple of drinks and talked airplanes (and husbands) for a couple hours. It was wonderful and I think someone else will take a turn at planning another "QBA hangar meeting" in a couple months. Try it!

 

Jim:

HOT STUFF! Right from the courthouse files ... had business in LA area last week and poked my head into bankruptcy court and copied this stuff. I lost $908, but there are more ahead of me! He owes Aircraft Spruce big $'s and the only builder listed about $4K. Enjoy.

Mike Bergen, Alexandria, VA

 

(Excerpts from what Mike sent follows):

U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURT

ROOM 906, U.S. COURTHOUSE

312 NO. SPRING ST.

LOS ANGELES, CA 90012-4701

 

CHAPTER 7

CASE NUMBER: LA 85 00333BR

IN RE: QUICKIE AIRCRAFT CORPORATION

SSN/ID 95-3271368

 

A meeting of creditors ... shall be held ... Jan. 2, 1987 ... 9:00 A.M.

Case converted from Chapter 11 on 11/04/86.

Summary of Debts ... $432,523.65

 

ONWARD AND UPWARD

Okay, let's get organized and see if we can get the Quickie/Q-2/200 program moving on down the road. We can do it with self-support, but nobody can sit around on their thumbs watching the world go by. Here are some things I know:

I just called Brent Ayscough's office (QAC's attorney), (213) 378-0345, and a secretary verified, "They are still in bankruptcy". I also called Revmaster and talked to Joe Horvath. He reports they were unaffected by QAC's demise and are still doing their usual day in day out customer support. Joe has been unable to reach Gene Sheehan even by trying a relay through his attorney. Joe indicated he would consider using some of Revmaster facilities to produce parts for Q builders if he can get a notion of what, if anything, Sheehan plans to do. Jim Irwin of Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Co. told me he hasn't been able to talk to Gene since he was ecstatic over winning the appeal in Oshkosh. AS&S took a real good bath when QAC went down.

T. J. Wright of Custom Composite Components, P. O. Box 6, Friedens, PA 15541, (814) 893-5806 has built a half dozen or so Q-2 types and has the savvy to make or get made just about any part you might need. He's also built a couple Waddelow sparless canards for the Tri-Q's. He's easy to talk to.

Gary Wilson, Composite Aircraft Components, 401 College St., Bruceton, TN 38317, (901) 586-5806 has built a half dozen or so Q-2 types and has the savvy to make or get made just about any part you might need. He's also built a couple Waddelow sparless canards for the Tri-Q's. He's easy to talk to.

With QAC out, Gary LeGare should now own the rights to the Q-2 for the U.S. But, several guys report he's been difficult to reach. Besides, he sold out his Seahawker program due to a health problem, (high blood pressure, I think), so whether he'd want to get involved deeply in a design that's already had most of the $$ squeezed out with the headaches (builder support) left in is questionable. He says he knows all of Sheehan's suppliers and that's probably the best we could hope to know from Gary.

I never bought a Q-2 kit but I do have the basic plans. I do not have plans for the options or the Q-200 changes (LS(1) canard, belly board, engine installation, etc.). Any of you guys like to share these with me so I can be a central info source? I also need packing lists on the above so I can determine what items we need to find outside suppliers for. I also don't have info on the Quickie LS(1).

There are a couple guys snooping around for the source of carbon spars. I've met a guy who made QAC's spars initially until QAC switched to a CA supplier who used a different technique. (I heard the new company was Composite Products in San Diego. Can someone follow up on that?) My source may be interested in tooling up again but nothing is sure just yet. In the meantime, I know I can get a Q-200 sparless canard designed by a well-known composite designer for $1,000. If a few adventurous souls would pitch in, I could get that started. Don't send money; just tell me if you're interested in splitting the bill. I don't want to make a business out of this deal, I want to get a few more airplanes into the air without everyone paying an arm and a leg or resorting to foolish backyard engineering. Remember, the Q-200 prototype has never flown with the carbon tube spar canard.

If any of you have had to have replacement parts made up and you have a reliable source, please let me know. For example, engine mounts and Q-200 exhaust system sources are needed, but there are other things as well. I can spread the word and funnel more business to a few good suppliers rather than everybody doing onesies, twosies at high cost in dollars and time. I also need you to tell me what parts you are having trouble finding.

Let's get on with the show! And please give me a hand here.

 

Dear Jim,

Dealers don't have any more or better relationship with Gene than anyone else. Seems like it is the end of QAC as my letter came back too. I think if someone wanted to make some money, the tri-gear should still sell.

I am now a TEST PILOT as I am flying first flights for builders. I have 3 Tri-gears to put on local aircraft this spring. I'll keep mine a taildragger as I sure like it the way it is.

Marvin Getten, Plymouth, MN

 

Dear Jim,

Jack Hedges who has built and flown his Quickie in Swan Hill, Victoria is the new agent for QAC in Australia. He went to Mojave in Nov. looking for Gene Sheehan ... our hero had done a Houdini and disappeared without a trace. Strange after all the good CAFE win publicity, even if the company did go bust.

I have just yesterday dropped the main wing into the fuselage, so mine is now starting to look like a Q-2/200. Duane Swing's contribution was extremely helpful.

John Cartledge, Dingley, Victoria, Australia

 

Hi Jim:

Logged 2.0 hrs. in my Quickie today. Everything is doing fine! I harassed a hot air balloon near the airport, terrorized the local radio-control flying field and shot down a Moni. Not bad on 79 cents a gallon auto gas.

Norm Howell, Enid, OK

ED. NOTE: In a small town where everyone knows you, these activities are not as reckless as they sound. Norm recently called to say he had flown his 40 hrs. off. Yippee!!

 

Dear Jim:

I live in a rather isolated area, so the newsletter is my only source of help. I have developed a slight sensitivity to the epoxy, and the personal preparation prior to each layup is demoralizing. Therefore the newsletter is important as much for motivation as information.

David Kirby, Burkeville, TX

ED. NOTE: I gotta deal. My motivation comes from each of you keeping in touch with me once in a while. How about, you don't write to me, I don't write for you? Let's try it.

 

Jim,

I had a talk with a liability lawyer at work and used QBA as a hypothetical case to limit liability exposure. We were talking about research contracts that I negotiate, and it turns out that it is difficult to limit liability for a research contract where the client has asked for conclusions and recommendations. If your recommendations are poor and some damage ensures when the client follows your advice, then the adequacy or quality of the research or interpretations become suspect. Essentially, you represent yourself as one who knows (or should know). However, if you simply REPORT results, and leave interpretation to the reader, your liability exposure is usually low, the exceptions being unusual circumstances, e.g. if it could be shown that I reported results specifically designed to deceive the reader.

All in all, I feel my liability risk is low so long as I do not use words like "recommend", "conclude", "advise", etc. and simply report what I did. If the reader wanted to extrapolate to another situation, that is his business. This person had a decision to make with full knowledge that the consequences were unknown, but acceptable by his own judgment.

On another subject, I saw John Wirta's new Revmaster heads (not the 75 hp.) and saw they have an insert (steel?) through the head bolt holes. Looks like a fix to limit warpage/cracking in this area. Has this been a problem for other builders?

Hats off to anonymous for the canard jigging tip using the threaded rod. I wish I had that idea 8 months ago - what a pain that was!

I still have about 30 "Poor Man's Epoxy Pumps" in stock for QBA and friends at $13 until this bunch is gone, but I no longer live in Sarnia, Ont.

Add my name to the hospitality list. Mississauga is a suburb of Toronto.

Bob Falkiner, 983 Vera Cruz Dr., Mississauga, Ont. CANADA L4Y 2G4

ED. NOTE: Don't anyone visit him until he gets his bathroom fixed! Who wrote that tip anyway? In rare instances a contributor name gets separated from the tip. It helps me if you put your name in more than one place. RE: liability, I figure if someone is sharing his experiences and tips, he isn't gonna be dangerous to me or others doing the same thing. That's ANOTHER reason I don't like to be writing this for non-contributors.

 

Dear Jim,

Good news! I just found spars for sale in your newsletter. The bad news is my Q-2 is into year #5 of construction (for 2 years I was working in the Virgin Islands). Look out all you marathon builders because I may set the record. However, I enjoy the work of getting there as much as the finished aircraft. When it's over, will flying be enough?

Sport Flight, Inc., 22267 Powell Rd., Brooksville, FL 34602 is a great composite supplier for those of you in the southeast. Also Bob Falkiner of Canada makes a great poor man's epoxy pump consisting of 2 big syringes. It just won't fail and costs only $13. Finally, it was suggested to me to try sandblasting (ever so carefully) for finish sanding before too much hardware and finishing touches were installed because the sand gets everywhere.

Another Member of the Q-2 Conspiracy,

Bill Baldwin, Ormond Beach, FL

 

Dear Jim,

I am selling my Quickie as a result of an off airport landing which was caused by the pilot, not myself, attempting to take off with carb heat on. At least that was all I could determine, as the engine runs great even after the accident. Icing was a possibility also, but the carb heat was on when I got there and the pilot does not remember putting it on. He probably never turned it off after his last landing. Funny thing was, it had almost exactly 40 hrs. on it when it happened. It's certainly repairable, but I just don't have the motivation.

Bill Dvorak, Freedom, CA (408) 728-3751

 

Dear Jim,

We have purchased a Rotax 447 to install on our Quickie SN087. The Onan was due for an overhaul after 40 hrs (about 375 in flight). The engine would have probably lasted a lot longer if we hadn't attempted to increase the horsepower by using the shaved heads as per QAC. We had been watching the 2 Quickies at Camarillo with the Rotax 503's installed and read about Ed Miller's 447. We picked the 447 because of its lower compression ratio and the recommendation of one of the 503 Quickie owners.

Frank Toggenburger, Encino, CA

 

Jim,

We took my Q-2 to the airport in Dec., and plan on test flying as soon as weather permits. Once it has flown and all systems check out, I will give details to QBA on its dual controls, special airbrakes and engine cooling.

Tom Saunders, Ralston, NE

 

Dear Jim,

CONGRATULATIONS VOYAGER

The Rutan's have done it again and let's not forget Jeana ... This has provided an impetus to my ailing Quickie project! Ed Miller has been a big help and I've been in touch with Jim Prell also regarding alternate engines. I have constructed the motor mount for a Rotax 447 a la Miller, but will not purchase any motor until all the controls are rigged and working without a hitch. Besides, who knows what motors are the best yet?

Ken Norwick, Bramalea, Ont. CANADA

 

Dear Jim,

I had the opportunity to go to Mojave early January 6th, and to join in the celebration greeting the Voyager team on their return to home base from the globe-circling site at Edwards AFB. After handshakes with Yeager and both Rutan's, some pictures of the aircraft and an autographed photo, I am now truly and finally motivated to work hard towards finishing my 4-year-old Q-200.

Tom Cline, Silver Spring, MD

 

Dear Jim,

The French dealer (Centre Azur a Lyon) is out of work, it's definitively closed! So I need for several pieces, as: CSA6, CSA7, TW3, CSA4, CSA5.

Did you know somebody to help me?

Jean-Charles Ferry, 16 rue Guyard Delalain, 93300 Aubervilliers FRANCE

ED. NOTE: Can anybody supply these parts or accurate drawings so he can get these Quickie parts made?

 


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