QUICKIE NEWSLETTER 17 page 3
- Details
- Category: QAC Newsletters
- Published: Tuesday, 12 December 2006 11:12
- Written by Quickie Aircraft Corporation
- Hits: 2181
CAFE 400 AIR RACE The CAFE 400 air race was held 19 June, 1982. The official results were received by QAC on 26 June. Quickies did quite well, finishing 1st and 2nd in the experimental category, single seat. Bill Hartman piloted the winning aircraft and Vic Turner was the pilot of the 2nd place Quickie. The two Q2 entries did not do as well this year as expected. N81QA, entered by QAC dropped out. A Q2 entered by M. Keller and G. Holmes finished fifth in the experimental category, two seats. The overall winner, regardless of category, was Roy Lopresti from Mooney in a Mooney 201. Because of weather, the race was delayed several hours, and shortened over 100 miles by the deletion of one turnpoint. The formula this year was different than last year: FEF (speed) x (mpg.) x (payload) The greater emphasis on payload capability, which was limited to 200 pounds |
per seat, encouraged entry of several 6 place aircraft, and the
upgrading of several homebuilts to carry additional passengers beyond
their normal complement. These aircraft placed very well in the final
standings. M. Keller’s Q2 was purchased used from a builder in Wahington State. It initially had problems with a high stall speed and poor performance, was heavy and out-of-rig, in the few weeks prior to the CAFE 400, Mr Keller and Mr holmes spent many manhours reworking the aircraft. Unfortunately they ran out of time to finish their rework. George Holmes apologized to us after the race for the fact that he had to run full throttle over the whole course, with a consequent reduction in score. We think that both individuals should he very proud of what they were able to accomplish in the few weeks that they had. In planning our strategy for this year’s race, we recognized that the revised formula would favor aircraft with more than two seats. We discarded any idea of juryrigging additional seating into N81QA. This would he against the spirit of the rules which is to promote improved aircraft efficiency applicable to everyday flying. After investigating different aircraft, we concluded that a FEF score of about 3,000,000 would be needed to win first overall. As it turned out, the actual winner achieved 2,768,919. Based upon last year’s CAFE 250 data, N81QA in that configura- |
could achieve about 2,500,000
under the revised rules. We elected to attempt to achieve that desired
20° increment by various aerodynamic
and propulsion systern changes that might eventually be usable on other
Q2’s. The engine was tweaked considerably to reduce fuel consumption
by about l2% over the stock engine. This proved to be our undoing
in the race, as the aircraft suffered a 400 rpm power loss 5 minutes after
takeoff. Preliminary examination by Fueling Engineering and Revmaster
indicated that deterioration 0ccurred in at least one combustion chamber.
They feel that the stock spark plugs used were too warm a heat range for
the tweaked engine. Gene returned to land uneventfully. Testing at Mojave
prior to the race and on the dynomometer had led us to believe that we
could score a FEF of around 2,900,000. We actually had additional ideas
to try, but simply ran out of time, If the race is held next year, we feel
that continued development may yield a FEF of 3,100,000 for the two place
Q2. In no way should above information be construed as an alibi. On 19 June, 1982 at Santa Rosa, CA, Roy Lopresti in his 201 Mooney was the aircraft with the highest FEF. We whole-heartedly congratulate him on his achievement. The pre-race organization was first rate this year; all of the workers who put in such long hours to make it happen have our appreciation. We are looking forward to the next race. |
||||||||||||
As this report is being written in mid- June, 16 Q2’s have made first flights. By early June, all known backorders on Package I and 2 with ship dates prior to May have been completed. If there are discrepancies, please write directly to Ron so that they can be expeditiously resolved. It is important for builders to inventory the contents of all shipments within 30 days from receipt and to report all backorders and discrepancies to QAC in writing immediately. Currently, QAC has an inventory of materials and components valued at over $200,000. Our current vendor production rates have been allowed to exceed demand in order to build up the inventory further. As of July 1, 1982, Q2 Package 1 was broken down into two smaller packages, called Package 1A and Package lB. The price breakdown will be as follows:
A builder electing to purchase Package 1A and Package 1B and Package 2 together will save $300 00 at the combined price of $7200.00 After Sunday August 8, 1982 the |
prices will increase to the following:
Package 1A includes materials to construct the basic fuselage, bulkheads, consoles, etc. and to mount and hinge the canopy. Package 1B includes the remaining materials to fabricate essentially the remainder of the airframe. Package 2 is an engine installation, instrument, and miscellaneous materials package. Package 3 is the Revmaster 2100-DQ engine. A revised Sales Agreement is available on request. Deliveries on Package 1A began in early July, 1982 at a rate of 25 per month. That rate can be increased to 40 per month with 30 days start up notice. All packing of Package 1A will be done at QAC; we intent to keep backorders to an absolute minimum and to fill all Package 1A backorders within 30 days of original shipment of the package Currently, in mid June, backlog on all packages except the engine is 30 days. Based upon Revmaster Aviation’s projected delivery schedules a new engine order placed in June would be filled by the end |
of
October, 1982. We have been handling,, on a one-to-one basis, customers
ready for engine installation in their kits. We expect this further breaking down of the Q2 kit to be beneficial to those prospective builders who wish to start immediately. We are confident that the average builder will complete the entire Package 1A construction work within 30- 45 days after receipt of the materials. Having a cockpit to sit in while making aircraft noises is a tremendous incentive for anyone! If your Q2 has a tendency to ‘crow hop’ on takeoff, please contact us for help. This is most likely due to too high a ground angle-of-attack of the complete aircraft. This phenomenon is most noticeable within 5 mph. of lift-off speed. Likewise, if your Q2 at mid c.g. and full aft stick, will not take off and land three point, please contact us for assistance. Possible reasons for this behavior include: improper weight and balance data, mismatch in angle of incidence between the wings, inadequate surface finish on the canard, and improper elevator travel. Please refer to Quickie Newsletter 15 and check elevator position at cruise as indicated in that issue. That check is an acceptable first means for determining the accuracy of your construction process and finishing process on the wing and canard. Composite Development Corporation (who manufactures the Q2 fuselage shells) has recently introduced prefabricated bulkheads for the Q2. These |