q2 cowl/nosebowl

Weps,

I did not own the Q2. It belonged to Walt Tunderman (N1UQ) of Brandon FL. The short answer is that I don't know if it had any mods. I do not think it had larger wheels and tires. I felt comfortable on 2,000' smooth sod with clear approches. Now, the long answer.

At the time I flew it I had an aircraft paint shop on the private grass strip. I used to hear all of the pilots (older and wiser than me) on the field say that "it is the most dangerous plane on the field" and "it can't be flown off grass!". Walt never flew it. He bought the kit and had it built in CA by someone else. When they delivered it, they landed, and ground looped. Brandon had a fly in and a Q200 from St Petersburg landed, and, ground looped too. So, to all on the field no Q of any sort can be flown off of, or return to grass!

If I heard any conversation about it I always said "I'll fly it". I was just a kid from Illinois so most blew me off. One day Walt came to my hanger and said "OK" they just sold the airport and the Q2 flys out or leaves on a truck. "Do you still want to fly it"?

Yes! I did a walk around, got a cockpit check-out and taxied out. The peenut gallery probably started to gather immediatly. I firewalled it and was off in about 500' at a rise in the field, throttled back, set down, turned around at the end and hopped it in the other direction. No ground loops. Impossible as it was to the wiser pilots, it flew fine. We did an annual inspection and a wieght and balance due to it having been painted on the field and not checked or flown since. I flew it for 20 hours to various fly-ins and shows to help Walt sell it. I really liked it! That's why I now have a Quickie project.

It is a challenge to fly,,, well,,,,, land and stay straight, but it is more technique than skill. On grass or pavement, if any swing is not immediatly stopped by full opposite rudder, immediate power is required to give some authority to the small rudder. That is the only thing I have not read anywhere about a Q type. The Dragon Fly I flew had toe brakes and I thought they should have been on all Q's too.

Lex