QuickTalk 9 - LETTERS

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Category: Q-Talk Articles

Published: Saturday, 30 April 1983 07:11

Written by Jim Masal

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"I would like to tell you and other builders that I picked up my Q2 kit on February 19 at Mojave. There were some items on backorder and I sent QAC a shortage list on February 21. Two weeks later, I received most of it. Now this is good service; my hat is off to Ron Lundgren. I think he is doing a hell of a job..."

Tony Stek (#2791), Union City, CA

"Please find my check for another year's subscription and my appreciation for your fine efforts...Your publication is much more reliable that QAC's Newsletter. I usually receive the latter three months late or not at all...Any others complaining?

I am still extremely happy with my relationship with Mike Davenport of Leg-Air Aviation in Langley. My Quickie is finished and lovely after 1100 hours. I am currently fine tuning it in my basement awaiting weather. Frankly, I grow more hesitant to fly it with each newsletter - Onan underpowered, rain on canard, etc. Also, I haven't flown in 3 years. I shall have it tested by someone qualified until I become current..."

Bob Shellon (#1005), Nakusp., B.C. CANADA

"I have about 30 hours on N789BF and with the help of two other Q2 pilots at Chino Airport, have solved all of the problems except two. I am at my wits end on how to make a no-bounce landing and how to get the brakes (hydraulic) to work well. The other two pilots have the same problems.

I have built a very good, clean plane; added the T-tail mod and my CG is excellent. I have made over 100 landings in all configurations and my last was actually worse than my first.

I have had the brakes on and off approximately 20 times in the last 6 months and with all the adjusting, making new plates, adding and subtracting washers, they still are very unacceptable, almost dangerous.

I will accept a collect call from anyone who can help me (and love them for it).

Fred Baron, (#2076), Pasadena, CA

(213) 798-0782, M-T-F, 9-6:30

(213) 938-2793, W-TH, 9-6:30

(213) 797-7782, M-F, 10-12pm

"Sorry to say our Q2 is being repaired from an accident on December 22, 1982. One of the partners landed too long, got excited and locked the brakes. You can imagine what happened. He put it on it's back. He did not get a scratch until he cut his seatbelt loose. He fell on his head and put a scratch on his forehead....Broke the vertical section and tail group off in front of Bulkhead 175. Broke main wing, prop and spinner. Broke cowling in four places. We hope to have it flying again in a couple of months. We have 103 hours on it now..."

Ennis Barlow (#2214), Stockbridge, GA

"It happened a couple of years ago. I saw the Q2 in an issue of POPULAR SCIENCE and it was love at first sight. I wanted one! After purchasing a set of plans and looking them over, I headed off to Mojave. (I work for an airline and, as you might guess, we get a little traveling benefit.) Believe me, it was worth the trip.

After saving like mad for almost a year (a long year), I have enough money to purchase Package #1. There was only one problem, where could I build it? I am single and live in an apartment. I went to every airport in the area, begging for some hangar space, but there was none. I surely couldn't build it in my apartment. Then, I thought, how about a mini-warehouse? I asked the owner if I could build an airplane in one and he said sure, no problem.

I soon got started. First, I rented a 10' x 24' room to build my canard, wing and fuselage. Then I rented two 10' x 24' and removed the partition in the middle. Now I have a 20' x 24" room. More than big enough with the airplane assembled. Each room has an 8' door and the Q2 will slide out sideways when the tail section and engine are removed. (I made sure of that before I bought the kit!)

During the building time, I continued to save. I decided to go with a Continental C-85. I looked for one for a long time and luckily found a good one. I started before Quickie installed their 0-200, so everything was up to me. There was quite a bit of modifying to do. As of now, I am just about ready for Feather Fill. I started on May 1 last year and have done everything by myself except for cutting the foam, welding new engine mounts and hanging the engine. (Laminating the wing and canard was a job.)

I have been back to Mojave recently to look at the new canard, amount other things, and I was very impressed. Gene showed me his template of the new canard and explained to me how it worked. I will be installing the new canard next year, which means I can put my started back on my engine.

I have put many enjoyable hours in my little airplane and have quite a bit more to go. I hope to be flying by May or June this year and I am looking forward to the day.

See you at Oshkosh!"

Ron Gowan (#2421), Riverdale, CA

"This is my first communication to you, except for my subscription...I've found many of the suggestions in the newsletter invaluable. The QAC Newsletter is helpful too - but your views are independent, first hand and more useful. I've heard your pleas for tips from builders, but haven't had anything to contribute until now. I'm new at this - started building in February 1983. This is my first project. In fact, I only took up flying three years ago...I can't imagine what it will be like to fly an airplane constructed by my own hands!...

I've completely skipped the hotwire section in the plans. I'm pretty excited about the new canard and the 0-200 engine. At present, I think that's the way I'll go. I've put myself on the new canard waiting list. All this is the reason I haven't done any hotwiring. I want to do it all at once and the new canard templates are bound to be different than the old. It's interesting to note how coy Quickie is about the new canard, but what they say seems advantageous enough - wetness and bug resistance as well as a greater CG tolerance. I'm EXTREMELY interested in some independent observations on the 0-200/new canard Q2's and look forward to something in your newsletter about it soon..

James Schenck (#2784), El Paso, TX

"Comments on the first flight of N220WA: Bill was calm, cool, collected and on Cloud Nine. I was nervously biting my fingernails - up to the elbows!

Actually, "Adams Platoi (Playtoy)" had two first flights. Friday evening was just Bill and I, to see if it really would get off the ground. Saturday morning was the "Official First Flight", for TV and newspaper coverage - also for our EAA Chapter 614 members and others.

It was unbelievably beautiful in flight - so graceful, so cute, so much fun. A real show stopper. We are so proud of it!"

Gloria Adams (#528), Quality Control Supervisor, Pineville, LA

"SAFE-T-POXY should be renamed UNSAFE-T-POXY. I think Allied Plastics had better get busy and find a way for users of their product to protect themselves or change their formula.

I don't think I have gotten a single drop of SAFE-T-POXY on my skin and I have had problems you wouldn't believe. Before I even opened the first jug of epoxy, I started using Ply-9 and medical examination gloves. It took about a month before I had any problems such as extreme itching, blisters and peeling of my fingers. Next, I went to Ply-9 and two pairs of medical gloves with no better results. My next step was to the dermatologist. She recommended a pair of white cotton gloves between the Ply-9 and surgical gloves. Still no relief. I tried adding a heavy pair of neoprene gloves on top of everything else and it seemed to help for a while. After all this failed, I went to what I call my "air gloves".

The "air gloves" go on top of the Ply-9, cotton gloves and medical gloves. They are thin neoprene gloves to which I have attached an air hose that runs outside to a small compressor. I seal the gloves with a fairly tight elastic band around the wrists. For a while, I thought this was the answer - but it wasn't. After all this and now a reaction over my entire body. I finally realized it had to be breathing and skin exposure to the fumes.

I am now using a facemask that filters out organic vapors (from Sears for about $23) and am having pretty good results so far. I still use Ply-9, cotton gloves, medical gloves, and heavy neoprene gloves and have shortened my epoxy sessions. I wear all this any time I work on my Q2, not just when using SAFE-T-POXY."

Gray Haller (#2649), Elmhurst, IL

"Concerning the comments about skin irritation and sensitivity to the SAFE-T-POXY, I experienced irritations also and finally deduced the problem to be related primarily to acetone. When cleaning brushes, I failed to take care that acetone was not splashed on my fingers. Once your skin becomes sensitive to this fluid, even the close proximity of acetone vapors will trigger the reaction. Take all the recommended precautions, but remember to take additional care when cleaning brushes or tools in acetone."

Fred Wemmering (#2296), Fayetteville, NC

"After reading about the people being allergic to SAFE-T-POXY, I felt like rushing this bit of news. After experiencing blisters and itching on my left hand (had not resorted to gloves or Ply-9 gel), my wife (a nurse) got me some HYDROCORTISONE Cream 0.5% (non-prescription) at the drug store.

I applied a liberal amount over the blisters and within three or four days the blisters disappeared. A couple of small areas peeled slightly, but only superficially..."

Philip Kelly (#2409), Miami, Fl

You can order a PDF or printed copy of QuickTalk #9 by using the Q-talk Back Issue Order Page.