Q-talk 146 - First Flight Advice from the Pros!

Details

Category: Q-Talk Articles

Published: Tuesday, 26 April 2011 20:00

Written by Dan Yager

Hits: 5246

[EDITOR’s NOTE: Sanjay Dhall received the Special Airworthiness Certificate for his project on April 6th 2011. Below is the exchange that occurred on the Q-list about preparing for first flight. I am copying the exchange here, so that others nearing first flight will have an archive of “good advice” from more experienced Quickie Builders and Flyers.]

My Q-200 has passed inspection. Today I have my signed logbooks and other paperwork back along with Special Airworthiness Cert, Operating limitations, and Repairman Cert.

The inspection was done by a local FSDO Airworthiness Inspector. Really a very nice guy. He spent a lot of time, and looked at every system, all moving parts, use of AN hardware, wear and heat based failure parts, made several helpful suggestions and recommendations, also looked at the construction logs, plans, and quizzed me about various systems and how they would react to various conditions. I sensed in him a healthy blend of caution, and admiration for this very unique design of aircraft. His parting words were "You have done a very nice job" and "be careful, don’t bend it!"

With a break in weather I intend to get in more taxiing. Following which, of course, comes the first flight, followed by the dreaded first Q landing. I intend to look into the X-plane simulator. Have you had a fair assessment of the simulator in terms of control sensitivity correlation to real flight?

My concern lies with overcorrecting due to the very short moment arm of the joystick on the Q, and general sensitivity of the pitch control as I recall from experiencing Sam [Hoskin’s] plane. Riding in Bruce [Crain's] plane the pitch appeared to be a little less sensitive.

Have you observed major differences in pitch sensitivity based on fwd/aft CG locations?

Did significant roll correction seem necessary right on takeoff on your first flight, other than to compensate for pilot left seat bias? I have gone through all the first flight reports I could find.

Thanks to so many of you for your continued help and advice to get me to this point. Thank you all for your words of encouragement. Now it’s off to the next step!

Thanks again everyone,
Sanjay Dhall

Sanjay,
forget screwing around with the X-plane simulator. This is the real world. Find a Decathlon or Pitts and get at least 10 hrs. of takeoffs & landings.

Sam Hoskins

Sanjay,
I don't have as much time as Sam, but I agree with him. I had about 30 hours on my plane when I tried to fly X plane. It was waaaaay too sensitive, and I crashed a lot. Good thing I had already flown. I would probably have been too afraid to fly it after my X plane experience.

Your mileage may vary.

Good luck,
Kevin Boddicker

Good day Sanjay,
Good advice Sam. I would also throw in a couple hours in an American Yankee, for pitch, sensitivity, and landing speed.

Make sure all your controls are working 100% no compromises! The plane should track straight down the taxiway/runway. The brakes should hold the engine on a full run up, 1700 RPM. When applied together the main wheels should brake evenly and stop the plane straight.

Your plane will fly just fine with out belly board or reflexor, don't mess with that stuff yet. Landing a Quickie is a piece of cake. In fact, my first landing was probably better than the next five.

With a standard or pumped up O-200 be prepared for a left wing low once you break ground. DO NOT OVER REACT TO THE INPUTS, just maintain level with the stick. Climb out straight ahead and start your first flight over the airport so you have some place to go if the engine quits.

Watch very carefully for correct oil pressure, temps and CHT. The temps will run high to begin with, don't worry just try to keep it under 220 degrees. High CHT's and low oil pressure are unacceptable.

Begin your test procedures. When you set up for landing just remember it doesn't land like a standard tail dragger. If the approach seems too fast go around and try it again. Try to slow the plane to about 75-80 knots and get the tailwheel on first. Keep the wings level and hold the stick back to bleed off excess elevation. Your bird should settle in nicely. Let it roll out, Don't over brake on your fist landing.

Good Luck......................You can't have more fun, even with your clothes off. Contact me off line or give a call, if you would like to talk.

Regards,
Jim Patillo
N46JP Q200

Woo Hoo! Congratulations Sanjay! I know we are all looking forward to seeing it fly! Take your time and have fun - this is the best part!

Paul Fisher

If you can do "wheel" landings in a Pitts, then you can do what Jim recommends for landing (tailwheel on first, smoothly, at 70+ knots). Jim Masal gave some good advice once (and I think Jim P. also told me this): Start taxi testing by setting the throttle at a fixed low level all the down the runway. See how fast you taxi at this setting. Now go back and do it again increasing the setting slightly and see how much faster you go. Keep doing this with each taxi run, keeping the throttle setting so your taxi speed is BELOW liftoff speed. This will get you totally comfortable with the airplane on the runway before you finally are ready to push the throttle full for a first flight. It will also give you a chance to check on hints of CHT and oil pressure problems that Jim mentioned, while still on the ground.

Cheers,
Jay Scheevel
Tri-Q still building

Sanjay,
I have a Dragonfly and a Super quickie. I have never flown a Q2, but when I flew my Dragonfly for the first time I was aware of the pitch sensitivity from reading other flight reports. The critical thing is that on takeoff you don’t get Pilot Induced Oscillations. The pitch control inputs need to be small until you get used to it. Don't try to climb out too quickly.

Hopefully your weight and balance is on the button, but it may not be and you may need to hold in some stick, if you run out of trim.

Other than that, if all is well, fly for a while. I don't mean ten minutes, I mean a long while. It's amazing how you can get used to an airplane doing circles above the field. When you come in to land, set up for a long final and fly it on the runway, then simply hold it off so it doesn't fly. It will then kinda’ land by itself. Then you do the pedal dance and it's all history. This is how I do it in my Dragonfly and the

Super Quickie is a bit the same , but I can plant the tail wheel down at the same time as the mains. Have fun.

Canada Chris

Barry Weber (former Q200 pilot) gave a talk at Livermore a few years ago about first flight plan and prep. He suggested some high speed DOWNWIND taxi runs so you could get used to taxiing at high speed without fear of accidental liftoff. He also talked about the way the handling changes when you suddenly retard the throttle near liftoff speed, an area to investigate for a possible aborted liftoff.

This plane does land fast.

Mike Perry

Q-talk 61 - QUICKPIX

Details

Category: Q-Talk Articles

Published: Tuesday, 31 December 1996 06:11

Written by Tom Moore

Hits: 3281

John Touchet turned out a winner.

You can order a PDF or printed copy of Q-talk #61 by using the Q-talk Back Issue Order Page.

Q-talk 146 - Sun-N-Not-So-Fun-2011

Details

Category: Q-Talk Articles

Published: Tuesday, 26 April 2011 20:00

Written by Jerry Marstall

Hits: 5321

[EDITOR’s NOTE: Jerry Marstall and D Michael Bergen hosted the Quickie Forum at Sun-N-Fun this year despite the tornado induced carnage. The following are reports from the guys who made it there.]

CX-4 PASSES WINDTUNNEL TEST, SETS WORLD RECORD

Report by Jerry Marstall

As everyone knows by now, mother nature dealt a nasty blow to this year's Sun N Fun. 60-70 aircraft totaled or seriously damaged with scores of other sustaining lesser damage. Nancy and I were there volunteering at the Homebuilt Parking area. We were on the flight line when the storm hit. As always, pictures don't do a situation justice. And although we saw it first hand, it is difficult to adequately describe the carnage.

However, there is one situation where mother nature showed a little tenderness and care. On the line every year, Mr. Thatcher brings his CX-4 and parks it in the homebuilt area, pulls out a chair and talks with anyone who wants to learn about the fabulous little LSA he has designed and built. He was there again this year, tied down right in front of the Homebuilt Parking registration building. He had her tied down well before the storm hit and he headed for cover. When the storm passed, the CX was gone from its tiedown spot.

Nancy and I had evacuated to a steel hangar and did not see the following, but several of our co-workers stayed in the wooden registration building and were eye witnesses to the following:

The CX was pointed west, into the wind. One row behind the CX, approximately 30 feet away, was a Pazmany II tied down. The witnesses saw the tornado tear the CX from its tiedowns, pick it up level above the height of the Pazmany and levitated it backwards, over top of the Pazmany and another 75-yards before sitting it down, still facing west, about 15 feet in front of a fence. Throughout this backward flight (which is a world record for backwards flight by any aircraft other than a helicopter or Harrier, the plane remained in a level attitude and landed in a perfect 3-point attitude. The only damage sustained was a slight scratch on the right wingtip.

Mr. Thatcher couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his precious little CX quietly awaiting his return from hiding to reclaim it. Mother nature does occasionally show a compassionate side.

QUICKIE FORUM

Report by D Michael Bergen

[ EDITOR’s NOTE: I called Jerry Marstall and Michael Bergen on Thursday night right after the tornado ripped through the field. They both came through fine. The devastation was a bit much and they both seemed in a bit of shock but otherwise well. They both reported lots of wreckage scattered about and lots of airplanes stacked on top of each other. Several of the vendor tents were completely flattened while their next door neighbors came through without a scratch. As of Thursday there were NO Quickies on the field yet. (Mostly RV-7's). Michael was unable to get back to his tent on Thursady night due to the field being closed, but he was able to make a run out to the local Target to buy a fresh towel and dry off a bit. Michael provided the following thoughts and pictures when he returned. ]

For the Quickie Forum on Saturday morning we had about eight people show up. One lady was actually a VariEze builder, and looking for any support she could get. We easily used up the allotted hour we had for the forum.

Mike Dwyer was the only Q brave enough to fly in to Sun-N-Fun this year. When we departed via runway 27L on Saturday evening, I was in my Bonanza, to the left and one behind Mike and Liz Dwyer. I witnessed their departure, and realized how cool this design still looks even after all these years! It was a real shot in the arm for my own project!

It was a pleasure to meet both Mike and Liz Dwyer, and I want to thank them personally for being the only “Q-bird” to show their colors!

LONE Q-200 at SUN-N-FUN

Report by Mike Dwyer Q200 N3QP

The wife and I flew into Sun N Fun Saturday. The procedure is fly over the powerplant and a controller will tell you to rock your wings. First he told the low wing to rock your wings. As I got one low and one high there was no wing rocking from me, no one else around either. So then he says Dragonfly rock your wings and as that's pretty close I rock em and he says thanks. Ahead of me are two fast movers a seaplane and a twin Aerocomander. So I get to 112K (supposed to be 100) and buzz anong with them. No problem until on downwind for RWY27. The controller has me on downwind and says turn base now. Well that would put me in front of the aerocomander on longer final so I say no thanks. He then says somethng like work the spacing out yourself (I like that better anyway). The aero is down and I'm right behind him on the orange dot or later (that's the controlers instruction). The aero kept up his rollout speed and everything worked out great. Pulled into the homebuilt area and was met by the smiling face of Jerry Marstal in his official airplane parking jacket. Only thing better would be if his wife was working the red paddles also but she was busy at the registration booth. 9:20am I think we shut down in front of the homebuilt registration. We got our vendor passes from our buds at Warner Aerocraft and headed to the forum building where Jerry hosted the QB forum. We had 1 builder Kevin who is getting pretty close, another that is dormant. I guess I was the only Q as Roy didn't bring his Q1 over this year. So there doesn't seem to be much Q activity in FL these days. Later in the morning a couple of Dragonflys parked next to the Q200. Would have liked tt talk to them but didn't get a chance. They had some Cessnas parked in the homebuilt area to make it look more full. 20 years ago it was packed, recently not so much, Saturday maybe 1/2 full.

We asked our buddies that were in the tornado on Thursday. They escaped harm as the trailer they were operating out of blocked the wind for their display aircraft. But right in front of them were several planes blown down the ramp and mangled. It rained hard much of the day but by evening Sun N Fun had some cranes and flat beds and were busily picking up wreckage and moving it to a hangar. There was an engine in the homebuilt area sitting by itself. The plane it came off of was tossed end over end resulting in the engine seperating from the airframe which continued blowing. One light plane pulled loose from it's tie downs and flew 150 feet downwind - over the top of another plane without hitting it and landed on its gear without a scratch visable. The police ran everyone off the field with the threat of arrest. This is totaly unacceptable to me. If I had a damaged plane I wouldn't want some yahoo doing more damage with a crane. I'd want to be present. I wonder how many lawsuits there will be after that? One manufacturer did threaten Sun N Fun with a suit if they touched his planes - they left his alone. In the interest of cleaning up the field a lot of corners seemed to be cut. I guess the field was up and operating Friday after the storm but was a muddy mess.

By Saturday the place was drying out and looked pretty normal, except for quite a few places where there were missing vendor tents (probably blown away).

After the airshow the field was open at 6pm and we pulled the tiedowns and prepared to fly home. Unfortunately the wind favored Rwy 27 which means a looonggg taxi. As we went by the Blue Angel crew they were looking and pointing at the Q so we waved. They all waved back. Lots of planes leaving even tho there was still 1 day left. 30 minutes later I'm showng 220F oil temp and not real happy. The Q bird needs to get in the air to cool down. The feds are using big rwy 27L to launch two side by side with taxiway 27R launching another set of planes. I think if the wind is out of the west I may just buzz out prior to the airshow next time.

Quite a different year at Sun N Fun... kinda sad year.

PHOTOS FROM SUN-N-FUN 2011

https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2119690&id=1191305585&l=5b76b76507