QuickTalk 3 - ODDS and ENDS

QBA has obtained a forum tent for 7:30 Tuesday night (Aug. 3) at Oshkosh. This will give our members a chance to meet one another and to discuss the future of our organization. More about this in the next issue.


We would also like to remind you about the QAC banquet on Monday night. Cost will be $10 per person and tickets must be purchased by July 1. Contact: EAA #252, 17 East Parkway, Oshkosh, WI 54901. Be sure to reference your serial number.


We have really been amazed at the number of Canadian members we are acquiring. Unfortunately, our local Texas bank doesn't recognize the existence of anything north of Kansas and keeps refusing checks from Canada. We sincerely wish to keep good relations with our friends to the north, but from now on we will need a check from a U.S. bank or a money order paid in U.S. funds. Thanks.


Several of our members have mentioned they would like to have a QBA patch. This sounds like a fine idea and will be taken under consideration. We will probably ask for ideas in the near future.


QUICKTALK is organizing an article on the full use of peel-ply over all flying surfaces. Much of what we have heard in the past has been conjecture by "authorities" with little statistical information or testing. Does this practice really add large amounts of extra weight as some say? Or instead, does it save weight due to less finishing materials? If you feel you can add to this debate, we would like to hear from you here at QBA.


QBA has been informed that Frede Grofe of Frede Grofe Films, Inc. in California is looking for a completed Q2 in order to videotape some performance tests. This gentleman is in the business of providing this service to his subscribers. Several prestigious names (whom we shouldn't mention) have been thrown up to act as test pilots.

G. F. Films will be willing to pay for fuel and lodging for the Q2 owner in order to come to California. Contact: Mr. Frede Grofe, (213) 454-3886.


Bob Stillman of Homebuilt Aircraft World sent us a glass cloth cutter, which we can heartily recommend. We have had several builders try it out and the response has been excellent. It looks like a pizza cutter with a plastic handle on one end and a round razor blade on the other. You simply lay your cloth on a flat, hard backing material and roll the cutter over the cloth. The blade makes perfect cuts of the cloth with no ravels and no gouges. Works just as well cutting curves. Bob suggests using styrene plastic as a backing material such as Formica will work as well but could possibly be hard on the blade.

The knives are $9.95 and a spare blade is $3.29, plus shipping. Bob also has available .060" styrene in sheets of 40" x 72" ($12.50/sheet, plus shipping). Contact: Bob Stillman, H.A.W., Box 818-1217 W. Third St., Wilton, IA 52778.


At this time we are still compiling the results from the weight survey. Quite frankly we are disappointed in the lack of response. A lot of members with completed projects have written letters in the past telling of final weights. Even if you wrote previously, we need for you to fill out the form in Issue #2 and send it in. If you didn't keep individual part weights, just send us your empty weight.

This doesn't let you present builders off the hook, either. We carefully constructed the survey to give you some feedback on your process. Take the time (yes, we know it's hard to tear yourself away) and go weigh your parts!

If you can't find your weight survey or you used it for a drop cloth, let us know. We will send you a new one.

We believe that this survey as well as others that may follow are indispensable tools in gathering solid, unbiased answers to the basic questions that haunt all builders. As a member of QBA, your only obligation is to share your knowledge. Without that support, our role as a service organization is destined for failure.



You can order a PDF or printed copy of QuickTalk #3 by using the Q-talk Back Issue Order Page.