The Basics. What have I got?. There are a lot of variations floating around. The kit you found may have been owned by any number of people. First, you need to know what you are looking at. Let's start with a few definitions.
Quickie: A single seat, 20 HP tandem wing design that started it all. Lots of us refer to the whole family as Quickies - no matter which version.
Q2: Revmaster engine (Volkswagon derivative) ~ 64 HP
Features the GU 25(5)11-8 canard airfoil. Builder-constructed spar. Bad in rain and when
dirty/buggy. Critical manufacturing tolerances. The GU canard seems easy to break on hard landings.
Q200: Continental O-200 engine 100 HP. Higher gross weight, mainly to accomodate heavier engine. Faster than Q-2. Features the LS(1)-0417MOD canard airfoil. Factory carbon-fiber spar. Original spars can be scarce, some were pre-broken at the factory. New spars now available from Australia or New Zealand. The LS(1) carnard is good in rain/bugs. Not so critical manufacturing tolerances.
My personal opinion is that the tail dragger, Q-200 is the only way to go. Contrary to what you may have heard, the taildragger has been tamed. Over the years we have learned the tricks to make it behave on the runway. The Continental is a reliable powerplant that gives you good range, good fuel economy, and parts are available all over the world. In my opinion, the combination of O-200 and taildragger is hard to beat.
Tri-Q: Any Q2 or Q200 fitted with tricycle landing gear: Tri-Q2; Tri-Q200.
Q85, Q235, Q-baru, Suby-Q, Q-vair: Builder modifications from "stock" using
different engines (C-85, Lycoming O-235, Jabiru, Subaru, rotary, Corvair, etc....) There are guys working on these engines, but we do not yet have much flying experience with them, especially the automotive conversions.
I found a partialy built kit. Is it any good? What is it worth? Good questions. The easy question to answer is relative worth. I paid about $15,000 to QAC back in the early 80's for my complete kit (less engine, paint, instruments, etc.). As far as I'm concerned, anything less than that is a good price. I have heard of people purchasing wayward kits anywhere from $500 to $5,000. It's all a good deal, provided you are not buying a pig. Having said that, be prepared to spend some money after the fact. Don't bitch about laying out some cash to get the the job done right. If you can get away with spending less than $20,000 to get your plane in the air, you got a hell of a deal. My first flight was in 1986 and at that time I figured I had about $22K into it, so don't complain.
How do I know it's not a pig? Good question. Again, if I was going to build another one I would try to find one still in the box - a kit that no work had been done. That way, all workmanship would be my own, for better or for worse.
To an extent, judging workmanship on composite materials is not difficult. But, one major problem is that you don't honestly know what is under the skin. Now, if the builder did overall good work you could assume that he built the wing and canard according to plans, but that would be only an assumption.
Before you take the plunge, take someone knowledgable to look at the kit. Maybe take a couple of people. The best people to use are those who have built their own Quickie, and are now flying it (100 hrs. or more). If you are unsure or unknowledgable of the airworthy workmanship don't buy it!
Go to my inspection page and print out the checklist. By going through this list you, or your designated examiner, may be able to determine what needs to be fixed and what is ok.
As you look at the project, look at how things line up. Sight down the leading and trailing edges. They should be straight - the straighter the better. Lines that are not straight will cause big headaches for you. If the glass is exposed the fibers should be straight.
Use a four foot, or longer, straightedge and place if on all surfaces that are supposed to be straight or flat. What looks like small variations can mean lots of work, once you get it home.
What else should I look for? Try and figure if all the parts are there. Make sure that you have all the plans and templates. If you are buying a Q-200, make sure that you have the LS (1) canard and/or the carbon fiber spars. For the fusalage you should get the four shells, canopy, wheels & brakes, and a bunch of welded parts. Throw away any old epoxy. (Acutally, rather than throwing nasty chemicals into our landfills, mix the resin and hardner and it will cure into an ugly blob - then throw it away).
Forward of the firewall, look for the engine mounts, cowling, exhaust, air box, and prop extension.
Some of you will find a Q bird in so-called "flying condition". I have heard of very few aircraft trading hands that were ready to fly. Phrases like "fresh annual" probably are meaningless, based on the experiences of others I have run across. You should consider an aircraft in "flying condition" only if you see it fly.
When you buy this plane, you are marrying it. If you don't know how to work on aircraft now, you will have to learn. You will have to learn engines, you will have to learn composites and you will have to learn to get help and to listen. This is all doable, you just have to be willing.
Ok, I bought it anyway - now what? This is where we can help, and when I say "we" I mean the collective group of the Quickie Builders Association. (QBA) An absolutely essential adjunct and resource. First, send in your dough and join. Next order ALL of the back issues of their publication. This will cost a couple hundred bucks, but don't whine, it's all worth it.
Next, subscribe to the Q-list e-mail group (it's free), that will tie you directly to the large body of guys building and flying Quickies. Introduce yourself to the group and tell us where you live, and ask for a visit. If you are lucky there will be a Q-pilot/builder nearby and he can come and look your project over. His advice will be invaluable, so listen to him, buy him gas and feed him. In return, you will get a good assesment of your project, and suggested methods of attack. If you are really lucky you may even get a ride.
And please... Once you get your kit, please don't try to reinvent the wheel. Ask questions of those of us who have been there, done that, then have actually flown it. Heed our advice. I don't mean to be snobbish about it, but some of us have been in this Quickie Universe for over twenty years. We've seen 'em come and we've seen 'em go. The folks that actually make it safely into the air are the ones who can heed a little advice.
What is it like to fly? The Qs are just an absolute blast to fly and are extremely rewarding. It is also a HOT little plane - both the taildragger and tricycle versions. You will see take off and landing speeds in the neighborhood of 80-90 mph and they require a great deal of concentration. On a first flight you will encounter unexpected conditions and must be able to react quickly to any of them. There have been several first flight fatalities, over the years, and most can be attributed to an unprepared pilot.
It is extremely important to ensure that your flying skills are well honed before flying your new bird. About the time your Q200 is ready to actually fly, I would strongly recommend that you to go to your local FBO and get signed off for rental in three distinctly different planes, at least one of which should have a constant speed prop. A retractable aircraft would be even better. My reasoning here is to get you used to a wide variety of equipment and situations. After you get your sign-offs, take at least an hour of solo touch-and-gos in each of them. The reason I say this, I want you to get a lot of air time, with a real instructor. If you are going with the tail dragger, I would suggest at least 10 hours of landings in a high H.P. machine, such as a Decathalon. While you are getting all this training you should also be doing a lot of taxi testing of your plane. Now, while you are all tuned up, see about getting some rides in a real Q-200/Q-2/Tri-Q.
We want you to be safe and to have fun. Good luck, and stay in touch.
Sam Hoskins
| Home | Quickie Page | USA Flight | Q-200 Detail | Family & Friends | Pyro | Composites | Sky Diving | Site Map |