Getting Ready to Make That First Flight?

Getting ready to make that first flight?

Making sure you are ready. Here are a few things which may be helpful. This page is definitely a work in progress and more will be added as time goes on.

I'm looking for related information from guys that have built and are now flying their Q-craft. If you have comments you would like to pass on, please e-mail me.

Are you getting ready to fly? Maybe you're in the the taxi stage? Use all the resources available to you to make your first flight(s) safe and successful. I don't suppose I have to tell you that YOU are going to become a test pilot.

• Use other builders/flyers as a resource. Probably a hundred Quickie variations have flown by now and chances are there's a builder/flyer somewhere near you. Find out who those people are, through the Quickie Builders Association, and invite them out to look at your project. ( It wouldn't hurt to buy them lunch and some gas). A person who has built and flown their own Quickie plane should be able to help guide you as to what is good and what might need to be changed in your aircraft. It would also be good to have this person taxi your aircraft, looking for any unusual characteristics.
• Look at other aircraft, both experimental and certified. As we all know, the Quickie Aircraft Company plans left much to be desired. It would be worth your while to see a Cessna C-150 engine installation. It will give you a better look at the proper way to hook up the throttle, mixture, fuel lines, and cooling baffles.
• Use checklists. I have developed a comprehensive inspection checklist which may be used to ensure that you haven't overlooked anything. Develop you own flight checklist too and use it.
• Don't be in a hurry.

Is everything in place to make your first flight a safe one? What are the performance numbers for your particular aircraft? Do you know what your minimum level flight speed is? How about your best glide speed? Best speed for minimum decent rate? Best climb? The FAA has an excellent, plain language guide to making that all important first flight and subsequent testing of your aircraft. Advisory Circular AC90-89ais a 100 page PDF file, so give it time to load.

Another excellent article to determine these numbers is the Bootstrap Approach to Performance

Take a look here how NASA develops their performance numbers.

Want your plane to taxi and nice land straight? Here is the David Gall essay on wheel alignment".

Better yet, want your plane to stop??!!?? Check out the Larue Brake Mod., complete with drawings.

Are you going to use a Continental O-200? Here is a nice web site about the engine and some key areas to watch out for. O-200 goodies.

Here is a Q-200 Flight Test Evaluation report by Brian Martinez. Shows you how an Air Force test pilot would prepare for his flights. Scott Horowitz published his flight testing work in 1994. It's also filled with "expect the unexpected" tales.

While you're at it, EAA chapter 1000 at Edwards Air Force Base has a bunch of flight test reports. Very interesting reading.

Speaking of test flying, read my friend's account of how he broke the sound barrier in a Luscombe.

The Early Years

The Quickie Q-200 is a blast to fly!Here is the story (so far) of my Q-2, N202SH. My kit was serial number 2614 and was purchased in 1981. At the time I felt construction proceeded slowly but in retrospect five years to build now seems fast. This article was originally published in the November 1987 issue of Q-Talk - the mouthpiece of the Quickie Builder's Association. I thought it was worth repeating to describe some of the anxiety that many builders have faced.

When the Q-200 upgrade was announced I decided that it was what I really needed since I wanted to cruise at the advertised 200 mph!

The project was started in Wisconsin and about half way I relocated to the Minneapolis area and moved into Marvin Getten's hanger at Flying Cloud airport. Marv provided a lot of support, help, and guidance, and really helped.

My Q-200 was equipped with a newly majored engine, vacuum pump, artificial horizon, DG, wing tip strobes, belly board, reflexer, Warnke prop, and originally weighed in at 599 lb. using very accurate scales. I have not yet installed a starter, upholstery, or radios. I estimate total cost to date (1987) of about $22,000.

My previous flight experience consisted of about 500 hours in Cessnas, so before test flying my Q-200, I got about 10 hours of dual instruction in Citabrias and an hour riding with Marv in his Q-2 while he shot landings.

Finally, in the Air

After about three hours of taxi testing, the first flight was made on June 9, 1986, with Marv coaching and former Quickie dealer Elliott Youngberg videotaping the happy event!! Over the next couple of weeks I made several flights and did have handling problems resulting in a few ground loops. Also, two of my subsequent flights were made with no airspeed indicator!! It checked out in the shop but in the air it wouldn't work.

Early on it was obvious to see that there was some type of rigging problem, because in order to maintain level flight, I had to fly with my elevators down about 8 degrees. I called Scott Swing, and he said that the angle of incident of my canard was wrong and that I should raise it up!! Well, I could see that there was no other way out, and so I bit the bullet and went to work. I cut the canard free of the fuselage on the two sides and the front, cutting out a wedge-shaped piece. I pulled the engine just far enough to make the cut across the firewall. The front of the canard was raised about 1.25" and repaired. The entire cut-out and repair, including the fillets, moving the rudder pedals, and repainting took one week.

After modifying, in level flight the elevator trimmed at about 1-2 degrees down. An improvement but I didn't gain any of the airspeed that I'd been hoping for (I was getting about 160 mph).

On one of my flights after this, I landed with the parking brake on and skidded off the runway. It is was my practice to have the parking brake on in flight to prevent wheel spin and the accompanying vibration. I have now added "Parking brake-Off" to my landing checklist and made a change to my in-flight brake system.

Despair

During all of these flights I was constantly tinkering and trimming and adjusting everything, but I just didn't feel that my proficiency was coming up to speed and always felt that I was on the verge of another ground loop. Then, on my 15th flight, on the 29th of July as I was just touching down, the rudder pedal attachment points tore loose, and I was left without any rudder or tail wheel directional control. I was able to keep the wings level, but I was off the runway moving at a high rate of speed. I saw buildings and aircraft coming towards me and I vigorously applied the hand brake. The tail rose up and the prop tore up the rain-soaked ground and the aircraft pole vaulted over using the spinner as the pole!

My beautiful plane came to rest upside down (you can picture this, can't you, Jim?). Besides the spinner and prop being destroyed, the lower cowl was severely damaged, the canopy smashed, and there were compression fractures of the left wing and tail cone and vertical fin. Except for some scratches, the canard was okay. The harness system held, and I was uninjured. I believe that when I repositioned the rudder pedals while changing the angle of incidence of the canard, I didn't have enough of a glass-to-phenolic bond, resulting in failure.

Doubt and Transfiguration

Rebuilding started soon. Even though the wing was only fractured on the bottom just outboard of the aileron pivot and didn't look all that bad, I took the cue from Bob McFarland's accident and resolved to build a new wing. It only took about two hours to remove it from the aircraft. At Oshkosh I was able to pick up a new canopy for only $150, and although I was still heartsick from the accident, things started looking brighter.

After Oshkosh I knew that I had one hell of a lot of preparation in order to even begin repairs, but I had a terrific resource in our local composite chapter 587. I mailed a postcard to each member requesting help, and they came through gangbusters! More than 10 people showed up and in one day we removed the broken canopy and prepared the frame for the new one, sanded the fuselage inside and out to prepare for the wing installation, removed the tail cone fillets and completely removed all paint and filler from the tail cone, removed paint from the upper and lower cowling, and hot-wired a new set of wing cores and a new vertical fin!! On one Saturday those guys saved me at least a month's work!!

I was able to salvage several parts from the old wing including the ailerons. (Our accomplished crew can now do a wing or canard lay-up in 2.5 hours!) The second time around was easier because I had accomplished all of the tasks before and knew what to do, but it really wasn't very much fun. I only made one significant change in the rebuild. I changed the ground angle of attack of the aircraft to 7.5 degrees by lowering the tail wheel asdescribed by Scott Swing in Quicktalk #29, and this was quite easy to do. Aircraft aesthetics were forgone in order to have the plane back in the air as soon as possible. Ed Schwitzer of New Prauge, MN, let me have a slightly damaged prop that I was able to have repaired to reasonable performance. Paint was only applied as necessary so it doesn't all match right now. However, I was pleased to find that the plane gained only 9 lbs. in the rebuild, and I suspect most of that was from the heavier canopy.

During this time I spent a lot of time thinking about the accident and really questioning my own ability to handle this hot little airplane. When I ordered the kit, I wanted a fairly reliable craft that would be useful for me and not just something to buzz around in on Sunday evenings. I decided as much as I loved the looks of the taildragger, if I didn't feel comfortable with the ground handling problems, I'd convert to Tri-gear, or maybe just sell the whole thing to someone more qualified than I.

After getting another few hours of dual in a Champ, I made my second "first flight" on May 3, 1987, just short of 10 months after the accident. I freely admit that I was more scared now than the "first" first flight. I could feel improvements in the aircraft right away! My takeoff roll increased slightly, but the ground handling was very much improved, which I attribute to the change in the ground angle of attack. This is going to be okay!

Now, five weeks after my second "first flight," I love my airplane. It is a real joy to fly! I have put on 50 hours in the last month and have made over 40 landings and no ground loops! I am getting quite comfortable with crosswind landings and have even landed on a 25' wide runway with crosswinds. This plane is going to remain a taildragger. The fuel economy is good although I'm still cruising at "only" 160 mph. I've made several cross country flights, and it really eats up the sectional charts.

The plane, like a house, is never finished. I'm still having problems with engine cooling on the 80 degree days and have a lot of experimenting with baffling to do. The whole thing needs to be repainted and upholstery installed, and I have a new Warnke prop ordered. I'm still using a handheld radio (which the tower controllers hate) and navigate using landmarks only. All this is just as well, for it if was finished, I might wind up doing something silly like ordering a new kit of some sort and building something else instead of continuing to improve mine.

My general advice to builders has mostly been said before in Quicktalk, and Jim Masal gave some of the most realistic advice in Q-Talk #3 and #4. First, this is one hot little airplane. It is not docile (at least mine isn't). You must be on top of it at all times, and don't expect anything else. If you feel that you may not be capable of handling it, get some dual with an instructor in something tricky and see how he feels. This is often a hard thing to call, but please be realistic with yourself. You can fool yourself and you can fool your friends, but you can't fool Mother Nature.

On building an airplane.... The most important single thing that a builder must do is to keep his hands on the project. Sound obvious? There were many, many times where I was discouraged and felt, What's the use? Keep at it. Do something, no matter how small, all the time. Also, when you have a seemingly major modification or repair to make, just jump in and get started. Don't waste time worrying about the size of the task ahead. You'll often find that it wasn't as hard or time consuming as you thought once you finally get started. A guy that needs to change his ground angle of attack could have most of the work done in a single day!

Again, as Jim has said, don't build or fly in isolation. By now there are lots of people that may be able to help you. Use the people resources available and have other people help and often. The chances are that by now someone else has had your problem and came up with some sort of solution. Stay in touch with other builders. I had some non-flying buddies help with finish sanding, and they helped save weeks of time.

Inspection Checklist

This checklist may be used to perform a final inspection prior to a first flight, and for your annual condition inspection. It is designed for a Q-200 with conventional gear, one Light Speed Engineering electronic ignition module, and plenum baffling, but may be easily adapted for other Quickies. Plenty of room is available for additional entries to suit your aircraft. This list does not tell you how to qualify a component for safe flight. It is simply designed to ensure that you inspect everything on your aircraft.

HOW TO USE THIS CHECKLIST Print out this copy take it out to the airport. Notice there are two columns after each item. When you begin to inspect any certain item, place your initials (or date) in the first column. This establishes what has been inspected, but not necessarily corrected. Generally, you should try to complete the inspection prior to correcting squawks. If there is a discrepancy that needs to be corrected, make a note of it on a separate sheet of paper. When all discrepancies for that particular item have been corrected, and you are completely confident that the component is ready to go and completely airworthy, then place your initials in the second box. This will help you sort out what needs to be inspected, what needs to be corrected, and what is ready to go. Any suggested improvements to this checklist would be welcome.

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Q-200 Annual Inspection / Condition Inspection

N# / ______/ Model / ______
S.N. / ______/ Builder / ______
Tach hrs. / ______/ Date / Start ______
Finished ______
ENGINE / Checked / Completed
Warm engine to operating temperature. (Go fly)
Remove cowling and inspect for chafing and stains.
Clean & inspect cowling and fasteners
Remove upper plenum baffling.
Re-start engine, check timing of electronic ignition and record.
Check for evidence of oil leaks and fuel leaks.
Drain oil. (Take oil sample).
Compression test: #1 cylinder
#2 cylinder
#3 cylinder
#4 cylinder
Clean, inspect, and regap spark plugs.
Check magneto ignition timing. (for reference).
Check plug wires condition.
Check electronic ignition (EI) circuit board and mounting bracket for security.
Inspect EI cables, connectors and terminals.
EI. Check clearance between rotating magnet and sensors, top and bottom.
Check EI coils for security and connections.
Rotate and reinstall top spark plugs.
Pull engine forward to access rear of engine.
Check mag points and lube bearings.
Check dist., points, and rotor & lubricate.
Adjust timing if needed.
Check magneto cooling hoses.
Check oil screen or filter, replace gasket, and resafety.
Check elecrical connections; starter, gen., voltage reg., etc.
Remove gen. & starter covers, check brushes and commutator.
Check all nuts & bolts for torque on accessory case.
Check engine mounts, rubber, and bolts.
Reinstall engine, hook everything up.
Install lower plugs.
Replace oil. (Install new drain plug gasket & safety).
Check fuel strainer & safety.
Drain Carburetor bowl & clean carb. inlet screen.
Remove heat muffs.
Check exhaust system for cracks and leaks.
Reinstall muffs.
Check all hose connections and clamps.
Check all fuel & oil hoses for leaks, security, chafing.
Check rocker box covers, valve springs, and rocker arms.
Spot check cylinder base nuts.
Check push rod housings, seals & clamps.
Check intake manifolds for leaks. (look for fuel stains).
Check inter-cylinder & head baffles.
Check air intake screen.
Check carb heat valve.
Remove & inspect spinner for wear and/or cracks. Inspect propeller.
Retorque prop bolts, check tracking, & resafety.
Wash engine with approved solvent.
Inspect controls for security and full range of movement.
Lube engine controls.
Reinstall upper plenum baffling.
Run up & check for leaks.
Replace cowling & run visual check.
FUSELAGE / Checked / Completed
Check exterior for cracks or delaminations.
Remove upholstery.
Thoroughly clean interior. Note stains or leaks.
Check internal integrity of fuselage wall and bulkheads.
Check control cables, tubes, brackets, etc. aft section.
Check aileron bellcranks & lube.
Check aileron mass balance weights.
Check tail cone attach brackets and bolts.
Check reflexor and lube.
Check battery cables and solenoid for corrosion and security.
Service battery as required.
Check battery box for security and venting.
Check for fuel leaks inside cabin. Clean/replace filter.
Drain fuel sumps.
Check fuel primer.
Check fuel gauges for condition and operation.
Check speed brake pivots, hinge, and latching.
Check control stick for movement, wear, and cracks.
Check canopy latch system.
Check safety belt harness for security and condition.
Check wiring, lines, and controls behind instrument panel.
Check elevator trim system.
Check instruments and vacuum system for condition and leaks.
Check electrical system.
Check interior lighting.
Check instrument panel for general condition and security.
Check instruments for proper marking and illumination.
Check fuel filler cap and door.
Check fuel tank decals for condition, octane, and capacity.
WINGS / Checked / Completed
Check general condition, cracks, or delaminations.
Check controls and bellcranks, nuts and bolts.
Check elevators pivots for wear. Lube.
Check elevators for security.
Check aileron pivots for wear. Lube.
Check ailerons for security.
Check electrical wiring.
Check position lights.
Check anti©collision lights.
Check landing light.
Check condition of main wheels and tires.
Check brakes pucks.
Check brake rotors and calipers.
Check axle and axle hard points.
Check wheel bearings.
Fill master cylinder(s).
TAIL ASSEMBLY / Checked / Completed
Check tail cone for general condition, cracks, delams.
Check tail wheel spring.
Check tail wheel, bearings, swivel, and tail wheel bracket.
Check tail wheel bolts and lube.
Check rudder pivot points for wear and lube.
Check rudder horn.
Check all rudder cables for wear and adjustment.
Check rudder cable pulleys for wear, movement, alignment.
Check rudder pedals for security.
Check position light.
MISCELLANEOUS / Checked / Completed
Data Plate.
Airworthiness Certificate.
Operating Limitations.
Weight and Balance data.
State registration.
Passenger warning and Experimental placard.
Passenger Sic©Sacs.
NASA incident reporting form.
Transponder due date.
Altimeter due date (If IFR).
Static system due date (If IFR).
E.L.T. battery replacement date.
E.L.T. check (Within 5 minutes past the hour).
Fire extinguisher.
Functional ground check of radio.
Fill out logbooks.

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