Quickie (oz14546)

About this Plan

Quickie. Radio control scale model. For .40 engines.

Quote: "WHEN I FIRST SAW the 'Quickie,' I was fascinated by its configuration - both aerodynamic and structural. Since I'm a person who is always looking for a design challenge, I thought that an R/C version of the Quickie would be a good one! I drafted the prototype drawings from a set of 3-views that I had obtained the year before and started the construction as soon as they were completed. The construction procedures described here are a combination of the ideas and methods used in building my prototype, in mid-1979, and the aircraft for this article, which was built by Mike Scherr.

The greatest obstacle to overcome in the design of the Quickie was how to make the canard (front wing) strong enough to support the landing loads that could possibly be imposed over its span, since the landing gears are attached to the canard tips. The fact that the canard is swept rearward did not allow for straight-through, tip-to-tip spars. After many hours of pondering the problem, I came up with the idea of using a 1/16 thick aluminum dihedral brace. It's strong but light and constitutes a continuous, load-bearing spar from tip to tip. The system shown on the plans has lived up to our expectations; loads imposed by landings and takeoffs from grass and hard surfaces are effectively absorbed. There have been no structural failures of any kind in our testing program.

Don't be fooled by the odd aerodynamic configuration of the Quickie - this airplane is one fantastic flying machine. But if you never build one, that special place in your heart which this airplane would undoubtedly occupy will never be filled! So much for sentiment, let's start build-ing your own Cupid's arrow.

FUSELAGE: This part of the construction is simple and quick. Start by gluing 3 and 4 in wide sheets of 1/8 balsa together (to make one piece 7 x 48). Make two of these, one for each fuselage side skin. Cut side skins to the outline shown on the plans. Mark all former locations, making sure you have a left side and a right side when you're finished. Cut the exhaust openings in both side skins. Glue the 1/32 ply doubler, 1/4 x 1/2 balsa parts, 3/8 triangular stock, and 1/8 hard balsa triplers in place.

Glue formers F1, F4 and F6 in place at right angles to one of the side skins pinned down to your work surface. When this is complete, glue the other skin in place on top of the formers. Remove the fuselage from the work surface and spread it far enough apart at the F5B former location to insert and glue F5B in place. Now glue in formers F7 and F8 by pulling the rear of the fuselage together and making sure that the lengthwise alignment is right on. Glue formers F2 and F3 in place, as well as the 1/4 sq spruce. Add the 1/8 hard balsa sheet to complete the exhaust ducts.

Cut the fin from 1/4 in balsa, making sure that the 1/4 in slot is cut at the base of the fin for the insertion of the tail wheel support tube. Glue the fin in place, checking that it is perpendicular to the wing saddle and in alignment with the fuselage lengthwise.

Glue all the 3/8 balsa sheet to the top and bottom surfaces of the fuselage, and the balsa block just behind the wing at this time.

Sand the fuselage to the cross-sections shown and to the top view at the rear of the fuselage. Drill for and glue in place the two 3/32 dia aluminum tubes for the rudder cables (this can be done after covering is completed).

Take any quality bellcrank (we used a K&B) and cut the center arm off as shown on the plans, then drill three or four 1/16 dia holes for your pushrod hookup. Mount the bellcrank to the center of a piece of 1/4x 1/2 in spruce, the width of the inside of the fuselage, and epoxy the mount in place. Epoxy each of the canard and wing nylon bolt bearings..."

Quickie from MAN, January 1982.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

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