QB Fuselage or QB Wings?

Van's indicates the lead times on quick build kits are about 2-4 months. Counting current rate of progress I estimate I should be done with the empennage kit in about 2 months, maybe a bit longer.

We have decided to order both QB fuselage and QB wings. Since we have a limited storage space, we won't be able to store completed empennage and wing kit while working on the fuselage (or vice versa).

Since I read here that QB wings comes almost completed, we thought about ordering QB fuse and postponing wing order until later. Is it a good idea?

Maybe you can hang the wings from the ceiling in your garage? Or have a friend who can hang them from the rafters in his hangar?
The reason I mention it is shipping cost. As of 2008, when I did it, the least expensive way to get a QB to the Bay Area was to fly commercial one way to Portland, rent a U Haul, drive them back. Vans loaded the U haul for me, and not only does this cut shipping costs, there were no crating charges either. Obviously it costs more if you need to make two trips!
Check with Vans. They wanted a very specific truck, if they were doing the loading. And of course you need an appointment with Vans.
Hint: returning the truck to Hayward or almost anywhere in the East Bay was about $100 cheaper than dropping it off in San Francisco itself.

The QB Wings are indeed mostly complete. If you order them, make sure you have a cradle built before you receive them. In the cradle they take up a space about 4.5 feet high, 2 feet wide, and 14 feet long.

The QB fuselage has MUCH more work to be done. I built a rack for it first thing. Now it is on casters and I can easily move it around whenever I need to.

Realize that you will be DISASSEMBLING some of the QB Fuse to complete it. Some of the parts are installed with temporary pop rivets.

Also, when it is time to join the tailcone to the QB Fuse, it becomes a quite large assembly. I put the whole thing in a cradle on casters so I can move it around.

Have fun!

I built a slow built 9a and I hate repetition so if it were me I would buy the quick built wings. I enjoyed building my fuselage but not so much the wings.

Shipping costs aside, there is no reason to worry about doing the wings after the fuselage. In fact, if you are doing QB wings, it may even make sense to do all you can do without the wings, and then when you move the plane to the airport, you do the wings then (either at the airport or in the recently free up space). Nothing needs to be done on the wings before the fuselage.

Thanks for the replies so far. Just to clarify, we are going to buy *both* QB wings and QB fuselage but are wondering which one to order first because of severe space constraints.

Can't hang the wings on the ceiling, that's where the empennage goes

Definitely the fuse then. The wings get finished and then sit until they are attached. MUCH more you can do with the fuse once completed, you can do everything else minus the wings - which usually don't go on until the airport at the end of the build anyway.

CharlieWaffles said:

Nothing needs to be done on the wings before the fuselage.

Click to expand...

This is exactly what I needed to know. QB fuselage seems to be the next target then.

Flying up to OR and then driving it back here seems to be an excellent idea. Perhaps I can get the $50k demo ride there?

If you come to the factory for the ride or pickup, let me know, I am located on the field and you can see my project if you'd like.