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Question for QuickBuilders

mgomez

mgomez

Well Known Member
I've looked through the docs that came with my QB kit, and I can't find any QuickBuild-specific instructions. I've been reading the manual that came with the drawings, and "reverse engineering" the instructions to figure out what I'm supposed to do.

Example: the QB fuselage comes with a bunch of skins, bulkheads, etc. held on temporarily with a few pop rivets. It doesn't say anywhere "remove the pop rivets that hold the F-xxx", so I've been merrily drilling them out as I see fit.

Am I missing some instructions, or is this what I'm supposed to be doing? In particular, drilling out and removing F-712 so that I can install the tailwheel spring bracket was pretty hard...the way the fuselage tapers back there, it doesn't come out easily.

Thanks,
Martin
 
QB ?'s

That's what I've done, timidly at first. There are many comments that Van wants you to think. He believes (as do I, even though I forget quickly) that you learn more about the airplane this way. It takes time and effort, but forces a lot of understanding on you that wouldn't be there if you followed simple check list instructions like those for the empennage. Good luck and keep at it - we need to pump each other up! The end result is so worth it, as a lot of successful builders tell us. Far from done here, just starting the finishing kit. Bill
 
you've got it right...

Martin,

Nope, you're not missing anything. When I started my QB -8, I had the same questions, and Van's response was that by making you review the instructions, it forced you to look at the entire process, and learn how it was all built. Sounds frustrating, but once you get into the process, it isn't bad. And yes...you do learn it!

By the way, get used to doing without explicit instrucitons - by the time you get into finishing and FWF stuff, you won't hardly even look at them, which is good, because by then, they get very general.


Paul Dye
 
Yeah, I did notice that the detail in the instructions tapers off as you move along. In the empennage, they practically tell you to deburr every edge and hole, and by the fuselage it's "Build the framastat per drawing X...have a nice day!"

Thanks for responses!
 
I just received my QB8 and noticed the detail changes as you move through the instructions which i've read through to check the build status but i hadn't considered removing rivets put in by Vans...learning what they have done is one thing...reasearching every rivet used is quite another - Vans i am sure don't intend to test us in this way. Removing rivets is not the best of strategies...damaged holes etc.

Paul, did you remove and replace Vans rivets on your QB8?

Best

Matt Hurley
 
I think the best way to approach the QB kit is to treat it as if it were a standard build kit.
In other words, go through each step of the instructions just like you would a standard kit.

The difference is that what you do at each step is to just VERIFY that the step was done and that it was done well. When you fully understand that step in the instructions and compared it against that portion of the QB kit, then you move on to the next one.
You'll learn just as much about how the airplane is built, but you'll spend only minutes reviewing "prefinished" part instead of having to do the entire operation yourself.

In short, that's how you get the best of both worlds; you'll know just as much about your aircraft as a slow builder, but you won't have spent anywhere near the time. ;)
 
Yup - you have to drill some out...

Our friends in the Phillipines do have a tendency to get overenthusiastic at times and put in few rivets that should be left open, but I'd say I've only drilled out maybe 25 total. If you see one that clearly shouldn't be there by the plans, drill it out - if you're like me, you'll get good at drillign out your own rivets anyway....

Paul Dye
Going off line until the Rita is passed - Over and out!
 
Rita

Good luck with the storm....sometime I want to come see ytour GRT panel set up, looks like one of the best I have seen....CAWMD82 Dallas
 
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