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Quickbuild Wing/Fuselage options?

A

AviatorJ

Well Known Member
Using a bit of elementary math I've determined that I need to order my quickbuild kits in the next month or so. This is based on a 4-6 month lead time of receiving the completed kits and about a 5 month build time remaining on my empennage. Looking on the order forms there's several options for both kits.

Wings:
* Landing lights - I plan on using something else for a leading edge landing light, I would like Nav and strobes in the wingtips, so guessing I leave this option off.
* electric aileron trim - I do plan to have 2 axis autopilot so do I leave this option off, or is this something people find useful. I wasn't planning on having aileron or rudder trim for that matter. I have rudder trim in my plane now and I rarely use it.
* float fuel sending units - Would think this is a must have unless there's another method to do this. As of now I plan on having a GTN650, so if I can install a totalizator or some type of fuel sensor instead of these floats then that's what I plan on doing. If this is independent from all that then I suppose I need it, in case the 650 poops out.


Fuselage:
* Static Air Kit - don't get why this is an option. I would think having a static port is a must have, along with a pitot for airspeed and altimeter. I plan to do redundant electrical with no vacuum so is there something I'm missing?
* Flap positioning system - again, what are some other options if you don't go with this? I would like set flap positions and not just an extend/retract toggle. Playing the guess what angle my flaps are at is not a fun game.


Any help would be appreciated. Wasn't planning on making these types of choices so early in the game but seems I have to with these orders. Thanks!
 
AviatorJ said:
Using a bit of elementary math I've determined that I need to order my quickbuild kits in the next month or so. This is based on a 4-6 month lead time of receiving the completed kits and about a 5 month build time remaining on my empennage. Looking on the order forms there's several options for both kits.

Wings:
* Landing lights - I plan on using something else for a leading edge landing light, I would like Nav and strobes in the wingtips, so guessing I leave this option off.
* electric aileron trim - I do plan to have 2 axis autopilot so do I leave this option off, or is this something people find useful. I wasn't planning on having aileron or rudder trim for that matter. I have rudder trim in my plane now and I rarely use it.
* float fuel sending units - Would think this is a must have unless there's another method to do this. As of now I plan on having a GTN650, so if I can install a totalizator or some type of fuel sensor instead of these floats then that's what I plan on doing. If this is independent from all that then I suppose I need it, in case the 650 poops out.


Fuselage:
* Static Air Kit - don't get why this is an option. I would think having a static port is a must have, along with a pitot for airspeed and altimeter. I plan to do redundant electrical with no vacuum so is there something I'm missing?
* Flap positioning system - again, what are some other options if you don't go with this? I would like set flap positions and not just an extend/retract toggle. Playing the guess what angle my flaps are at is not a fun game.


Any help would be appreciated. Wasn't planning on making these types of choices so early in the game but seems I have to with these orders. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Wings:
* Landing lights - If you want something else, leave it out.
* Ailleron Trim - Most like it, even with the Autopilot
* Floats - Unless you're going with a capacitive system, get the floats.

Fuselage:
* Static Air Kit - The one from Vans probably works well enough, but most people upgrade to a different port system (Vans uses a pop rivet for the hole).
*Flap Positioning System - Vans probably works well enough, but there are many choices out there. Do your research.
 
I agree with Mike, except not sure how many have an "upgraded" static port. The Vans system works very well; I've seen posts from some with nicer looking ports that don't work correctly.

I don't have aileron trim, so maybe I don't know what I'm missing! No plans to retrofit. I do use the Trio Pro routinely on longer flights.
 
Never heard of a capacitive fuel system. Just looked it up and that sounds like something I'm interested. For whatever reason the float system reminds me of a toilet... I don't want the plane to remind me of a toilet! Wonder how that works retrofitting in a quickbuild wing... guess I'll research that as well as any flap systems and look more into the aileron trim.
 
AviatorJ said:
Never heard of a capacitive fuel system. Just looked it up and that sounds like something I'm interested. For whatever reason the float system reminds me of a toilet... I don't want the plane to remind me of a toilet! Wonder how that works retrofitting in a quickbuild wing... guess I'll research that as well as any flap systems and look more into the aileron trim.
Click to expand...

The floats on the -10, if properly calibrated using a modern EFIS, are quite accurate except for the top 5 gallons, which cannot be measured due to the wing dihedral. The capacitive systems can be more accurate but also more expensive. But almost everyone these days has a real fuel flow/totalizer which is very accurate, so the capacitive gauges are a bit of overkill. But it's your money.
 
Hi Justin,

I'm expecting my QB wings in the next couple weeks. I did a bit of investigation months back on the capacitive sender vs floats alternative. It appears that a capacitive system would be a significant endeavor for QB tanks - including some disassembly. Given that the majority of my fuel information will be coming from my EFIS and the totalizer, I elected to go old school with the floats to just sanity check what the EFIS is telling me.
 
Thanks Eric. Seeing how I'm planning for an EFIS and fuel totalizer and don't really care so much about the top 5 gallons... I guess toilet tanks it is!
 
QB Wings

If you're going with QB wings, then the capacitance sender setup would be a challenge, because the tanks would be sealed up already. However, there is a system (capacitative) that uses a bent tube that I believe is aimed at retrofitting. It might fit into the spot used by the float sender, but I think these systems aren't cheap. I used fabricated plates for my system, which are cheap, but require complete access to the tank to install and adds build time and cost for the signal converters.
 
Capacitance sender

I got my senders from GRT avionics. They bent them for me for the -10 and they fit right in the stock holes. Been a couple of years but they were about $95 each...
 
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