The
Quickie Aircraft Corporation was formed to produce and market the Quickie in kit form after 1978. Two years later a two-seater variant of the same layout followed as the
Q2. The original
Quickie (Model 54 in Rutan's design series) is one of several unconventional aircraft penned by Rutan for the
general aviation market. The Quickie followed from
Jewett and Sheehan's intention in 1975 for a low-cost, low-power, single-seat homebuilt aircraft. The first element to be found by Jewett and Sheehan was the engine, which – although low-powered (they had anticipated 12 hp) – had to be reliable for aviation work. With the help of Onan, a manufacturer of industrial four-stroke engines, they were able to procure a engine that would deliver 18 hp (14 kW) at 3,600 rpm. Rutan was then involved with the design; Sheehan and Jewett suggesting a scaled-down
Vari-Eze. After a preliminary pusher canard configuration design (Rutan Model 49) had been discarded, Conversely to canard layout, the conventional front engine location put the pilot close to the center of gravity, a key point for a light aircraft. The wheels were incorporated into wingtip fairings without much drag penalty and the tandem layout gave safe stalling characteristics. After the first flights, Rutan spent more time with his
Defiant design and other projects, and it was Jewett and Sheehan who continued development of the design and market it for home-build use.
Configuration The Quickie is a
tandem wing taildragger, having one forward wing and one rear wing (instead of the more usual main wing and tailplane). According to Rutan this layout was not new, having previously been used in aircraft such as the
Mignet "Flying Flea". provides positive lift from both pairs of wings; whereas on a conventional aircraft, the tailplane mostly provides negative lift. The Quickie has fixed (non-retractable) main wheels faired into spats located at the tips of the forward wing. The absence of separate landing gear helps to
reduce both weight and drag,
Construction and flight tests Construction of the prototype commenced in August 1977 at the
Rutan Aircraft Factory; Originally designed with a fixed fin and only the faired tailwheel acting as the rudder, a conventional rudder was substituted. The steerable tailwheel allows directional control up to the point of liftoff, as the Quickie does not lift its tail during the takeoff run. Although it takes off at around 55 mph and its maximum speed of 126 mph is impressive for its engine power, the rate of climb is "modest". The flight test program was completed in mid-April 1978, five months after its first flight. ==Production==