Q-Tips

Q-Tips will offer suggestions, insights and tricks for the Quicksilver line of ultralight. Over the years, I've been involved with the Quicksilver ultralights as a full time business and have developed many small but time saving methods of doing things to speed up repairs. This section will cover as many as I can think of and I will add them as I remember them.

One difficult problem which is easily solved is the changing of the front and rear batten tips in the ribs. The factory assembles the tips, front and back and punches two small dimples into the rib to secure the tips. This can complicate removal and replacement. A fast and simple way to swap the tips requires the use of a propane torch. I use one with the built-in igniter. Set the torch on the bench facing away from you and hold the rib in the flame and heat the aluminum end until the tip pulls out. Reheat the rib end and push the new tip into the rib. I suggest rotating the tip prior to insertion by about 90 degrees. As the tip bottoms out, rotate it back into proper alignment. This keeps the small grooves from allowing the tip to be pulled back out easily. A whole set of ribs can have the tips replaced in just a few minutes.

The original factory tips from years back were rather poor quality material. I pursued the injection molding people to come up with a better grade of material. While the tips are not really expensive, the quantity and the difficulty of removing them may make swapping the entire set at one time a better choice.

The broken tip on an MX wing need not be moved all the way back to the rib insertion slit. By pushing it forward and around the leading edge, the tip may be removed at the edge of the sail back from the under side of the leading edge.

Another trick I learned from one of the Eipper dealer seminars is the easy way to install the compression struts in the elevator. Finish the assembly up to the compression strut installation. Prepare the struts for assembly by installing one tube connector as -is and remove the lip from one side of the other. Cut the oval slot in the cloth front and back per the manual sketch. Slide the strut in the pocket with the non-cut tipm first and the cut tip with the cut side against the sail. Place the entire assembly on a smooth carpeted floor with the tube side up. Place a hard soled shoe against the edge of the frame tube and gently push forward and down. The tube will slide forward and then drop over into alignment. This method will allow assembly of an elevator without the need for a screwdriver and extra holes accidently punched in the sail.

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