Quickie Aircraft

Quickie Aircraft Corporation was an American homebuilt-aircraft company established in Mojave, California, in 1978. It was formed to market the Quickie, a lightweight single-seat aircraft conceived around a distinctive canard configuration and intended for amateur construction. The original design was created by Burt Rutan together with company founders Gene Sheehan and Tom Jewett. Rather than being a conventional production-aircraft manufacturer, Quickie Aircraft operated primarily as a designer and kit supplier: customers acquired aircraft kits and completed construction themselves, generally outside the factory system used by certified general-aviation manufacturers. The company’s best-known product family began with the single-seat Quickie and later expanded to the two-seat Q2 and Q200. The Q2 and Q200 drew on the original Quickie concept but were not merely enlarged versions; they represented substantially different designs developed by Canadian designer Garry LeGare in collaboration with Sheehan and Jewett. The Q200 became associated with a higher-performance interpretation of the two-seat formula, while the wider family retained the company’s emphasis on low weight, composite construction, aerodynamic efficiency, and amateur building. A defining technical feature of the Quickie design was its canard wing arrangement. The aircraft used a GU25-5(11)8 airfoil developed by Terence Nonweiler. The airfoil and configuration supported the project’s aerodynamic goals, but the design also presented operational limitations. Reported performance could deteriorate at low Reynolds numbers and in rainy conditions, issues that were particularly relevant to small, low-speed aircraft and to the practical experience of homebuilders and pilots. Quickie Aircraft reportedly sold more than 2,000 kits during its lifetime, giving the brand a significant presence in the homebuilt-aircraft community despite its relatively narrow commercial scope. Its products circulated through builder networks, technical discussions, modification advice, and enthusiast organizations rather than through a large conventional dealer network. The company’s reputation therefore became tied not only to its original designs but also to the community of builders who documented construction methods, flight experience, and suggested changes. The business later encountered serious legal and financial difficulties. Quickie Aircraft lost an initial legal case connected with the crash of a single-seat Quickie. Although an appeals court overturned that judgment, the litigation had already caused substantial financial harm. The company was further destabilized when partner Tom Jewett died in a crash involving a different aircraft design. With its leadership weakened and its finances under strain, Quickie Aircraft Corporation filed for bankruptcy in 1986 and is now defunct. Its aircraft designs and builder-oriented technical legacy nevertheless remain part of the broader history of amateur-built and experimental aviation.

Quickie Aircraft Corporation emerged in 1978 in Mojave, California, during a period when amateur-built aviation was attracting designers and builders interested in alternative configurations, composite construction, and efficient small-aircraft layouts. The company’s purpose was to commercialize the Quickie homebuilt aircraft by supplying kits to customers who would complete the aircraft themselves. This placed the company within the experimental and amateur-built sector rather than the mainstream certified-aircraft industry. The original Quickie was a single-seat aircraft designed by Burt Rutan with Gene Sheehan and Tom Jewett. Its most recognizable feature was a canard configuration, in which a forward lifting surface worked with the main wing rather than the aircraft relying on a conventional tailplane arrangement. The design used a GU25-5(11)8 airfoil developed by Terence Nonweiler. Although the configuration was intended to provide aerodynamic efficiency and a distinctive flying-machine layout, reported limitations included performance degradation at low Reynolds numbers and in rainy conditions. Quickie Aircraft subsequently marketed the Q2 and Q200, two-seat designs developed by Canadian designer Garry LeGare together with Sheehan and Jewett. These aircraft were based conceptually on the original Quickie but were substantially different designs. Their availability broadened the company’s appeal beyond single-seat aircraft and helped establish the Quickie name as a family of experimental homebuilt designs rather than a single model. The company’s commercial activity centered on kit sales and support for builders. More than 2,000 kits were reportedly sold over the company’s lifetime. The resulting builder population became an important part of the brand’s continuing presence. Enthusiasts shared construction experiences, photographs, operating advice, and modifications through informal networks and specialist groups, allowing the designs to remain visible after the original company ceased trading. Quickie Aircraft later faced a major legal and financial setback after a single-place Quickie crashed. The company lost the resulting legal case at first, although an appeals court overturned the judgment. The reversal did not eliminate the economic consequences of the litigation, which had already damaged the company’s finances. The situation worsened when partner Tom Jewett was killed in a crash involving a different aircraft design. By 1986, Quickie Aircraft Corporation was described as leaderless and financially strapped, and it entered bankruptcy. The corporation is now defunct. The Quickie, Q2, and Q200 designs nevertheless remain historically relevant within the homebuilt-aircraft movement, where the company’s products are remembered for their unusual canard layouts, composite-oriented construction, and the builder community that formed around them.

• 1986

  Company enters bankruptcy

  [1]Quickie Aircraften.wikipedia.org

  Following litigation-related financial damage and the death of partner Tom Jewett, Quickie Aircraft Corporation becomes bankrupt.

• 1978

  Quickie Aircraft Corporation is founded

  [1]Quickie Aircraften.wikipedia.org

  The company is established in Mojave, California, to market the Quickie homebuilt aircraft and related kits.

• 1978

  Original Quickie design enters the company’s product family

  [1]Quickie Aircraften.wikipedia.org

  The single-seat Quickie, designed by Burt Rutan, Gene Sheehan, and Tom Jewett, becomes the foundation of the brand.

• Q2 and Q200 expand the range

  [1]Quickie Aircraften.wikipedia.org

  The company adds two-seat designs developed by Garry LeGare, Tom Jewett, and Gene Sheehan.

A specialist homebuilt-aircraft brand focused on lightweight, aerodynamically efficient experimental aircraft kits for amateur builders.

• Single-seat homebuilt aircraft · 1978

  Quickie

  The original Quickie was a lightweight single-seat experimental aircraft created by Burt Rutan with Gene Sheehan and Tom Jewett. It used a distinctive canard configuration and a GU25-5(11)8 airfoil developed by Terence Nonweiler. The aircraft was marketed primarily as an amateur-built kit rather than as a factory-completed certified airplane. Its design became the foundation for the later Q2 and Q200 family.

• Two-seat homebuilt aircraft

  Quickie Q2

  The Q2 was a two-seat development associated with Canadian designer Garry LeGare and company founders Tom Jewett and Gene Sheehan. Although it was based on the original Quickie concept, it was substantially different in design. It extended the brand’s homebuilt-aircraft offering to a larger configuration while retaining the experimental and builder-completed character of the Quickie product family.

• Two-seat homebuilt aircraft

  Quickie Q200

  The Q200 was another two-seat design marketed by Quickie Aircraft. It shared the family connection to the original Quickie but was not simply a stretched version of the single-seat aircraft. Developed by Garry LeGare with Jewett and Sheehan, it represented a more developed interpretation of the company’s lightweight experimental-aircraft approach and became one of the principal names associated with the brand.

• Litigation following a single-seat Quickie crash

  Quickie Aircraft lost an initial legal case arising from the crash of a single-place Quickie. An appeals court later overturned the judgment, but the proceedings caused substantial financial harm to the company.

  Source

• Death of partner Tom Jewett in an aircraft crash

  Tom Jewett, one of the company’s partners and designers, was killed in a crash involving a different aircraft design. His death further weakened the company’s leadership.

  Source

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• 1986

  Enter bankruptcy after leadership and financial deteriorationOther

  Background

  Legal costs and financial losses followed the crash-related litigation, while the death of partner Tom Jewett left the business weakened.

  Action taken

  Quickie Aircraft Corporation entered bankruptcy.

  Aftermath

  The corporation became defunct, although its aircraft designs continued to be known among homebuilt-aircraft enthusiasts.

  Source

• 1978

  Adopt a kit-manufacturer business modelStrategy

  Background

  The company was created to commercialize the Quickie for the amateur-built and experimental-aircraft market.

  Action taken

  Quickie Aircraft marketed aircraft kits rather than focusing on factory-built certified aircraft.

  Aftermath

  The model enabled the company to sell more than 2,000 kits over its lifetime and helped create a continuing builder community.

  Source

• Expand from the single-seat Quickie to the Q2 and Q200Product launch

  Background

  The company sought to build on recognition for the original single-seat design.

  Action taken

  It marketed the two-seat Q2 and Q200, designs developed with Garry LeGare, Tom Jewett, and Gene Sheehan.

  Aftermath

  The additions broadened the Quickie family while maintaining its position in amateur-built aviation.

  Source

1. 1Quickie Aircraften.wikipedia.org