They even sew their own wing coverings, assembled from sturdy Dacron sailcloth. They Do It AllĮxcept for engine, tires, wheels, and brakes, Tri-State makes every component that goes on the Smithsilvers. Contact Andy Alldredge by email or email Tom Smith. They even offer on on-site “hotel” for customers to use. Tri-State Kites reported a active and complete business with sales, training, and maintenance. Andy assured me single seat models can qualify. Call them a “Quick” or a “Smithsilver” - this is now its own brand of aircraft. Today Tri-State Kites is actively building and selling entire aircraft. Created to make the airplanes fly faster, handle better and last longer, they also streamline the aircraft, give it distinctive looks, and enhance strength in ways big and small. Those parts are but a few of many alterations the Mark Smith enterprise has created over many years of serving the Quicksilver market.
QUICKSILVER ULTRALIGHT INSTALL
Tri-State Kites said, “These install without major modifications.” They also sell dihedral-reducing cablesets for wire-braced Quicksilvers earlier models used a large amount of dihedral to enhance the rudder-and-elevator-only controls. Recommended changes would be lower tail tubes and the tapered stabilizer. Most are not terribly expensive and create a much more flyable plane. There are many changes that make the plane fly better, handle better, steer better, handle wind and gusts better, and so on.”ĭirectly from their matter-of-fact website, “Modifications to this sturdily-built ultralight abound (they refer to those thousands of Quicksilvers sold). Smith wrote, “There were nearly 10,000 MX sold over the years, with most of the models sharing many of the design features of the MX. Perhaps it was inevitable that this would evolve into the manufacture of whole Quicksilver-like airplanes built of the numerous changes Mark had engineered over the years. Tri-State Kites’ selling of Quicksilver brand aircraft went on for many years Mark was once one of Quicksilver Aircraft’s top dealers. Multiple component changes purported to improve handling, performance, and durability. One proof among many, Mark Smith created an aftermarket steerable nose wheel system for Quicksilver aircraft before the factory developed their own.
Known for continually improving his airplanes, he was always inventing and innovating. Vernon, Indiana, Mark Smith is something of a legend. I spoke with leaders of Tri-State Kites - Andy Alldredge and Tom Smith, representing the second generation of Mark Smith’s operation. To most who glance at the nearby photos your first instinct is see a Quicksilver. This story isn’t about that famous brand.
QUICKSILVER ULTRALIGHT FULL
They are still available and Air-Tech Inc offers full support plus new kits. The Southern California company made a fantastic splash in the early 1980s, outselling in one year more total units than Cessna, Piper, and Beech combined! I’m guessing a good percentage of readers have taken a flight in one of their models. If you know light, recreational aviation, you simply must know the Quicksilver brand.
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