Source: 2010 Q1 Beartracks, Ray Gabriel
I ordered my plans number 334 from Bob in 1998. It took me one year to go over all the plans and order the material and get started on my project. I also purchased the wing and fuselage photo shoots. I fabricated the ribs first, then the spars, then I framed the wings and skinned the left wing on the top and nose. Was tired of working on wings so I started the fuselage. I had already built two sturdy steel work tables 4′ x 10′ with six leveling legs on each one before I started the project. I erected 2×4 jigs on the tables to hold the fuselage pieces. That was about 2001.
I have a small beef farm so I had many other projects while building my Bearhawk. I was remodeling my old farmhouse and I restored two cars and built a 48’x48′ hangar and runway. I February of 2004 I had to take time out for four heart bypasses. In 2007 I retired from fourty-three years of sheet metal fabrication and welding. I finished the fuselage complete with covering and painted in 2007. In October of 2008 I traveled to Bob’s Fly-In to pick up my O-360 Bob engine. Next I built the engine mount and cowling and finished the wings. Sounds done but much small stuff to do yet. 334’s welding was done with a TIG. I used Poly Fiber for my covering system. All exterior painting on metal is Imron Industrial. 334’s instrument panel is pretty basic. The radios are a transponder, one COM radio, and a Garmin 495. Tires are 8.00x6x6 on Cleveland wheels with double puck brakes. The tail wheel is a ten inch Bob wheel that I made.
334 was inspected in June of 2009 and became N786RG. My test area was centered at Appleton Wisconsin and had a thirty mile radius. I had very little tail wheel time, about twenty-four hours over a ten year period in a Citabria, so a friend Doug Osterberg who is a flight instructor accepted the offer to test fly 786RG.
The first flight 786RG encountered some pretty bad elevator flutter at a top speed of about 140 mph. After investigating we found the flutter started at the trim tabs. We found that the trim cables did not have enough tension or drag on them. It also had bent the trim control rods. After consulting with Bob and Mark I made a set of Delrin clamping blocks to put on the cables and increased the cable tension. We also eliminated the trim tab on the left side and made a heavier control rod. That fixed the problem. We also had a slightly heavy left wing which we corrected with tabs on the ailerons. Those were the only flight problems we have had. Doug flew the plane for the first ten hours. I myself now have about sixty hours in 786RG. I had 786RG at Air Venture 2009 for the whole week and plan to be back in 2010.
786RG has a 76”x56 pitch prop. It cruises at about 120mph at 2450rpm. It burns about 8 gallons per hour full rich. With three notches of flaps it stalls at 37mph and is very controllable. Empty weight is 1349 pounds. The takeoff roll with two 180 pound people and full of fuel is 300 to 400 feet and is very docile. The landing roll is about 500 feet. I have a 1300 foot runway so I am very happy with the performance.
I want to thank Bob for the tremendous support he has given me over these eleven years and for the great engine he built for 786RG. I also want to thank Mark for the help with information he has given me.
Ray Gabriel