Source: 1996 Beartracks

Bob – Thanks for the good talk we had yesterday – that was what was needed to push me over the edge. After nagging my wife for about six months, it wasn’t difficult to convince her that I needed to purchase the plans for the Beerhawk. Please find my check enclosed.

I’ve been on the Cozy e-mail list for several months and have really enjoyed it The list is a bunch of guys with e-mail access that share information with each other. I’m going to miss it I think the Internet is a great vehicle for the exchange of problems and solutions, as well as a source of encouragement for weary builders.

A similar e-mail list for the Bearhawk would be invaluable. I know that you are not set up to give such a service, and I’m not asking you to make an investment in that area. However, I manage a system on the Internet, and I have enough bandwidth to handle a lot of traffic. I intend to start such a forum, and perhaps document my trials and tribulations with this project for the whole world to see. What I would like to ask from you is that if you have any inquiries about e-mail or WEB pages, that you forward those interested people to me, and I will add them to my forum.

I do have some selfish motives here. Having never built an airplane before, I would love to have contact with people who have – especially those working on the same type of airplane. I also like to be kept up to date on new engines, etc.

Thanks for designing such a neat aircraft! I look forward to starting work on it. My wife looks forward to me getting this out of my system.

R Paul Beam (067)

Bob – #009 is underway and I am now thoroughly enjoying the project. I have some questions and want to pass along some experiences getting underway.

First the books by Tony Bingelis were disappointingly sketchy about the how-to’s of fluting and flanging. Regarding fluting, I discovered it is best to keep my plier tips back from the bend about 3/16″ and make the flues minimal in depth at first, especially an the longer straight parts of the wing ribs. Next the flutes are modified deeper as needed. Also, I’ve learned that flute modification may be necessary before the piece will lay flat an the bench. Before we discussed fluting by phone, the flutes I had made were every 1 1/2″ apart, spaced where the drawings indicate no rivets; I had not used two flutes within the space, nor skipped any. I then tried two as you suggested within the two front-most sections between rivets on the nose ribs (the maximum curve on the ribs) with good success. Also, the little scratches I got with my fluting pliers were inspected by an A&P mechanic at our local airport. He said they looked great and asked how we do the flanges an the lightening holes…so I showed him your little wooden tool! He was Impressed.

Would you discuss priming our parts as we proceed. I am in a very damp climate and expect this project to take a long while. Should I be priming as I go along? How do you clean your parts before priming? Do you use any ultra fine sanding before priming? What kind of primer specifically do you prefer? Would dipping be practical for small stuff? Now I’ll pass along a couple of my experiences and solutions to date (for better or worse!).

Flanging the lightening holes gave me fits on two counts: getting the tool to do its job and preventing and eliminating warpage of the ribs. The solutions were as follows: Wax the aluminum on both sides before running the tool around (as was suggested Winter ’95 ). Place the rib flat on a piece of cheap, short nap, foam backed carpet. The carpet “absorbs” the thickness of the tool edge so you run it around the lightening hole and prevents scratching as you turn the aluminum for best mechanical advantage. That reduced the warpage which I further took out as suggested by running the tool around the flange from the top (Winter ’95)…with another modification! I found the wood blocks idea a bit hard for myself to manage. Instead, I used a scrap of 5/8″ plywood to make a full sized pattern insert for each size rib, complete with holes large enough so as not to touch the flanged edged of the lightening holes (precision is not important here). I also made a separate wooden push tool instead of using the butt of the flanging tool. It has a T shaped handle which helps distribute the push forces across my hand, and a slight concave to the contact end to keep it from slipping.

I’ve joined our Tallahassee EAA and through the club have gotten in contact with three members who are building RV’s, and also the mechanic mentioned above who owns a shop at the airport and is helping them. So I have friends locally for some of my “novice-builder” needs. Still, I hope each of us will share our experiences as we progress on THE BEARHAWK.

Roy Nash (009)

Thanks for the neat ideas Roy. Regarding priming/painting –
Prime spars for sure. Other parts can be primed as you go – degrease and SCOTCH-BRITE before priming. I use zinc chromate but others like epoxy primer should be even better, although harder to work with. STEEL PARTS should be bead blasted, primed
and coated with polyurethane or epoxy enamel. See SPORT AVIATION page 86 Oct ’95 edition for more information.

Bob

Dear Bob,

Thanks for the inspiring phone conversation we had in December. My close friend Julian Henley and I have decided to start building our own BEARHAWK before any more time is wasted! So — I’ve enclosed a check for a set of plans. We hope to stop by and see you in April or May.

As I mentioned to you before, there is heavily congested airspace in the northeast with the “BIG THREE” New York airports, Bradley International in
Hartford, CT, and Boston Logan Airport in Boston, MA, as well as extensive general aviation traffic. I would like to put a skylight in the ceiling area that
would go from the windshield back to the trailing edge of the wing, very much like a Champion Citabria or Decathlon. Could you possibly sketch out your recommendation for this, as this is very important safety feature up here in the northeast, and would be greatly appreciated.

Steven Wieczorek – Branford, CT

Steve,

Your plans are on the way. Working with another person during construction should help speed things up a bit, just be sure to do a little something EVERY day.

The skylight will be OK in the BEARHAWK. You may not want to run it as far back as you mentioned though. Past the rear spar the fuselage is starting to narrow and the contour of the roof is starting to round out. I would recommend that you run the skylight from the top of the windshield to the rear spar. Look for more information about this option in an upcoming newsletter.

Bob

Dear Mr. Barrows,

I received the plans set just a few days ago, and so far I am delighted at the prospect of starting the building process.

In going through the plans, however, I noticed a difference between what is drawn and what I saw at Oshkosh. I noticed that there are no aileron trim tabs, shown in the drawings. Do you recommend the installation of separate aileron trim tabs or would it be better to install a system to trim the entire aileron? Is
aileron trim even necessary?

Second question: Since I am limited on building space (until I move to a new house) is it advisable to begin construction of the ailerons and flaps before beginning the wings? Primarily I am wondering if the wing is needed before the control surfaces for alignment purposes. I would also like to start on the “small parts” to learn to work with and rivet aluminum before tackling such important components as spars. When I do get to that point, however, I will be sure to employ the experience of local EAA members.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to building my BEARHAWK!

Bob Spetz – Tempe, AZ – #118

Bob,

The aileron tabs you saw a Oshkosh were servo tabs, not trim tabs. It was found that servos were not needed and were eliminated from the plans before they were offered for sale. The servos would only add complexity to the design and slow down construction. The ailerons are just as light without them.

You can proceed with building the ailerons and flaps first if you like. The wing is not needed for these assemblies to take place if you build wing to prints. Starting on the “small parts” is a good idea. You may want to make all the ribs first (wing, aileron, & flaps) and then make the steel parts for the wing. And don’t be afraid to ask for some help from your EAA friends when it comes time to bend up those spars.

Bob

Dear Bob,

Enclosed find an ad for the Bear-Tracker Trader. Also enclosed is a check for renewal of my subscription to Bear-Tracks when the time comes.

Our wings are coming along nicely but are on hold now since my partner Gene Nelson is away for the summer presumably to escape the heat.

I am working on the power plant and prop drive which is to be a 383 small block direct drive Chevy. I plan on a conservative 200 H.P. at 2800 R.P.M. using Airflow Performance Multi-Point Fuel Injection system. It is a very exciting project. I am looking forward to seeing you at Oshkosh.

Regards,

Bob Cleberg – 042 – Tucson, AZ

Bob,

Thanks for the update on your project. I suspect you are going to get a lot of calls from fellow BEARHAWK builders about your engine conversion. There is a story in the April ’96 issue of KITPLANES about a similar conversion in a P6E Hawk replica, although it seems to be a bit heavy and will need to be installed inverted to maintain thrust line. Keep us updated as to your progress. ~ BOB

Dear Bob;

Please find enclosed check for Bearhawk plans. Many thanks – the rest is up to me.

Sure looks (and reads) like the ideal bush plane for my needs. I’ve been flying an O-200 powered Protech in and out of the bush for the past two years and have learned more about the power of prayer and “seat-of-the-pants” flying during that short period than in the previous 23 years with 3 different aircraft.

Do you happen to know if high compression pistons are available for the O-200 Continental, because I could sure do with a bit of extra “oomph” up front while I build the “Bearhawk”!

Best Wishes,

Charlie Janes – 202 – New Zealand

Charlie:

I think that the Chevrolet small block 4.00 +.060 pistons have been used in O-200 race planes for higher compression. The Continental C-85 pistons will also increase the compression ratio for more power.

Bob

Hi Bob,

I have enclosed the engine prints for the Javelin Ford 3.8L V6 for you to look over. Please give me your expert opinion – Will this set-up work? Thank you for your time and I look forward to your reply.

Randal Clark – 207 – Mayville, WI

Thank you for the data on the Javelin Ford 230 V6. This is the first time I have been able to closely investigate the specifications on this particular engine. My initial reaction is that this engine is a bit heavy at 395 lb plus the weight of the radiator, coolant, pipes and oil. You may be able to lighten the package up with a little creative thinking.

The Javelin engine dimensions are not encouraging either. The depth of the Javelin engine from the prop center line to the bottom of the oil pan is 20 3/4″ whereas the Lycoming is about 12″. The height of the Lycoming is 6 7/8″ near the front and the Javelin is about 6″ in this area. The basic cowl lines of the Bearhawk would not fit this engine installation. A builder redesign of the cowling as well as the firewall may be needed to make the Javelin conversion work.

I find weight and horsepower claims of most automotive conversions doubtful. You should do your own investigating in this area.

The Bearhawk as with any other aircraft, is much more enjoyable to fly if you keep everything light.

Bob