Source: 2011 Q2 Beartracks
On July 8, 2010, Hatcher Ferguson and Don Aldridge took delivery of their Patrol kit. It was a basic fuselage with Quick Build wings – all made at the kit factory in Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico. Exactly one year later, on July 8, 2011, the project was signed off to fly by the inspecting DAR.
The Patrol was built using components of an RV9 project that the owners acquired. The engine, an O-320 with 160 HP, was hung on the Patrol along with the Vans baffling which had to be modified only slightly to fit the Patrol cowling. The three blade MT composite constant speed prop from the RV looks great on the Patrol. All the radios from the RV9 instrument panel were surgically removed from the Vans panel, and transplanted on the instrument panel that came with the fuselage. The Vans airbox was also retained with the Hatcher and Don molding a new composite airscoop for the cowling air intake. The panel is basic with a Grand Rapids EIS, and the other required instruments.
Hatcher reports the Patrol takes off in about 300 ft during the blazing hot days of this July there in Virginia. With a 40 MPH touchdown speed, Hatcher is seeing about a 200 ft landing distance with moderate braking. It flew straight with no heavy wing on the first flight. The only tweeaking has been on the angle of the Horizontal Stab. It appears a little more than one degree of down deflection will be required for the Patrol to fly straight and level with the elevators in trail. Weight came in at 1169 lbs with the CG right where Bob’s Patrol was. See below for the actual weights.
They used the Poly Fiber process and were happy with how it turned out even though they had never done fabric work before. They painted the entire airplane – including the fabric – with Dupont Imron. Hatcher knows this is not common practice, but has a few friends who have done this and been happy over many years with the result.
With the Patrol still lacking many of the fairings, they see 145 MPH cruise at 24 square. Hatcher guesses they will see at least 150 MPH with all the fairings in place. With a heavy passenger in the back seat, it is not pitch sensitive as are many planes Hatcher says: “The plans are good. Do your homework and study the plans and newsletters. They will give you what you need. This was a harder to build project than the RV project I had finished a couple years back. I wish I had started with the Quick Build fuselage. Thanks to John Hamlin for all his help and of course Bob Barrows who came by and provided much advice.”
Weight & Balance N774PK
Empty wt 1,172 lbs
Gross wt 2,000 lbs
CG Datum Wing leading edge
CG Range 12.8″ – 19.95″
CG Calculation

Empty CG – 12.62

Source: 2010 Q4 Beartracks, Dave Lenart
N942VT received it’s airworthiness cert on November 6,2010 after a visit from Joe Gauthier, DAR out of Brainard Connecticut. Joe was happy with the overall construction and commented on the detail put into my Bearhawk, he was very helpful with little adjustments that he recommended and I later followed through on. My Bearhawk came from the Avipro factory back in June of 2006, sold originally to Russ Mager of Washington state, it was sold once to another builder in Washington and then later sold to me in February of 2009. Not much had been done with the kit although it was on it’s gear and many of the needed parts were purchased when I hauled it cross country to my shop in Vermont. I began work right away and things went very well considering this is my first aircraft project, due in no small part to the helpful input of the Bearhawk community. I have to thank especially Mark, Budd and Bob himself for putting up with my endless and sometimes stupid questions as I learned the process, terminology and methods of aircraft construction. My EAA chapter 740 was a huge boost also, these guys took me under their wing and showed unusual interest in the project. I am a low time pilot with only C172 experience before the Bearhawk, in fact I had a grand total of 65 hours before my tailwheel transitioning began, which was done in a great little Piper Pacer. Kevin Burbank out of Concord New Hampshire was the best tailwheel instructor I could have hoped for and more and he signed me off on October 10, 2010.
My Bearhawk is equipped with one of Bob’s ultimate 0360 EXP’s set up at 190 HP, a lot of thought went into which motor to use but I am very happy with my decision. I have an 80 inch Hartzell C/S prop off a Piper Cherokee that was gone through by H&H propeller in Burlington NC, this prop was suggested by Bob as a good combination with the motor and follows the pattern of his Proto 1. Some of the other features of the plane are – Single HID landing light in the nose bowl, 700-6 Airhawk tires, Double puck Cleveland brakes, AK Bushwheel tailwheel, Dynon D100 EFIS, Grand Rapids EIS, Lowrance 2000c GPS, Icom A210 radio, KT78A transponder, Backup ASI, PSI 1000 II intercom, Electrical system with 60 Amp alternator and backup essential buss, Full skylight, Fabric interior painted white, Tweed upholstered seats and kick panels with lots of pockets and map holders, Four point harness with center cross tube, Smoke Lexan side windows and skylight, Custom paint using the Stewart Systems waterborne urethane paint. The empty weight with 8 quarts of oil and every nut bolt and fairing installed came in at 1386 lbs.
My first flight was on Nov 21, 2010, just an hour long but what a rush. I had become used to the Pacer trying to kill me for some unknown reason and was ready for it when I flew the Bearhawk for the first time but I found it to be much easier to handle, especially in the critical period just before lift off and just after touchdown due to the greatly increased power and rudder effectiveness. Now remember I am pretty green so none of this is a suggestion but it usually goes like this – Line up straight with neutral trim, no flaps, full power, some right rudder to maintain centerline, push stick full forward, tail comes up in a second or two, good visual picture now, right rudder, lift off when she wants ready or not which is usually sooner than expected at 50 – 55 knots, more right rudder now with lots of torque, climb at 80k, check the EIS, everything OK.
Right rudder stupid, pattern altitude before making left turn which requires right rudder at first to counter torque and adverse yaw which I am still getting used to, throttle back to 2200 RPM and everything gets real quiet compared to the ungodly roar of take off with no mufflers, abeam the numbers back off to 1800 RPM, two notches of flaps and trim for 70 K, turn base and maintain 70, turn final and adjust as needed, maintain 70 till over the runway, flair down to 65 – 60 or so, watch for the balloon, stick back for a good three point and get busy on the pedals again although it’s not nearly as busy as expected, brakes work good and I’m stopped in the first quarter of the runway. I’ve been doing some wheel landings lately which I do with no flaps and a little more speed at about 80 K or more, got to work hard to keep the tail up and busy on the pedals but I find I like them allot now after being somewhat afraid of them at first. Over the last 12.8 hrs flown I’ve done some slow flight down to 40 knots, three notches of flaps and she flies nice, a little mushy as expected but very controllable. Steep turns, turns around a point, Dutch rolls all leave me with a confident feeling. Last week I did some power off and on stalls, I’ll have to do some more to get accurate airspeed numbers but each power off stall was very docile with just a mild nose drop until we’re flying again, no tendency to drop a wing. Power ons are uncomfortably steep and noisy but still no wing drop and essentially the same result as power off.
In cruise flight at 125 knots I pushed the nose over to get the needle in the yellow range up to about 160 knots, you can tell your moving now as the wind rushes by but no bad noises or vibrations. I’m working on getting used to the constant speed prop, coming up with a good cruise setting but for now I usually set at 24 inches and 2200 RPM, I notice an increase in vibration as the prop is advanced which Bob recommends may be solved with dynamic balancing.
Overall I am very happy with what I have and am looking forward to exploring the full usefulness of the Bearhawk with my wife Laura beside me. I cannot emphasize enough how much confidence this airplane conveys to a pilot like me with low time, no tailwheel experience until this fall, not one second of stick time, and a first time builder. I think this is a great testimony to the design of the airplane as well as the quality of construction done by the Avipro folks. I have heard many say that the Bearhawk is not the ideal first time project as there is a good deal of fabrication still to be done but I disagree. Yes, it may be more intensive than an RV which has less in the way actual fabrication to do but when finished you really know your ship well and the process I think makes you not only a better builder but a better pilot in general. I understand every single system of this airplane and that gives an incredible amount of confidence that can only be had through the homebuilt program. For those of you still building, keep it up, it’s all worth it in the end. I am really having withdrawals to the building process and find myself wondering how cool a big set of tires on a Patrol would be – so who knows…