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…

Building “The Perfect Airplane”
Obviously, each pilots definition of the perfect airplane will differ based upon mission and dreams. This writer has just finished building his perfect airplane. It flew May 16, 2010 with no squawks. I would like to share the experience with you.
The build begins with dreams, but if you possess all of the skills fabric metal work and tools along with the finances and time you’re all set for the next step. Having a network of friends that you can rely upon to develop your skills is even better! Hugh the “Old Fabric Guy” showed us how to cover, rib stitch, iron and apply silver & top coats. Others like our friends Harold and Glen have all the skills for improvising, working with Aluminum & riveting nut plates & counter sinks, building cables & hoses mounting engines etc. Harold an A.P. has been building and rebuilding planes for 50 plus years. Glen (a fine toolmaker) friend, neighbor, cook, pilot and skilled builder was always ready to help. Harold’s training involved: Drill-Cleco Drill-Cleco Drill-Cleco “Slow down man your building an AIRPLANE!” “Take those rivets out of your mouth, its not a chew!”.
The plans, kit & builders assistance manuals and CD go a long way to assist a new builder, but really, help and training from skilled and talented friends like Harold and Glen is a blessing. One evening I called Harold at home to ask a question and he said: “Want to talk to the designer?” Huh? “Want to talk to Bob Barrows? He’s here spending the night.” That Bob really gets around, he stops in Cartage TX on his way to Austin. Anyway, back to our story.
To find room to work on this project we needed to rent a storage building and haul stuff from the garage to make room for the wings so they could be worked on in the cool. The fuselage got covered and engine mounted then shared the hanger with our Texas Taildragger till the wings were hung & extra hanger secured. Bearhawk N10YB or Yellow Bird for short is a VFR machine with a mission that includes low & slow Photo Shoots for my wife the photographer as well as long x-country trips we have dreamed about. N10YB started with an Avipro kit and new xp 0-360 180 HP engine and a smooth running 3 blade Catto fixed composite prop.
My number 1 requirement for a new aircraft was it must posses a sandwich holder. What?! Yup, with the amount of endurance we demand, a guy would get mighty hungry! That made the sandwich holder mandatory.
The next requirement was obviously lots of fuel. Additionally, it has to be STOL and fly as slow safely and reliably. Two people camping in style requires lots of stuff and the Bearhawk has the payload we need. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the build for me besides spending quality time with friends dropping by was making the decisions for what equipment to put in the aircraft and then cutting holes in the panel for the equipment. An engine analyzer is like a co-pilot monitoring all the engine parameters constantly and will turn on the “RED” light if anything goes haywire. The 496 GPS is front and center with all of its functions. In researching a solution to attitude indicator, directional gyro, and turn bank coordinator, we found a TRUTRAK auto pilot that incorporated all 3 as well as a 2 axis autopilot with altitude hold. A radio, transponder & audio panel were added, parking brake, cabin heat and cooling vents. Internal lighting as well as landing light are provided by using leds. They draw almost no current and can have a long life in high vibration environments. If you were to look my plane over closely, you may be puzzled about one thing, “Why do you have 2 batteries?” Well, we have lots of need for electricity. Cell phones, camera batteries, DVD players, portable radios, camp lights etc. Oh, if the ALT fails and the primary battery starts dropping voltage, there is a breaker switch to flip that puts that backup battery on the primary buss.
In summary let me say: I love Yellow Airplanes, they look good in a blue sky and above green fields and trees. The Bearhawk plane is awesome, it jumps off the ground, flies so slowly it has absolutely no desire to stall. The Bearhawk kit was a pleasure to build because all the hard stuff was done like welding and everything fits perfectly.
The wings were complete with only the top bay left open so you can plumb and wire. The rivet holes for the top area are already drilled and dimpled. The build took 18 months though the learning process & honey dos slowed me down. Will I win some kinda award for the craftsmanship or paint job? No afraid not. We took action, bought the kit, engine, hardware, fabric & paint etc. Sought the help of good friends, learned skills and built the perfect airplane.
N10YB “Louisiana Crude”
Larry Teeters

Source: 2010 Q2 Beartracks, Steve Thompson
I completed this scratch built Patrol in about 3 years, (work time). The plans were very good, however, I have already built a four place Bearhawk. So, I have an idea of the method Bob uses when drawing prints. On the Bearhawk, I was worried about getting everything perfect and close. But, on the Patrol, I found out just getting it close will work, it will fly. I made a few changes in the prints: thicker spar cap strips, and .025 wing skins. This was covered Polybrush covering system and paints. I painted it in the pre-Korean War training colors. Really looks neat. Wherever I land, all of the old military pilots love it. Many pictures have been taken of my nose art in particular. I have one of Bob’s 0360 angle valve engines. I had a couple of problems with it, but now it is running great and it is really making awesome horse power.
First flight was over 2 hours long, uneventful. I had a tick heavy right wing. Take off roll was a little longer than the Bearhawk due to the fixed pitch prop. Slowing the airplane down and landing seemed to be a lot easier than the Bearhawk. You can see over the nose a lot better than the Bearhawk. I kind of like the large trims on both sides of the elevator. Movement of the trim lever inside cockpit is about 1/4 both ways off center. When you strap in the plane, it feels like it becomes a part of you. The controls are very good, roll and pitch. You think it and it’s already done it. I have adjusted the heavy right wing to where it is hands off flying.
In May, 2010, Scott Weinberg from Ohio was here and had a chance to fly with Lynn Gardner, (she is well known in aviation in our area). She flies Lears corporate for a living. She has been flying a Highlander and sold it to raise money for her new hangar. She flew the Patrol first by herself and when she landed she got out with a big smile and said “this is the plane for me”. Then she took Scott up. Later that afternoon, Scott and I had a one hour leisurely flight down the Suwannee out to the Gulf of Mexico, flew the coast down to Cedar Key.
He did most of the flying from the rear seat. He did an excellent job because it is hard to see over a big person like me. I currently have 61 hours on it now. I haven’t flown the Bearhawk since the Patrol started flying. Just crank it up, keep oil on the cam and internal parts.
I am working with leaning to conserve fuel and working with pitch right now. It is burning approximately 7.8 gallons per hour on the average right now. I had the prop repitched from 56 to 58, I saw no change in take off or climb performance, BUT it sure did help the cruise!
Hurry up guys, you are going to love your Patrol!