Source: 2014 Beartracks, Jared Yates
Hatcher Ferguson and Don Aldridge have just completed their second Bearhawk Patrol, and it is a showcase of experience and ingenuity. The two built N22HD with performance in mind, and spared almost no expense. The fuselage is welded from a VR3 tubing kit, and the quick-build wings are from Bearhawk Aircraft. The engine started out as an ECI IO360, and now it flies as a fire-breathing 210HP example of “the best they could make it.”
Sky Dynamics of Moneta, Virginia modified the engine with a light-weight cold-air sump and induction system, lightweight flywheel, and 4-into-1 exhaust system. After the modifications Sky Dynamics ran the engine on their dyno to validate the performance gains. Two P-mags drive the electronic ignition system, and the fuel injection servo is from Don Rivera at Airflow Performance. Hatcher and Don Aldridge initially purchased a used Silverhawk fuel injection system on eBay, but the engine ran terribly with it. They took the servo down to Airflow Performance and found that it had been contaminated with water. Airflow Performance swapped out their servo for another, and now it runs beautifully. All of that power is turning an 80- inch carbon fiber Whirlwind prop, and Hatcher reports takeoff rolls consistently under 100 feet. Why did they install such a high performance engine? When I asked, the answer was along the lines of “to see if they could.”
Hatcher and Don know that the best way to further boost performance in an airplane with this type of hot-rod engine is to reduce weight. They considered weight savings in nearly every construction decision that they made. For example, they eliminated the skylight, rear seat throttle control and brakes, and the baggage door. They installed light-weight single puck brakes, used micro nutplates throughout, substituted #6 screws for #8 screws whenever possible, and minimized the size of welded tabs. The lightweight tailwheel assembly is Bob’s design, built by Eric at BHTailwheels.com. They redesigned the seats to reduce the width of the rear and increase the width of the front, and had a hot-rod shop shape the foam and sew the leather upholstery. The miniature Becker radio and transponder save a few pounds, as does the vacuum-pad alternator. The lithium battery saves approximately 15 pounds over a comparable Odyssey, but it still turns the engine over with plenty of gusto.
In some cases they added a little bit of weight to make the airplane more safe and functional. The LED lights and strobes give better inflight visibility to other airplanes, and allow for flights later into the evening when the flying is good. Hatcher says “they’re all LEDs, which hardly weigh or draw anything.” When that engine is running at full power and burning 17-18 gallons per hour, cooling is a concern. A cowl flap adds a little bit of weight but keeps temperatures normal. In the end, this airplane’s empty weight is 1168 pounds, 30 pounds lighter than their last.
A local expert helped fabricate a two-piece all fiberglass cowling. This doesn’t save any weight, but the new cowl is much easier to install and remove, and it has a more complex shape that reduces drag. The installed cowl is the third one made from the female mold. The first was two heavy, and they reduced the thickness of each of the next two. Hatcher speculates that they could save a few pounds by using carbon fiber instead of fiberglass, and fortunately they can use the same mold with carbon fiber to test that theory in the future.
What’s not to love about such an advanced flying machine? The paint, according to Don and Hatcher. Everything was going well as they applied the Polyfiber covering system to the powder-coated airframe. After they started painting top coats with the same Imron paint that they used on their blue Patrol, DuPont discontinued the product and they had to switch to the new “XL Pro.” The new product didn’t match the old product to their satisfaction, so they had to repaint several parts, at an estimated expense of 10-15 pounds. Hatcher says that he’s not satisfied with the way the paint turned out, but I’ve yet to meet an amateur airplane painter who will tell you he is. If the two fly it to Oshkosh next month as planned, I suspect that they won’t receive any complaints about it, especially if it is parked anywhere near mine!
The big question is, how does it fly? The specifics are still pending as they refine the calibration of their instruments. Hatcher reports that it handles just like their last Patrol, but has a much shorter takeoff, steeper climb, and faster cruise. They have only taken it on a few short trips, so they don’t have good cruise performance data yet. Hatcher says for local flights he uses about 13” MAP, 2300 RPM, and gets 100-110 miles per hour at 5.9 gallons per hour. If he runs the engine hard in level flight, his cruise speed begins to approach the realm of VNE, which is the main reason that their Patrol is a little bit slower than their RV10. Bob Barrows has flown the airplane and says that he likes the way it performs. Like most experimental airplanes, this new Patrol still has a few tweaks in the works. The static RPM is only around 2600, and Hatcher would like to gradually adjust it up to 2700. He would also like to fit a set of his giant wheel pants (for 6-8.50 tires) and build some fairings for the shock struts. I asked if they had kept track of how much they had spent on the project, and Don said “Yes, but we don’t discuss that!” with a laugh. Both are quite pleased with the way the airplane turned out, and I’m looking forward to seeing it in person!