Gents (and ladies, for that matter!),
I'm interested in building a bearhawk (see http://www.bearhawkaircraft.com). Sadly this isn't an LAA approved design and is a four place aircraft, so it is likely to need a big push on the part of any potential builders and the LAA to get it through.
I verbally made contact with the LAA a while ago to make it known I was interested in this aircraft and would like to support any plans to approve it to build. I believe there was some work done by John Tempest on this design but I haven't heard anything since his departure.
Is there anyone else interested in joining this effort? I am sure if enough people expressed an interest in building it and any help we could offer in the process of getting it approved it would expedite matters.
Thanks,
Matthew Law
Bearhawk, anyone?
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ian herdis
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:45 pm
Matthew
Do you need 4 seats, getting approval for a two seater if that is all you need is much easier, see if you can find out how many hours all of the fleet have in total, as you can get approval based upon the in service hours of an established design.
This is the route I have taken for the Sportsman 2+2, and then we can both hope and pray for a european experimental category.
With the simple construction of the Bearhawk it would be feasible to build a fuse and wing for load testing, this would probably be much cheaper than paying for complete design calculations from an engineer.
Have you seen www.mybearhawk.com this is an excellent site I have followed for some time, I take my hat of to plans builders.
Finally go for it !!!! new designs are what keeps the LAA exciting and moving forward.
Good luck
Ian Herdis
Do you need 4 seats, getting approval for a two seater if that is all you need is much easier, see if you can find out how many hours all of the fleet have in total, as you can get approval based upon the in service hours of an established design.
This is the route I have taken for the Sportsman 2+2, and then we can both hope and pray for a european experimental category.
With the simple construction of the Bearhawk it would be feasible to build a fuse and wing for load testing, this would probably be much cheaper than paying for complete design calculations from an engineer.
Have you seen www.mybearhawk.com this is an excellent site I have followed for some time, I take my hat of to plans builders.
Finally go for it !!!! new designs are what keeps the LAA exciting and moving forward.
Good luck
Ian Herdis
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StaringSkyward
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2009 12:45 pm
I don't need a four seater all of the time (does anyone?), but I want the option to take my wife and two children with me regularly. The Bearhawk is a very simple and strong design - it was designed to have up to a 1,300lb useful load and still be in the utility category. It's a traditional rag-and-tube design with good STOL capabilities and I think it would be popular in the UK.
I am not sure what progress the LAA made with this design - I know they have a copy of the plans and they have even visited the states to discuss it, but nothing has happened since. Budd Davisson at Avipro has verbally offered a 'sacrificial wing' to satisfy the load tests. A load test has been done already, but I am not sure if the LAA requirements for such a test were met at the time: http://www.bearhawkaircraft.com/Hawktal ... alk2-3.pdf
As far as build options go, you must purchase the plans and a license to build one aircraft from the designer, Bob Barrows and then you can go anywhere from scratch building the whole thing (see Eric's site - www.mybearhawk.com) to a full fast build kit from Avipro (no welding required). I would opt for the wing component kit from Avipro as the spars are large and there is a lot of work in making the wing components. I would like to make everything else myself. I can't weld yet, but would be very keen to learn and do as much as possible myself.
I am tempted to buy a set of plans and formally approach LAA engineering to see what needs to be done to move things along. It seems that if you work with them on these things rather than charge in making demands, the outcome is likely to be more positive. Besides, they've all but finished with the RV-10, so they need another four seater to work on now!
Regards,
Matthew
I am not sure what progress the LAA made with this design - I know they have a copy of the plans and they have even visited the states to discuss it, but nothing has happened since. Budd Davisson at Avipro has verbally offered a 'sacrificial wing' to satisfy the load tests. A load test has been done already, but I am not sure if the LAA requirements for such a test were met at the time: http://www.bearhawkaircraft.com/Hawktal ... alk2-3.pdf
As far as build options go, you must purchase the plans and a license to build one aircraft from the designer, Bob Barrows and then you can go anywhere from scratch building the whole thing (see Eric's site - www.mybearhawk.com) to a full fast build kit from Avipro (no welding required). I would opt for the wing component kit from Avipro as the spars are large and there is a lot of work in making the wing components. I would like to make everything else myself. I can't weld yet, but would be very keen to learn and do as much as possible myself.
I am tempted to buy a set of plans and formally approach LAA engineering to see what needs to be done to move things along. It seems that if you work with them on these things rather than charge in making demands, the outcome is likely to be more positive. Besides, they've all but finished with the RV-10, so they need another four seater to work on now!
Regards,
Matthew
Matthew Law
PPL, Netherthorpe
PPL, Netherthorpe
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Ian Melville
- Posts: 1000
- Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:21 pm
Hi Matthew,
We are going through a similar process with the CX4 at the moment and finding it hard work.
I would speak to Francis before you shell out any cash, but be aware that any assesment they have made will be based on the plan that they have and its version at the time they visited. They will not be aware of any changes, which we found can render any previous assesment invalid.
We are going through a similar process with the CX4 at the moment and finding it hard work.
I would speak to Francis before you shell out any cash, but be aware that any assesment they have made will be based on the plan that they have and its version at the time they visited. They will not be aware of any changes, which we found can render any previous assesment invalid.
From memory there was some information in the magazine and the old bulletin board wwhen the first 4 seaters were approved.
The basic requirements were to meet 'certified' requirements - so a PAR/JAR 23 structural analysis and certified powerplants, props etc.
Whether only a load test would sufffice is a bit dubious - most of the design code is about proving factors of safety for particular load cases - difficult to do with testing but perhaps not impossible.
It is a pretty big challenge unless the dsigner has already done a great deal of the work.
Pete Morris
The basic requirements were to meet 'certified' requirements - so a PAR/JAR 23 structural analysis and certified powerplants, props etc.
Whether only a load test would sufffice is a bit dubious - most of the design code is about proving factors of safety for particular load cases - difficult to do with testing but perhaps not impossible.
It is a pretty big challenge unless the dsigner has already done a great deal of the work.
Pete Morris