Tell us what you did today on your Bearhawk Project

[NSLaw]

Over the last couple days, I’ve painted my O-360 crankcase, getting ready to assemble the engine, and I got the new Bob designed brake master cylinders in the mail, and got them installed.

Looks great. Question for you - are you overhauling your engine yourself? Are you an A&P? I'd like to overhaul an engine myself, but am cautious about the difficulty. Would be interested in your thoughts if you're overhauling one! Thanks!

[rodsmith]

I wasn't comfortable overhauling my engine myself, but didn't want to send it off to a shop. I was fortunate to have a mechanic with 25 years experience building engines for Western Skyways in our local EAA chapter. I worked with him rebuilding the engine. Learned a lot, there is nothing real difficult, but there are steps that I was glad to have someone with experience overseeing.

[NSLaw]

rodsmith. Thanks for the comment. Yeah, they’re very simple engines. I’m not a mechanic of course, but like the idea of knowing all the ins and outs. Lycoming offers a couple interesting weekend classes that could help with knowledge building.

[Viking]

NSLaw, yes, I’m overhauling my engine myself. I am an A&P/IA, and I have been building engines for a number of years now. . I completely understand your reservations, they are very simple engines, but you certainly don’t want to overlook anything. I’d say if you can build a bearhawk, you can read through the lycoming overhaul manual and overhaul your own engine. It would be great if you had someone with experience who could watch over you and walk you through the finer points the first time around. As you mentioned, lycoming and continental both have factory run engine build classes that you can go to. I’ve never been to one of those, but I’ve heard from a few people that have gone that they are an excellent experience, and you’ll leave knowing more than you thought possible about these engines.

What engine are you planning on putting in your Bearhawk? Do you have a usable core engine? Feel free to send me a message if you want to talk more about engine building, I’d be happy to answer questions and help where I can.

[NSLaw]

Progress is progress - one aileron ready for disassembly, deburring, primer, then onto nose skins. (and building a second aileron)

[rv8bldr]

I've been mounting my O-540, working on baffles, running wires, etc, and it never seems to look any different :-) So, while I was sitting in the cockpit making airplane noises the other day I was trying to figure out a mounting spot for my large Samsung tablet. I don't like it strapped to my knee, and I don't particularly like it mounted on the passenger side of the cabin (like I have it in my Maule). So this is what I came up with. I welded a 1/4x20 nut to the forward fuselage vertical member in the upper, port corner. I threaded a RAM 1" ball into that nut and use a RAM extension clamp to hold the tablet. The tablet is now mounted in a position that doesn't block any view outside and is easily accessible for data entry and map panning.

RAM Nut.jpg

Tablet Mount.jpg

[rodsmith]

Great solution, nicely out of the way.

[Sir Newton]

Clever Solution

[rodsmith]

Warm enough again to paint a few parts. This is my baggage bulkhead, 2 layers of carbon fiber, lighter than .016 aluminum. Access door is secured with two quarter turn skybolts.

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[OfTheWolf]

Assembled LSA right aileron Spar and ribs
Satisfying to get some scratch built parts to come together for the first time after 3 months if ribs jigs etc

[Sir Newton]

You know it man! Every step puts you closer to the end goal.

[rodsmith]

Received my panel today from Superior Aircraft Components. Not cheap, but a much better job of coating and labeling than I could have done. Garmin G3X with GPS IFR enroute and approach, G5 backup. I will be doing the avionics wiring. This company was recommended by Steinair, they no longer provide this service unless they are doing the whole avionics installation.

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[Sir Newton]

Nice job looks very professional. Everyday 1 step closer to flying.

[Utah-Jay]

Right seat installed on the frame EF38AB04-F4B9-44E7-8745-CA8CD5BBF405.jpg

[robcaldwell]

Nice seat!

When my seats arrived, I had to return them to have the bottom cushions cut down because my head was in the overhead tubes. 2" lower was helpful, but I still wear a helmet. My head just clears the tubes now.

[Utah-Jay]

robcaldwell I am concerned about the height of the seat at this point, I will fly it and see how it goes.

[Sir Newton]

Your photo is inspiring

[Nikkeyf]

Finally! I think I have finished my spars. I'm pretty sure I will find later on something I haven't done on them and will need to take care of it. The only thing I hope is that I will find it in the hangar- not at 6000' AGL

[geraldmorrissey]

Well done.

[Sir Newton]

Have faith fellow builder! You have officially created aircraft parts!

[gary heuser]

I finished all of my aileron ribs, nose ribs, pocket, ribs . I am know working on the flap ribs, and I have about half of the wing nose rib blanks cut. next week I hope to start bending up spars.
depends on the weather, and the kids spring break, trying to annual my tcraft.

[Mark Dickens]

Now that it's warming up, I'm back in the shop doing fabric. Stitched the right elevator yesterday and plan to have all the tapes on it today.

[Bcone1381]

Mark; I'm doing tapes also. When I marked out tapes on my H-stab and Elevator, I assembled the elevator to the H-stab to keep the tapes straight for an improved appearance. The ribs on the two surfaces lined up about 1/4" off.

[Mark Dickens]

Excellent idea and one I didn't come close to thinking of...and it's too late since I am just now seeing this after applying the tapes this morning! Oh well, it wasn't going to be an OSH award winner anyway

[OfTheWolf]

Figured out flanging of the aileron nose skin.

[Sir Newton]

Its more work then it looks. eh

[OfTheWolf]

Sir Newton sure is

[Dpearson]

I'm working on getting the white plastic off the right wing now. Even after 16 years the bottom surface (Where it was sitting on the Styrofoam in the crate) still peeled off clean, but in the other areas where the plastic was exposed it's very brittle and the adhesive underneath is rock-hard. I'm using a plastic scraper and lots of Goof-off. It's slow going but the results are good, with only a few areas of corrosion hiding underneath the plastic.

[rodsmith]

I used plastic razor blades and a heat gun, followed with lacquer thinner to get the remaining residue off.

[Dpearson]

Yup I’m doing basically the same. Putting the wings in the sun to warm them helps a lot, but I do resort to the heat gun for the tough spots.

[Dpearson]

I finally got all the white plastic off the right wing - it took 3 weeks. The bottom peeled easily using the PVC pipe trick, as did about 1/2 the top surface. The top surface near the leading edge, and the leading edge itself, required heat gun, plastic razor scrapers, and "Goof off" to get the brittle plastic and petrified adhesive softened and removed. I found a bit of corrosion lurking under the plastic, will be hitting that with alumiprep and alodine tomorrow.

[Mark Dickens]

Wow...that's commitment. How old was that plastic?

[Dpearson]

According to the paperwork I got with the kit the wings were originally delivered in 2006. They’ve been around a looong time!

[alaskabearhawk]

It was a good day today. Put it on the gear last night and the fuselage was out of the rotisserie for the last time today. Engine was hung and started on the baffling.

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[AZBearhawk272]

Impressive progress, know that must feel great!
Puzzling question? Once you hung the engine, how much ballast and where did it take to keep the tail down?

Kevin D

KCHD

[alaskabearhawk]

We were watching it very closely as the hoist was lowered! It was very light in the tail even with the sawhorse clamped to the handholds on the fuselage. It didn’t take but just slight pressure up on the tail to get it to move. We put two 25lb bags of lead shot on the sawhorse to keep it down.