Tell us what you did today on your Bearhawk Project

[robcaldwell]

Congratulations Paul! I'm just so impressed with what you have committed to and accomplished!

[svyolo]

Started rib stitching yesterday. I spent about 3 hours getting the first 2 knots on 1 flap correct. I spent about 3 hours stitching the rest of that flap today, Also prepped the other flap today, and will stitch tomorrow and start the ailerons.

[Bcone1381]

I enjoyed rib stitching. What knot did you choose to use?

[Dpearson]

I took the EAA fabric workshop last month. I’m looking forward to that stage of my build.

[svyolo]

I can't remember what it is called. I got it off a couple of Youtube videos for Superflight and an Oratex video.

[Mark Dickens]

Finished covering the rudder, so next step is covering the fuselage. I'm straining the ole brain trying to think of everything that must be done before covering, but I'm sure I'll miss something. I also brought the ailerons home from the hangar with the intention of covering them, but I want to install the counterweights first so am waiting on some tube and lead wool to arrive from Amazon. Yes, you can buy lead wool from Amazon. Is there anything you can't buy on Amazon?

[Bcone1381]

If I can only make an adjustment to my counterweight after I paint!!

Regarding the to-do list. I watched this Stewarts Video. At the beginning the author goes through preparing the fuselage for covering. I took it to heart, and followed what he said. its worked out real well. He builds a picture of the job ahead real well.
About 16 seconds into this +hour long video he is dealing with this. I watched it a BUNCH of times. A lot of the material applies to all covering systems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGpMEuPnM7g&list=PL2-Qw9PjdmNRv_ehdBk5xd3YhOr7n8nMJ&t=13s

[Mark Dickens]

That video is on the watch list. I've briefly skimmed it in the past, but as you said, it bears much closer watching. I've found that all of the Stewart Systems videos I've watched have a ton of useful information in them, but you must watch them carefully because they will sneak in details that you might overlook in the initial watching

[Bcone1381]

Readers who may use Stewarts...beware of their old BUT very good videos may document some old outdated procedures. This has led to confusion or negligence applying there coatings. So, get their most recent installation manual (Some may not even know that it exists) read all the latest product literature. All this is available on line at Stewarts website. Example, a procedural change is to apply Eko-FIll only after the fabric has been sealed with diluted EkoBond glue.

[AKKen07]

The first functional test of my airplane is complete! The fuel system works! After cleaning out the system as well as we could and testing the 3 electric pumps (2 aux tanks and main boost) My dad and I checked unusable fuel system quantities in level attitude, then added 3 gallons to each main tank and hoisted the plane up to 20 degrees (which required over 100lbs tied to the tailwheel). Then we tested the fuel flow with the boost pump on from both tanks, pump off from both, on from left, then on from right. This certainly met my idea of "minimum fuel." The marginal head pressure to start with and decreasing as each test progressed showed in the results as the flow decreased slightly with each test. All three tests with the pump on blew by the required 125% of max fuel flow with large margins but the system would not pass on gravity feed alone in these conditions. If I manage to lose both engine pumps in flight (engine driven and boost) with minimum fuel I know now not to attempt a max performance climb... I do think the engine would run, however, if at a moderate cruise power setting and pitch attitude.

-Picture won't upload so I'll post to the FB group-
.

[Bcone1381]

I'm curious how you hoisted it up that high!! That is a huge milestone Ken!!

[AKKen07]

Thanks Brooks! I used a ceiling mounted hoist attached to some lifting tabs that I cut out of 1/8” steel plate which were bolted at the front wing attach points.

[alaskabearhawk]

Hey Ken... per AC 90-89B for fuel testing: "Place the aircraft’s nose at an angle 5 degrees above the highest anticipated climb angle." Is your Vx 15 degrees?

[AKKen07]

Honestly I don’t know what it will be. But, after reading what most others have done (19 degrees or less) I figured 20 was plenty.

[geraldmorrissey]

Machined all the trim tab bushings today. Baby steps.
Gerry
Patrol No Title

[Nikkeyf]

Fabricated second set of parts for aleron and flaps linkage. Keep practicing welding on the first one. The corner between the tube and the bracket is too tight. I wonder if anyone could point me to the right direction? (see pictures) this is the first set of parts. It is clearly ruined, but I still don't get how to weeks a tube to a flat surface...

[TimTall]

There's only one thing left to do!

This chart has been on my wall for almost 3 years now. It always felt good to mark tasks as complete, but marking off the last one before FLY felt especially satisfying.

Thanks to Jared for the online version of this flow chart.... https://www.mindmeister.com/917081852?t=RSYClGATP3 I've found it incredibly useful, especially at the earlier stages when I was trying to figure out where to start and what to do next. Taking the time to draw it out on paper was worth the effort. Looking at it regularly helped me to stay on task and make sure that I was always working on something that was in the critical path. That's not to say i didn't go off on a tangent now and then, but the chart helped pull me back to tasks that needed to be done in order to keep progress flowing along towards the main goal.

My build definitely wasn't that fastest at almost 3 years but I'm okay with that. I still managed to ride my mountain bike and dirt bike, ski now and then, and work a full time job. The whole time I was wishing I was in the shop working on the plane, but having some balance was important for sure.

Thanks to everyone on the forum for your contributions. I haven't been all that active posting here but I've definitely learned a lot. Now that I'll have some spare time again, I'll get more involved. It'll also help that I've changed jobs. I'm not stuck on a computer all day at work anymore so I'll be more inclined to be at the keyboard when I'm at home.

Pics coming soon.

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[Sir Newton]

I love it & that is just for the kit builders.

[Mark Dickens]

Awesome! Almost 3 years isn't bad at all! Can't wait to hear about the first flight!

[Mark Dickens]

Spent many hours in the shop and rerouted the wiring bundle from the back of the plane in prep for covering. Installed the stick grips and wiring. Doesn't sound like much does it, but I can say I made forward progress nevertheless!

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[rodsmith]

What is your floorboard material?

[Mark Dickens]

It's just rubberized wing walk material. I wanted something tough that could function with carpet on top, if I chose. It's not great looking, but I determined at the outset that I was building a pickup truck, not a Ferrari

[Mark Dickens]

I decided that I needed a rotisserie since the idea of painting on my back seemed a little over the top for me and my 65 year old back. It's no work of art or close to some of the masterpieces I've seen, but it appears to get the job done. Like many others, I took advantage of a Harbor Freight sale on engine stands ($52) and then I cut it up, rewelded some things and that took care of the firewall side. For the tail, I took a wood support I'd built for the RV-8 and modified it to support two pillow block bearings ($15 for the two of them on Amazon). As I said, it's no engineering marvel but it supports the fuse and allows a full 360 rotation.

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[svyolo]

My front engine stand is the same, I used a lighter engine stand at the tail. For the fuselage rotisserie I just used a couple of pieces of 2x2 wood, screwed together, and held to the bottom of the engine stands as a connector using U clamps. It is a bit dangerous to not have a connector. Your front stand is probably a bit safer than the rear.

[spinningwrench]

Looks good. Not having the front linked to the back is slightly dangerous. Ask me how I know.

[Mark Dickens]

Yep, I have given that a lot of thought since I had one of the ends twist a little one time and I got an illustration of what could happen. I still have a couple of "enhancements" to make on this and this is definitely one of them. I did replace the front cross bar on the engine stand with a longer piece of tube and that has added a lot of stability. Now I need to tie them together

[Mark Dickens]

Not a bad weekend at all. Covered one side of the baggage area with heavy cloth. Ran out of heavy cloth so didn't get the other side done, so I went ahead and covered the bottom of the fuselage with the medium cloth. Surprisingly easy, which only means that I've screwed something up somewhere in the process. I just don't know what it is yet. Somehow also managed to avoid injuries (unless you count burning my finger tips with the iron), which is the crowning achievement of this weekend.

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[Bcone1381]

I finished fabric covering today. I used Stewarts Systems, and was very pleased. All flight control surfaces, doors, and gear legs are covered.

Next on my list is to redo my boot cowl to get a better fit. Then I'll join the fuselage with the wings so I can trim and fit the windshield, fabricate the lower windshield fairing, sky light, wing root fairings, and install the Cessna Fresh Air vents.

Then we'll paint....I think.

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[Nev]

Great progress!

[Dpearson]

Opened up the bay for the right aux tank. Now looking forward to some quality time with the vixen file to finish up the edges!

[gregc]

Finished riveting the bottom skin of a wing and got a nice picture of 'partly sunny skies' as a plus!

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