Tell us what you did today on your Bearhawk Project

[DBeaulieu]

Moved fuselage from fabric/paint shop back to the hangar. Poly-Fiber products; Insignia White and International Orange Poly-Tone paint for the fabric components.

Resized_20250402_180706.jpg Resized_20250402_181259(1).jpg

[rkennell]

Looks very nice.

[brady.blake55]

Today was the first day I actually did anything in the garage other than get the shop setup. I completed my master rib form block and 2 nose rib form blocks. Pit 2 coats of wood Gardner on all of them. Basically, I just hung out in the shop and tinkered. I’m supposed to get my aluminum in another week so I’m fairly limited on what I can do. I was able to get 4x12 sheets of .020 for $144 and .025 for $163. Factoring in not having to pay for shipping, it was quite a bit cheaper than Aircraft Spruce or Wicks. And it won’t be rolled so I don’t have to deal with that.

I find myself constantly buying tools because “I might need them” for the build. Today I bought the metal cutter that hooks to my drill. TikTok shop, Harbor Freight, and Whatnot are not good for my budget.

[rkennell]

I have finished installing and connecting all three auto pilot servos to the controls. The network and electrical connections need to be made yet. The beacon bracket has also been fabricated and installed. The bracket to raise the bolt attachment on the bank servo was Dean's idea and solved a clearance problem between the fender washer and the cabin floor when the stick was rotated all the way back.
IMG_5602.jpg IMG_5664.jpg IMG_5667.jpg IMG_5605.jpg
We have also had the panel laser cut and will soon start installing some of the avionics. The electrical system design has been finalized, incorporating suggestions that Brooks and others have made.


IMG_5628.jpg

[brady.blake55]

What did I do today? Made a bunch of forming blocks. Then tipped a “table” of MDF, my plans, and a huge Stanley full of my kegged Topo Chico. Don’t worry, my plans kept the floor of the garage nice and dry.

Let’s hope they dry without wrinkling up.

[jaredyates]

What did I do today? Made a bunch of forming blocks. Then tipped a “table” of MDF, my plans, and a huge Stanley full of my kegged Topo Chico. Don’t worry, my plans kept the floor of the garage nice and dry.

Let’s hope they dry without wrinkling up.

I wonder if this is what happened to the Ford Trimotor? Started out straight, plans got wrinkled, then the whole plane got wrinkled.

In our shop we found that if we don't have big inspection plate holes, we need smaller hands.

[spinningwrench]

IMG_1550.jpg IMG_1551.jpg Fabric fully on. This little “shoe” on my small fabric iron made attaching the fabric in the window channel go really well. IMG_1605.jpg

[DBeaulieu]

Looks good! I'm not looking forward to getting my rear windows in after the fabric has been on/painted

[DBeaulieu]

"Fun" with nutplates again. These are for the wing root fairings...only 68 to put in for both wings. That's less than one fuel tank bay!

wing root nutplates.jpg

[Dpearson]

At long last, I have both wings all closed up and ready to move to storage. That'll make room for the fuselage in the garage. I'll be starting by surveying the work done by the previous builder. It's on the gear with doors on and flight controls partially rigged, firewall in place and what looks like a reasonable start on the boot cowl. No wiring and thankfully no fabric on it. It's got the original streamline-style gear struts, assembled probably 15 years ago. Not sure if there's any oil in them but I'll probably take them apart and install fresh seals (already purchased from Bob). 3 years into the 3 year project, with 3 years to go I think!


image.png

[rkennell]

I have been working on wiring and racks for avionics. We have sent the panel out to be powder coated and Dean has been working with a local graphics company to make a vinyl overlay for labeling.
IMG_5702.jpg IMG_5722.jpg IMG_5745.jpg IMG_5750.jpg IMG_5764.jpg
It has been fun making cables up and lacing wires together so they are safe and look neat.

[rodsmith]

The avionics installation and wiring was a part of the project that I really enjoyed.

[DBeaulieu]

Getting wing interior work done. Pitot tube stuff, wiring, etc. Got a July date with the paint shop to get the wing paint on, so I need to get the wings riveted up soon! Need to add an access panel on the wing for the pitot heat controller access, and on the other wing get the roll servo setup and installed.

pitot heat controller.jpg pitot AOA and electrical wire runs.jpg pitot tube mast doubler.jpg

[DBeaulieu]

While pondering fuel tank cover issue, decided to go ahead and make cutouts for the wing lights. Have Flyled Taildragger Max lights for each wing. Also decided to go with brass barbs and 3/8" rubber fuel line hose from the tank outlets to the fuel line beaded tubes at wing root / fuselage connection. Will keep1/4" tubing and AN fittings for feeds to the fuel quantity sight gauge circuit.

Main tank outlets.jpg light cutout in wing.jpg

[U2fletch]

I am a Ham radio guy, so when I saw this style of dipole antenna bonded into the fuselage of our Sportsman, I wanted to see if they would work in the Bearhawk. These are suitable to use in a tube/fabric aircraft. Try to keep them away from metal, but tubes crossing nearby at a 90 degree angle are okay, and the antenna shoud be within 45 degrees of vertical for proper polarization. I used fiberglass shafts from Goodwinds, and 3d printed mounting bits to attach to the stringers. Right now, they are just held on with zip ties. I will take some of my antenna SWR testing equipment out to the hangar and move the fuselage into the open for some real world testing using a handheld radio plugged into the BNC cable. Antenna.jpg

[Dpearson]

Working my way through the main gear on my 20-year old kit. Disassembled struts and replaced the o-rings with fresh ones (purchased directly from Bob).
thumb_18390.jpg
Previous builder had run hard line from the gear leg directly to the caliper via the shortest possible path, leaving no extra loop to absorb caliper movement. I've decided to terminate the hard line inside the gear leg and transition to a flexible line where the fitting will exit the fabric. Work in progress.
thumb_18391.jpgthumb_18392.jpg
Finally, I found that the 4AN fittings at the top of the gear legs had "goop" on them which felt and smelled like EZ-Turn. My understanding is that these flare fittings should be assembled clean and dry. After an acetone bath and scrubbing with a nylon brush they are all clean and seem usable. I've ordered up some Loctite 567 and will be using that to re-do the NPT side of the adapter fittings on the calipers, in case EZ-Turn was used as a "sealant" on those joints.

[Gerhard Rieger]

Right wing ready for topcoat paint, left wing on the table to makeup fuel filler covers 52E9B5E7-E7C5-4222-A584-B831A75E5C82.jpg 964447AB-C334-4516-B67B-5E0820450485.jpg CF89F07A-228A-4D7F-B3CC-DB3CF38C90C6.jpg 5F08BFAE-42A9-484F-A2A2-5C3CF074B02B.jpg 275C8ABD-E7E6-4DB6-8B66-70120D8330BB.jpg

[rkennell]

2025-06-16_211313.jpg IMG_5833.jpg IMG_5834.jpg IMG_5813.jpg With the Nav antenna installed, all the wires, static, pitot, AOA tubes are in the boot cowl area. I have constructed the primary power distribution panel and assembled the breaker panels. The panel has been powder coated and the vinyl overlay with the labeling is being printed. I have been working on laying out the of the different avionic components and once the panel is finished, I will start making harness and terminating wires.
IMG_5809.jpg IMG_5824.jpg IMG_5830.jpg