Is the Bearhawk only sold in kit form? No factory-made planes?

[doss1]

I am new to this forum and especially new to the Bearhawk aircraft. I am very fascinated by the Bearhawk...had no idea this type of aircraft existed two days ago. I purchased a J3 Cub in 2012 and learned to fly in it, but I sold it after I got my license. It was quite an experience and is something I nearly think about every day. However, there was quite a bit of work to do in the aircraft that I just don't have the time for this time around such as fabric covering, wiring, etc.

Unfortunately, it looks like the Bearhawk is only sold as a kit? There are no factory-ready versions available, right? Are there any plans for a factory system down the line sort of like the Legend/CubCrafters outfits?

Does the manufacturer of the Bearhawk have a shop in Texas? I wasn't sure...looks like it's located in Buda? I have a place 45mins west of Austin.

[jaredyates]

That's right, if you want to have one, you have to build it, or buy one that someone else built. Mark Goldberg is the point of contact for kits, and he lives in Texas.

[whee]

Or pay one of the "commercial assistance" outfits to build it for you but that is a pretty expensive proposition.

[tbaylx]

or keep an eye out here and on the classifieds. Some come up for sale every once and awhile

[Battson]

There's one for sale in the buy & sell section of this forum, at the moment.

[jaredyates]

Or pay one of the "commercial assistance" outfits to build it for you but that is a pretty expensive proposition.

In the US this is contrary to the letter and intent of the rules, which allow us the freedom to build our own airplanes solely for our own education and recreation. Do people get away with doing it anyway? Perhaps. Those people jeopardize the hobby for the rest of us.

[doss1]

Ok, thanks guys. I'll keep an eye open on the buy/sell forum, but looks like I am going to have to build from scratch. Have no time right now to build it (young family), so might look into having someone build it for me.

[Chris In Milwaukee]

As Jared mentioned, watch out for that "having someone build it for me" part. I'd suggest that if you don't have time to build one, then either buy one already built or buy a Maule or C-180 or something similar. It's against the rules to have someone build an experimental aircraft for you.

[Mark Goldberg]

Excuse me for interjecting here on this point. But it is more common than you might think for someone to build a homebuilt for another person. While it not exactly within the rules of the game, I personally have never seen a problem arise when this scenario happens. What is big time not kosher is for the owner who did not build to apply for the "Repairman of Record" authorization. Totally against the rules and also a bad idea. Mark

[Chris In Milwaukee]

Fair enough I will say that a kit is the fastest way to a flying Bearhawk short of buying someone else's. Mark Goldberg can certainly get you there the quickest.

[JimParker256]

Excuse me for interjecting here on this point. But it is more common than you might think for someone to build a homebuilt for another person. While it not exactly within the rules of the game, I personally have never seen a problem arise when this scenario happens. What is big time not kosher is for the owner who did not build to apply for the "Repairman of Record" authorization. Totally against the rules and also a bad idea. Mark

Our local DAR ran into this with a very expensive turbine-powered "homebuilt" that was obviously NOT built by the owner (and claimed builder). But in this case, the idiot had documented all of his payments to the person who built the airplane for him... And worse yet, included them in the materials he submitted to the DAR. The FSDO got involved, and the airplane was ruled ineligible for EAB certification. I think the guy eventually got it certified under "Experimental - Exhibition" category, which is pretty restrictive. Read about it here.

[tbaylx]

Here in Canada it's legal to have someone "help" build it as long as they are under your direction and supervision. That's open to loose interpretation however so it's quite possible to have someone else build most of the aircraft as long as you're actively involved.

[JimParker256]

Same is true here in the US. You just cannot PAY them to do so. (Or not "legally" still pursue EAB status, anyway.) The point made earlier is the key one: We've got a wonderful thing going for us in the EAB rules currently in place. Let's not screw around with them and force the FAA to re-examine those rules... If they do, it likely won't be to our advantage!

[Chewie]

Interesting topic about how the lines can get blurred. You could say anytime you buy a homebuilt on barnstormers you are paying someone else to build it for you. How convenient it would be if someone just "happened" to build a plane to your exact specifications.

[Bdflies]

It seems a bit of 'thread creep' is happening here, but since we've gotten this far I'll jump in. This has gotten interesting. In post 7 doss1 mentioned building from scratch, but having someone build for him. I fully understand both sides of the Hired Gun argument and would happily engage in that debate from either side. What piqued my attention, was the concept of hiring someone to scratch build. I'm pretty sure Mark buys his raw materials at better terms than most of us could. Because Mark's guys are really good at their tasks and are working with nice jigs, I'm willing to bet that none of us could come close to matching man-hours to build, that Mark's crew requires. I won't touch the issue of $/hr at Avipro's factory, otherthan to guess the labor rate is probably less than one would have to pay an experienced multi disciplined aircraft fabricator, in the U.S.. Overhead (utilities, taxes, tools, etc.) on a per plane basis, would probably be lower at Mark's factory than a private shop, producing a single plane. Now, the only glaring issue is Mark's profit... The conversations I've had with Mark left me convinced that he's in this, to pursue a passion. Whatever he makes on a kit, probably isn't enough. I've played in the homebuilt toy box long enough to have seen plenty folks get burned by kit manufacturers that went bankrupt. If I were starting a build, I'd damned sure want to be involved with a manufacturer who's going to be there, supporting his product throughout my build and long after that. In the time I've been involved on this forum, I don't recall ever reading a post by a disgruntled builder who didn't receive the product he bought from Mark. Think about that. Profit is what keeps that boat floating!
Whew! Now that I painted that picture, on to my question.. Some of you are scratch building and some from kits. If one were looking to pay a hired gun builder, to build a Bearhawk, does anyone think it would in any way be advantageous to pay someone to scratch build, as opposed to build from a kit?
My suggestion would be to buy the kit...

Bill