Tubing kit questions

[thunder669]

Hello all,

I am looking to start a scratch build either Patrol or Companion, currently leaning towards the Patrol. I have an email in to the company but while waiting thought I would ask others opinions on here. I did scratch build a Sonerai fuselage, so I am familiar with gas welding 4130. With that I did all my own notching, cutting, bending. For those that have got the tubing kit how accurate, tight fitting are the notches, what was your lead time, and just overall experience? Having not seen plans yet I don't know how much bending and such there really is. Just using a materials list I found on here and a quick input on Spruce's website looks like about $1200-$1500 in added cost to get the kit from Bearhawk, but I do know how much of a pain it was to get good fitting notches for stronger welds. As always thanks in advance for any and all input

Jake

[spinningwrench]

If you are referring to the VR3 fuselage kit I have heard that they are quite accurate but no first hand experience. Their fit up is apparently good enough for TIG welding as you don't want any gaps.

[thunder669]

I have heard of their kits also, and may look into them, but first i was looking at the tubing kit offered on the Bearhawk website. It's listed under the parts tab. thanks for the input

[jaredyates]

I'm sure the VR3 folks make a nice kit, but between those two supply options, it may be worth noting that only one has over 1000 posts here supporting his products.

[svyolo]

I have mostly built stuff from scratch or plans. Some of the plans stuff also had an option to buy CNC cut parts for 40-70% more than just buying the material. I always go for the precut stuff now. It is a huge time saver, and sometimes shipping smaller parts is so much cheaper than 4X8 sheets the cost difference really almost disappears. The precut stuff usually fits perfect. That "perfect" adds a lot of time to cutting parts yourself. And reduces scrap.

[thunder669]

I agree it will be a huge time saver and definitely reduce scrap. I was hoping the new spruce warehouse carried tubing as I'm only a couple hours from there so could have picked it up in person and saved freight altogether. Unfortunately they only carry it at the 2 other locations so either way ill be paying freight. I am leaning towards the pre-cut and bent kit they offer, one biggie is the lead time I'm waiting to hear back on. I'm hoping to order in a month or 2 after we get through an open house for 1 kid graduating and stuff and once I order I dont want to have to wait 6 months to get started. thanks for the input, your thoughts are similar to my own.

[spinningwrench]

I have no experience with the AviPro tubing kit. Possibly others can comment on it.

[JimParker256]

Well, The AviPro tubing kit is the same factory-supplied tubing, fitted with the same factory jigs, and cut by the same highly skilled factory folks who built every single factory-built airframe shipped by AviPro... Those AviPro welded fuselages are absolute works of art. You don't get there by starting with a badly cut tubing kit... Personally, I can't weld nearly well enough to go the scratch-built route, but if I was going to do that, I'd save myself a LOT of time and hassle and buy the AviPro tubing kit without hesitation.

[Russellmn]

My understanding is, the tubing kits are cut and notched on the same jigs as the kits, then fitted into the fuselage jig and every tube is marked for location. So everything is bent to the proper shape and notched to fit. I don't know how tight the fitup is at the notches, I would expect some minor adjustments would be needed, but maybe not??

[BTAZ]

I used one of(if not the) first Avi Pro tubing kits for my LSA build(now around 5 years ago(time really flies)).

Everything fit great and was so accurate that is was more of a "Build the jig to fit the tubing" rather than try to make the tubing fit the jig.

Tubing quality and fit was great, documentation was great, and Mark was great with his support even though I was a plans and not a kit builder.

I think my build log is still in the dropbox location available in my "First Flight" thread in the "LSA Plans Build" section.

I'm sure I could have built from raw tubing but given the amount of "drops" that would have been left over, I expect I was money and I know I was time ahead from using Mark's tubing kit.

[Ed Welfred]

I am sure Mark's tubing kit is very good but I went with VR3. I can say that the VR3 tubing was a tight, no air gap fit at every joint. I do not work quickly but the frame was finish welded in two and a half months.
I am convinced you will have a better frame if it is built from a kit.
Have fun Ed

[BravoGolf]

I am planning on purchasing the tubing kit from AviPro. As Jared mentioned Mark has been a great resource supporting the Bearhawk community.

[thunder669]

Thanks everyone, I just talked on the phone with Mark a little while ago. very nice guy and apparently can grow a big watermelon. Pro's to going with him is great product from what you have all said, and he can get me cheaper freight then Spruce, plus the many many hours saved from notching and bending myself. The Cons are obviously the added cost but also he only gets a shipment from the factory in Mexico once every three months so depending on when you order and his current inventory it could be a long lead time. Just more things to consider while I weigh the options

Keep the great input coming

[tf104]

I also used the VR3 kit It was a great kit it was truly unbelievable how well everything went together. I would not hesitate to use them again for future projects.

[way_up_north]

I also used the VR3 kit It was a great kit it was truly unbelievable how well everything went together. I would not hesitate to use them again for future projects.

Did you have to supply the cad files...do they do those?....

[Russellmn]

They have it all done already. The whole tubing kit is done and ready.

[thunder669]

on the VR3 website though they only list the 4 place, not the patrol, haven't called though to verify if site is up to date

[Russellmn]

Look farther down the list, it's just listed as Patrol, not Bearhawk Patrol

[way_up_north]

Does the Avipro Bearhawk tube kit come with rudder pedal tubes... control sticks... rudder/elevator... or is it just the fuselage?

[sbmurphey]

Per my LSA kit, just the fuselage... Most items you mentioned are also available from Avipro.

[PFalkner]

I purchased a tube kit from Mark for a 4 place and everything fit like a glove ,I tig welded .Tube kit is fuselage only no tabs for landing gear or wing mounts. There is a lot of work in making all of the tabs for the fuselage

[rodsmith]

My experience was that fabricating all the fittings, welding them and the tabs on was a larger job than putting the frame together.

[Russellmn]

rodsmith, that's usually the case with any tube structure. I've done a ton of tube chassis rigs, rock buggies, race cars, etc, and the basic tube work is pretty quick and easy, it's fitting all the bracketry, tabs, etc that takes the most time.