Steps for Patrol with 8.5" tires

[milehighpeter]

I was wondering if anyone has put the Atlee Dodge steps on their Bearhawk. I just bought a Patrol and it does not have a step on igt and is very difficult to get in and out??? Also, If I take the fabric off the gear legs, will I create a lot more drag??

[zkelley2]

Yes, you'll make a lot more drag(10x what they are making now.) if you take the gear fabric off. The only downside to it is from a maintenance perspective. You won't as easily catch corrosion years down the line and it can be hard to get to the brake line depending on how they did it.
I'm throwing the idea around in my head of putting some .016 or .020 aluminum on mine with nutplates so I can take it off.

As far as the step goes.. the factory bearhawk gear has a step so I'm not sure many people will have any experience with adding one.

[milehighpeter]

Thank you for the information. I never realized it would create that much drag!! I took off the fabric on my super cub when we put the steps on but never really checked before we did it the difference. I think it may be hard to put a Bearhawk step on now that the plane is finished.
Thanks again.....Peter

[zkelley2]

Thank you for the information. I never realized it would create that much drag!! I took off the fabric on my super cub when we put the steps on but never really checked before we did it the difference. I think it may be hard to put a Bearhawk step on now that the plane is finished.
Thanks again.....Peter

I think anyone with a tig or oxy setup could weld a step on similar to what is there stock. Take a look at the gear legs on the avipro website. If you can't do that, you could always order a set I guess.
The reason the drag is that much more is because the way they designed the gear legs, when you wrap them it makes an airfoil shape, which is 10x less drag than a round tube, which I'm basing on this -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftq8...ature=youtu.be

[yateselden]

That was well worth a watch! Thanks

[milehighpeter]

That's good to know....Thanks again!!

[milehighpeter]

I kind of like the Atlee Dodge step as it acts as a fueling step as well as a step to get into your plane.

[yateselden]

I perchased a set simular to the Atlee Dodge from TK1, they come in different lengths and are $150 ea. I have an early kit w/no step.
I havent installed them yet, they use supplyed large tube clamps. I will need to cut the fabric and reseal

[nichzimmerman]

Can you provide a link to that? Thanks.

[Bcone1381]

https://store.tk1racing.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=48%2D220

[EBPaul]

[milehighpeter]

That looks good! Is that the step that comes attached to the gear leg from Bearhawk, or did you fabricate that one on yourself?

[marcusofcotton]

Early Bearhawks used the fuselage mounted step like that. People and the design went away from that due to extensive fuselage damage in the event of Landing gear failure.

[milehighpeter]

Do they still sell the step by itself for the fuselage or do you have to buy a new gear leg?

[EBPaul]

That looks good! Is that the step that comes attached to the gear leg from Bearhawk, or did you fabricate that one on yourself?

Peter ,that bearhawk is not mine though I can enter the front or rear seat easily with that step.
It was bought At the fly Mart in Oshkosh and the tag said it came from a piper.The owner did to some airframe modifications to strengthen up in that area.
Paul

[milehighpeter]

Thanks for the information!!