December 2022 factory visit

[Mark Goldberg]

Good evening everyone. I thought I would give a brief report on my recent visit to the kit factory. One main objective was to show the guys how to install the boot cowl sheet metal. We want builders to just pull out the sheet metal parts and have them 100% trimmed to fit and can be cleco'd together easily right after unpacking. The starting point was the have the instrument panel and firewall in place. Also the tunnel and former that the aft end of the tunnel attaches to. We did this on a Model B but really the same thing applies to all the different models.

The executive decision was made to tilt the top of the instrument panel forward 10% from vertical. If a builder wants more tilt - it is easy. To have less tilt is not so easy. The panel was tilted and some 3" .025 angles were drilled & riveted to the forward side of the panel top. We got the angle flanges adjusted with a long straight edge on these angles and the flange of the firewall. We left 3/8" of an inch of aluminum hanging over the instrument panel top because I like to put some hard rubber there as protection from impact. If someone doesn't want that - it can be trimmed off.

We got all the parts in place drilled with a few (but not all) the holes. They will make the cut outs around the door hinges and landing gear fittings as small as possible. This will all save builders a bit of work. The kits coming in late February will all have the boot cowl trimmed and drilled/ready to install as I have tried to describe.

They had made a pretty cool tool to shear the thousands of little steel tabs needed. Band sawing them as we used to do is quite time consuming with all the kits being made now and getting shipped. They also had a pretty clever way to form the aileron pocket skins. Around a round wood piece with a groove cut into it.

The new factory addition includes a "break room" for everyone to eat. In addition they have started installing strong extraction fans in the paint room, sandblast room, and the little room where they melt and pour the lead for the elevator counter weights.

Also attached here is a pic of the reinforcement Bob drew up for the tail section longerons. This is now going on all the kits.

I am quite proud of what those guys have achieved. Mark 20221209_095002.jpg20221209_112554.jpg20221208_162119.jpg20221207_092058.jpg20221207_150640.jpg20221207_115218.jpg20221209_121706.jpg

[Battson]

Thanks for sharing this Mark, always great to see what's happening down in Mexico.

A pre-cut and drilled boot cowl will save a lot of time for the majority of builders, another good step in the right direction. As you say, it's easy to modify if people want to add something different, such as a screw-on glare shield etc. The latest kits are much advanced compared to the earliest ones!

[Utah-Jay]

I feel cheated

[AKKen07]

Awesome Mark, great improvements! The kits just keep getting better.

[Bissetg]

Great to see the continuous improvements Mark. I hope you passed to the team how happy we are with their work.

[Mark Goldberg]

I did tell them how well the planes are flying but also gave them the tragic news of the first fatality accident in the 22 year history of the factory in a kit from the factory. Mark

[svyolo]

I have built lots of stuff, just not a real airplane. The boot cowl was harder than it should have been. Multiple layers, and before you start, what is the datum, or what should be a fixed position? I don't think I built 3 complete boot cowls, but I came close. Building it wasn't hard. None of the techniques were difficult. Getting the layers to work together was a learning experience, which is polite way of not using 4 letter expletives.

[rodsmith]

Continuous improvement to the kits is the sign of a great company! No wonder Bearhawks are becoming so popular.

[Nev]

Great to see this Mark. Always enjoy seeing the factory photos and videos. Good to see the kits evolving too.

[Chewie]

It's always cool to see glimpses of the factory. Every Bearhawk is a scratch built, but the fixturing and tooling in the production environment vs for a garage one-off is impressive.

[OhioLSA]

Ditto on all the comments above. It's fun to get a glimpse of what goes on in the factory, and good to see the continuing improvements in the kits.

[alaskabearhawk]

Thanks for posting this Mark. That's a hard-working and talented group of craftsmen at the BH factory!

[Brett795]

Great to hear Mark! Thank you for continual improvements as time goes by on the kits. I guess it makes waiting worth it! I don’t know if this is very common with other kit manufacturers but I know we didn’t get that experience when building our Velocity years after the kit was first introduced.

[Bcone1381]

Six years ago the quick build kit required drilling the wings, drilling the flap and aileron hinges Patrol Throttle quadrant. Now the boot cowl, and the little things that build strength into the airframe....it's a better kit folks. Mark and Bob have the groups best interest at heart.