Quick Build Kit Patrol

[SDAV8]

For those that have built a quick build kit from Bearhawk curious how complete the quick build kit is what is needed to finish?? I have built a Highlander in the past so not my 1st kit I think I had 1000hrs in that build. Also how are the instructions & pictures? Looking for the good and the bad, I guess. Also are the lift strut mounts set to the wings??

Looking at the Patrol

[BrokenStraw]

I am building a QB Companion and just hit the two year mark. I anticipate it will be completed by Spring. I have measured my progress in months, not hours. As a deer hunter, I learned that it is not prudent to keep track of hours or dollars spent harvesting a deer, lest this data fall into the wrong hands and later be used against me. I have enjoyed the process and am content with my slow pace. Good luck.

[Nev]

A few years ago I used to buy my mountain bikes in Hong Kong and the shop owner would issue two receipts - one for me and one for my wife

[Bcone1381]

Here is a good answer.

https://www.bearhawkaircraft.com/bearhawk-kits

In summary, You don't get anything firewall forward inside of the cowl except the engine mount. You get nothing electrically related, or covering related. NO wheels brakes or tires or upholstery.

The new wing manual is completed. I believe the new fuselage is close. You wont get any instructions Firewall forward or the electrical system or the avionics or covering.

If you build its because you like building. Start networking with others. The end product is an industry best standard. I don't know of a better two seat tandem STOL aircraft flying. Its okay if those items not included are a no go for you. I took 8 years to build mine with no build experience. I enjoyed every minute and I made the right choice. But kits are better these days. I think Broken Straws data point is better than mine. The kits are better than they were in 2017 but not close to what I think the Vans kits are with clear instructions and the parts provided.

[Nev]

I built a 4 place kit with no previous experience. It was a bit daunting the day it arrived, but I quickly sorted a build order and got underway. This forum is an excellent reference. Living in NZ, I would often post a question in the evening, and find several helpful answers posted by morning. Back then Mark Goldberg was the owner, and he would often read my question and telephone me from the USA 10 minutes later. I've met Virgil and interacted with both him and Mackenzie many times - they are carrying on the same tradition of helpfulness.

I logged 1700 hours of build time over 15 months. Barring the odd head-scratching moment, I thoroughly enjoyed the process. My BH now has 550 fun filled hours on it. Having previously built I would think you would be looking at under 1000 hours, and Virgil's kit is now far more advanced with a complete hardware kit ( back then we purchased our own individual hardware parts). I would think second time around it would take me probably 800 hours. Using Oratex would significantly reduce the time, and simplify repairs if you're operating off-airport.

Yes the lift struts are almost ready to mount to the wings. From memory no drilling was needed, just to bolt the strut attachments in place then mount. Back then the 3 different manuals were a good attempt but rather frustrating. Eventually I gave up and with the help of a couple of retired aircraft mechanics we figured it out.

Virgil's new build manuals for the wings however are at a level of professionalism that solve all those issues. My understanding is that the fuselage manual will be not far behind. I would say it's not quite at the same level as a Vans kitset, but that gap is closing fast, and it's definitely not a show-stopper. And frankly I enjoyed the flexibility that the BH kits allow. Being able to customise and build the Bearhawk that we want is what did it for me.

[noema]

My Patrol build took 4 years and more than 3000h. For me the build was a journey of curiosity and I enjoyed diving deep into all the systems and try to understand them on a fundamental level. Sometimes I was frustrated that parts didn't just click together, sometimes I enjoyed the lack of an authoritative way and weighing all the pros and cons and selecting a custom way forward.

Generally speaking the design felt solid and grounded in proven traditions. Typically looking at airplanes of similar type clarified any puzzlement I had. In a sense it is a no BS design, simple yet effective. Given that you have built a similar airplane already I think it's safe to assume that your build would be quite a bit more streamlined. Also the docs and kit completion has progressed quite a bit by now. I still match-drilled my own wings, for example. That is not required anymore.

If you want to get a quick overview of the build, I have created a pdf with 1400 images here:

https://matterborne.com/xhawk/log/Build+Report

[arborite]

I think it’s best to contact Virgil for this. The quick build kits have evolved a great deal in even a few years. Things I had to buy separately two years ago are now in the kit.

[Pbruce]

I am 4 years into a Patrol QB kit, circa 2019. I might be 2/3 done. I have never built a plane before. I found the wings and control surfaces quite complete. Measuring and mounting the wings wasn’t too bad, surprisingly. The fuselage is more difficult, but it’s moving along with boot cowl, tunnel, doors, windows, floor panels, instrument panel and some engine controls placed. I haven touched the landing gear or firewall forward. I’ve covered all control surfaces but not the fuse.

I bought a hardware kit from Wicks which was nowhere near complete. It was a great start though, and I’m glad I bought it. I have supplemented it with seemingly endless orders from Aircraft Spruce, but to be fair, there are details which are unique to my build and the parts purchased reflect that. Moving between the plans, various sets of instructions, newsletters, etc was a challenge new builders can mostly avoid. Expectations evolve and Bearhawk has clearly evolved too.

In my opinion, the new build manuals and hardware sets are an absolute game changer: all in one place, easy to understand, sequential, and specific to the actual hardware items needed. This is a big deal to an inexperienced builder like me, especially considering that the hardware requirements are now mirrored exactly in what Virgil calls the “parts callout”. Whereas I’m still buying hardware, I will have lots of leftover bolts of sizes I can’t use. Buyers of the new kits should not experience this issue.

When I researched the cub-like kits on the market, my opinion was that almost none except Carbon Cub ($$$) were complete with respect to the instructions or hardware. Bearhawk seemed to have something in place, even if imperfect. Another reason I went with the Patrol is that it seemed to be a simpler build with a lot of stuff done for you. I think I was correct. I give a lot of credit to Mark Goldberg and the Bearhawk community for being here ready to provide answers to almost every question I had. I don’t know if other builder groups have it this good, but my experience in this regard has been excellent.
In short, the only deficiencies I’ve experienced are manuals and hardware spec, and while both were manageable, they seem to be taken care of in superb fashion.