New Member, Round Rock, TX

[r.dunn.md@gmail.com]

Am retired and am considering building or buying a Bearhawk. Has anyone ever made one with a nose wheel? I’m 71 and the tail wheel is a little intimidating…

Bob

[Nev]

Hi Bob,

Welcome along. I'm not aware of anyone building a Bearhawk with a nose wheel to date. If it had been available when I was ordering my kitset I probably would have taken that option too as I also found it somewhat intimidating, though actually I'm enjoying learning to fly it.

But I do understand your concerns. You could give Bob Barrows a call, he's very approachable and enjoys discussing the technical side of things.

Nev.

[jaredyates]

Am retired and am considering building or buying a Bearhawk. Has anyone ever made one with a nose wheel? I’m 71 and the tail wheel is a little intimidating…

Bob

Welcome Bob! The discussion comes up from time to time about making very major design modifications like having a nosewheel. One way to think about it is that the traits that many of us most admire about the Bearhawk are derived from its design. Making big changes to its design will also change those traits. To relate it to something other than airplanes, imagine if you appreciated the good fuel economy of a small car, but really also wanted to be able to tow a boat. The answer to "has anyone ever increased the towing capacity" is, while it might be possible, it doesn't sound like a very good idea, because the end result would be compromised in its otherwise shining fuel efficient capabilities. When embarking on airplane ownership, I like to think the most important steps are defining the mission and the non-negotiable requirements. If a nosewheel is a must, there are undoubtedly other airplanes that will serve the mission better.

[spinningwrench]

A nose wheel would be a pretty major structural modification including moving the main wheels back. Learning to fly conventional gear with the right instructor is pretty rewarding. You could investigate the nose wheel version of the Carbon Cub but that would be substantially more money.

[predragvasic]

There is a video on YouTube, where Bob (Barrows) explains the genesis of the Bearhawk line, and generally talks about his aircraft design philosophy. He mentions the occasional inquiry about tri-gesr version, and then responds clearly thet he doesn’t like tri-gear, he never liked it, he never considered designing it and there essentially never will be a tri-gear Bearhawk.

I am really not sure how much of a substantial design change tri-gear would be. After all, there are many RVs, BDs and other kits that are available as both tail or nose wheel options, with rather minor differences (essentially, positioning of the three wheels and nothing else).

I’ll be retiring soon and starting my first kit. If Besrhawk were to offer a tri-gear model 5, that would be my choice. As it is, my choice will most likely be BD-4C.

[JimParker256]

Bob, don't let all the "real men fly tailwheels" and "tailwheels will try to kill you" talk scare you. Like most old wive's tales, the difficulty of learning to fly a tailwheel is greatly exaggerated. If you're a competent pilot, and pay attention to the airplane, you can become reasonably proficient pretty quickly. After all, 18 year-old kids during WW2 jumped straight into tailwheel "trainers" that were FAR less well-behaved than a Bearhawk, and were flying Mustangs (probably one of the toughest tailwheel "trainers" around) within months.

Many years ago, I was offered a Citabria at a ridiculously low price, but because of all the "hype" about how hard it was to fly a tailwheel airplane, I passes on it. I've kicked myself ever since. I rented or borrowed airplanes for a while (the ubiquitous 172, Piper Archers and Arrows, Grumman Tigers, a Piper Colt, and several SportCruiser LSA), and even owned a couple of them (a Grumman Traveler and a Rockwell Commander 114), but every time I saw a Champ or a Cub, I got that "itch" again...

Thirty years later, after I retired, I sold the Commander, and bought an ancient '65 Champion 7ECA that had pretty rough fabric and paint, but was mechanically sound and airworthy. It even looked kind of good – from 150 ft away! I had the previous owner deliver it to my home airport, and began training with a CFI (who had originally learned to fly in a Champ). It was so much fun! I was not only scared about learning the tailwheel, but I was truly intimidated by the heel brakes (thanks to all those old wive's tales). My CFI had me taxi up and down the ramp for a 1/2 hour or so, learning the ground handling. He even induced a "ground loop" of sorts, so I could see what was involved (no big deal at low speed). After that, I never thought about the heel brakes again - they just seemed "right" for that plane. Then we spent several days flying for 1¹/₂ hours at a time (in our Texas 90-95F Spring weather), then debriefing in the air conditioned FBO. It was a lot of fun, and I couldn't wait to get to the airport for the next flight.

My insurance company required 10 hours of dual before flying solo (my first tailwheel, obviously), so I asked my CFI to NOT sign the endorsement until that 10 hours was up. It was some of the most fun I've had in years, and before I knew it, the 10 hours was up, and I had my tailwheel endorsement.

I would encourage you to go get some tailwheel time in a Citabria or Decathlon or Cub – whatever is available near you. Maybe even earn the endorsement if you want... That way you can confirm for yourself that the "hype" is seriously exaggerated. (And yeah, I'm sure someone out there is going to try to pull my "man card" for saying that...)