Single flap locked down - hinge pocket cover jam

[marcusofcotton]

Are these covers required for safe flight of the aircraft? It seems that they would impair your ability to perform a thorough preflight amd be one more item to remove for the annual condition inspection.

There were two Bearhawks at OSH this year without them. It seems there would be some aerodynamic improvement having them.

[Battson]

Are these covers required for safe flight of the aircraft? It seems that they would impair your ability to perform a thorough preflight amd be one more item to remove for the annual condition inspection.

Not "required for flight" just like all the other fairings, but like all the other fairings they are well worth having.
There are noticeable aerodynamic advantages to having them installed, not to mention clear aesthetic advantages. Especially on the ailerons.

They are no hindrance for pre-flight inspections, you just move the control surface to see around them.

I didn't use bottom covers on the flap, the top ones are the ones which matter aerodynamically, so you can still see the bearings there too.
Similarly, there's absolutely no need to remove them for the annual. They only need to be removed to unbolt the control surface from the wing.

[Chris In Milwaukee]

I have this vision/sound in my head of "The Bearhawk Whistle". In a high-speed dive, I'll be looking up in the sky for a Mustang or Lightning. With good airspeed control, perhaps we could get "Ride of the Valkyries" out of.

[Mark Goldberg]

They are not required for flight. They do reduce drag and give a more finished look. Mark

[way_up_north]

Again congrats on your win....

After Battsons STOL win.... a few things came to mind as I`m working on my wing and would like to make it STOL ready....Thou the flap cover fix/mod has removed the conflict...it might not have resolved an underlining issue...that something might be moving when it shouldn't....was it the flap cover lifting up or the wing skin bending down...

If it was the flap hinge cover lifting, then the issue is resolved...but...

I`m using the term flap dump since I don't know what the proper term is or if there is one...please correct me if there is....If you are using the flap dump method for STOL, do you have an update on how the flap hinge cover modification is working out for you, did you do any other re-enforcement in the aft wing skin area above the center flap hinge...

I`m also curious if you've noticed any deformations/cracking in your paint along the rear edge of the wing skin above the flap cover......or any scratches on the nose of the flaps....I was wondering if the rear wing skin gets pushed down when you would do a flap dump in STOL competition(contacting the flap). ...maybe its the wing skin coming down causing the conflict ...if so maybe pocket ribs in the flap area(like the ailerons) to help beef up the skin to resist the sudden downward rush of air...when doing STOL competition...or similar type of flying...your thoughts?

I don't have access to a finished bearhawk or a completed wing to try a test with....but If I could I would pull down on the wing skin above the center flap hinge...see how much deflection there is there....if it does deflect....then probably an easy fix would be to put one pocket rib beside the center flap hinge...to cut in half the unsupported span of the over hanging rear wing skin over the flap....

most Bearhawks wont see the kind of stress of a STOL competition...buts its good to know what pushing the air frame to the limits will reveal...

[fairchild]

would it be too much awkward work to add a square window under the skin on the back side and put nutplates on the back so the cover plate is flush on the outside ? Like a flush patch but have
the plug held in with #4 flush machine screws...… just thinking out loud …..

OR----
In the front of the square hole -- just have a plate on the underside that has a small gap--- so you can slip the front edge of the cover into it--- so that leasing edge of the cover would be flush.
The trailing side could have a jog to bring it to the outside where 2 #4 screws would hold it in. 3 sides would be flush and trailing side overlapped.

T

[Battson]

There is normally a good 1/4" clearance in that gap. So the whole wing would have to bend CONSIDERABLY to close the gap. I don't see any evidence of the wing changing shape anywhere near that much. Of course it will move a small amount, but we're talking millimetres. You can't see it bending, even in the most severe turbulence - which is an order of magnitude more force than the flaps exert.