First-Time Builder Invests 1,200 Hours Into His Airplane

By: Chris Batcheller

On display at Oshkosh this year is the first customer built Bearhawk Patrol. Bearhawk says the airplane was built in 1,200 hours by a first time builder. The Patrol is a two place taildragger aircraft that was developed from the 4 place Bearhawk aircraft. These are rugged airplanes with the classic lines of a Cub that are fun to fly. The two place Patrol is a tandem two seat high wing aircraft with metal wings and a fabric covered fuselage with STOL performance.

The thing that strikes you about the Patrol is the size. It has a larger cabin than most airplanes of this type and the long tail helps the Bearhawk have excellent taildragger ground handling. The Patrol features a new wing design and a slimmer fuselage. The new wing features a Riblett airfoil and 40 degrees of flaps. The Patrol is reported to have excellent handling and stall characteristics. The airplanes controls are reported to be responsive but not twitchy and the stall is very mild. 

With an O-360 Lycoming the airplane cruises at 140 knots and lands at only 35 knots. The useful load is 900 to 1000 lbs and gross weight is right at 2000 lbs. The Bearhawk Patrol can fly at 140 knots or you can slow down and loiter for 9 hours at 100+ knots. The airplane holds 55 gallons of fuel to minimize the need to refuel in the backcountry.   

FMI: www.bearhawkaircraft.com