Bearhawk Aircraft reports two firsts for its Bearhawk Patrol aircraft kits: The first flight of a completed Bearhawk Patrol in South Africa; and the first shipment of a Bearhawk Patrol kit to Brazil.
The first Bearhawk Patrol to fly in South Africa has now logged more than 27 hours. Owned by South African Bearhawk distributor Wayne Giles, the Patrol is turning heads in the region, he says.
Giles is reporting a cruise of 155 mph indicated at 75% power. The Patrol has a Superior IO-360 engine that develops 180-hp while swinging a three-bladed composite propeller from MT-Propeller.
The South African Patrol was completed in two years, following delivery of the kit.
Giles’ son, a film major, produced a video of the aircraft’s first flight.
Meanwhile across the Atlantic, the first Bearhawk Patrol Quick-Build kit was shipped to a customer in Brazil. A rancher from Santa Catarina province in southern Brazil, Fernando Frahm took a demo flight at AirVenture Oshkosh 2014, where he decided to purchase the Patrol.
Frahm said he knew it was the airplane he needed to land at the short strip on his ranch. It would also allow him greater travel flexibility at better cruise speeds than similar aircraft he had been considering.
The Brazilian customer requested that the majority of items to complete his Quick-Build kit be packed in the shipping container. This is a common occurrence with overseas deliveries, company officials note.
Sourcing parts is more easily done is the U.S., and Bearhawk Aircraft is able to simplify shipping, customs and other considerations on behalf of its customers. For example, in late 2014, the company held a shipment while waiting for PolyFiber fabric covering supplies and Grove wheels/brakes to arrive.
Bearhawk kits have been exported to many countries around the globe, including Canada, Ecuador, Brazil, Germany, Norway, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.