Bearhawk Aircraft has reported the first flight of a Bearhawk Patrol in Brazil and a Bearhawk LSA in New Zealand.
Company officials also announced that a New Zealand-based Bearhawk won a STOL competition down under for the second year in a row.
The Brazilian Bearhawk Patrol was completed in January. First flight followed after “some time waiting for official paperwork,” according to company officials. The aircraft received its official release on April 10, 2020. Build customer was Fernando Frahm, along with his son Andre and co-owner/builder Roberto Lindner.
“Boa tarde,” was the message sent from Alexandre Henrique de Barros of Magnólia Cubs, the Bearhawk Aircraft representative in Brazil. “Brazil’s first Bearhawk Patrol flew on 4/10/2020 out of Lontras, Santa Catarina, Brazil (ICAO SSLN).”
The Quick Build kit was purchased during EAA AirVenture 2014 by Fernando Frahm of Rio do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
“A few months after the arrival of the kit, Fernando sold a share of the kit to his friend Roberto, who joined him in the construction. The average time spent working on the aircraft was about four hours a week, eventually increasing up to eight hours during the covering and painting phases. The basic configuration includes a Superior IO-360 180-horsepower engine with a Dual Plasma II Ignition system [from Light Speed] and a constant speed propeller from MT-Propeller [of Germany]. According to Roberto, the Patrol exhibited takeoff and climb performance never before experienced in any aircraft of its class.”
Roberto also highlighted the handling characteristics, especially concerning the Patrol’s predictability. He attributed this to the “harmony and balance of the flight controls and well-dimensioned surface areas,” adding, “It truly felt that we had had been flying this aircraft for a long time.”
As a rancher in southern Brazil, Fernando knew immediately this was the aircraft for him. His decision followed a demo flight at AirVenture. A Patrol was just the airplane he needed to land at the short strip on his ranch, and it would also allow him greater travel flexibility at better cruise speeds than similar STOL/utility aircraft he had been considering.
Nic Roberts of Plane Torque Ltd. in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, built and recently flew the first Bearhawk LSA aircraft in New Zealand. The aircraft was purchased as a Quick Build kit.
According to Nic, “The LSA has produced a large amount of interest from local aviators. The Bearhawk line of aircraft have become well known for their capability. They perform well in New Zealand.”
“We have flown just over 10 hours in our Bearhawk LSA aircraft, completing the mandatory test flight period. After the first flight, our test pilot said, ‘What a fantastic little aircraft,’ along with an enormous grin on his face. The aircraft is performing very well with its Continental O-200-D and Catto propeller. The test flying creates much attention during takeoff and landing on the local airfield, Hastings Aerodrome.”
“We are yet to push the Bearhawk capability to establish its absolute limits. However, my test pilot of 3,500-plus-hours experience states, ‘Your Bearhawk LSA is the fastest to get airborne from all the aircraft I have flown.’ The taxi roll of the Bearhawk LSA is incredibly smooth and soft as the landing gear strut/shocks provide fantastic support. I am really enjoying the journey this Bearhawk LSA aircraft provides. I look forward to seeing the Bearhawk aircraft fleet grow.”
In related news, Jonathan Battson has taken top honors, for two years running, in his Bearhawk in a New Zealand STOL Competition. Known as the Healthy Bastards Bush Pilot Champs, the regional contest takes place each year in February. Battson and his Bearhawk continued their winning ways by a wide margin, according to Bearhawk officials.
“We managed to clean up the heavy touring category again this weekend, convincingly this time with a total combined distance of 71m compared to 108m and 131m for second and third place. There was less wind than usual, so I was pleased with the landing,” he commented.
“This year we had a couple of key people from the Valdez STOL contest here, Lon and Bob. Lon organizes the Valdez event, and Bob and his son Bobby (Breeden) have won numerous times. They liked the event and said the flying was as good as they see in Valdez… except here the action is faster and the crowd is much closer to the action, which they seemed to like. They said we have less Super Cubs than in Alaska,” stated Jonathan.
The Bearhawk Patrol is a tandem two-place aircraft, available in kit or plans, that excels at accessing remote airstrips, company officials note. A side-by-side seating version is the Bearhawk Companion. The Patrol and Companion are capable of carrying twice their empty weight. The Companion offers 2,200 pounds gross weight, while the Patrol offers 2,000 pounds gross weight.