Bearhawk Companion Explained
The
Bearhawk Companion is an American
amateur-built aircraft, designed by
Bob Barrows, that is produced by Bearhawk Aircraft of Austin, Texas, introduced in August 2019. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction, with first customer deliveries in October 2019.
[1] Design and development
The design goals for the Companion were to produce an aircraft with the features of the Bearhawk Patrol, but with side-by-side configuration seating, in response to customer demand and a deposit from a launch customer.[1]
The Companion features a strut-braced high-wing, a two side-by-side seats in an enclosed cabin accessed by doors, fixed conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.[1]
The aircraft has a newly designed welded 4130 steel tubing fuselage, covered in doped aircraft fabric. The wing is identical to the Patrol wing and is made from aluminum sheet components and is covered in flush-riveted aluminum sheet. The acceptable engine power is 150to and will include four-stroke powerplants ranging from the Lycoming O-320 to the Lycoming IO-390.[1]
The first flight of a completed aircraft by the launch customer took place on 17 May 2021. The aircraft took ten months and 1,000 hours to complete.[2] [3] [4]
Operational history
A 2021 review in Aviation Pros called it "a very rugged utility plane with a large area for cargo."[3]
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Bearhawk Introduces Side-By-Side Companion. 28 August 2019. Cook. Marc. AVweb . 26 August 2019. https://archive.today/20220402173104/https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/bearhawk-introduces-side-by-side-companion/. 2 April 2022. live.
- Web site: First Customer-Built Bearhawk Companion Completed. 2 April 2022. Taylor. Mike. Kitplanes . 17 May 2021. https://archive.today/20220402172933/https://www.kitplanes.com/first-customer-built-bearhawk-companion-completed/. 2 April 2022. live.
- Web site: Bearhawk Aircraft Announces First Flight of Side-by-Side. 26 October 2022. aviationpros.com. 17 May 2021. https://archive.today/20221026115602/https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/business-general-aviation/press-release/21223080/bearhawk-aircraft-bearhawk-aircraft-announces-first-flight-of-sidebyside. 26 October 2022. live.
- Web site: First flight for side-by-side Bearhawk. 26 October 2022. General Aviation News Staff. generalaviationnews.com. 18 May 2021. https://archive.today/20221026115558/https://generalaviationnews.com/2021/05/18/first-flight-for-side-by-side-bearhawk/. 26 October 2022. live.
