Below are listed the engineering notices/changes and suggestions for the 4-place Bearhawk, put out by R & B Aircraft. These were directly scanned from the Bear-Tracks newsletters or from Russ Erbs' CD with his permission. If I have missed any, please notify me via email and I will update it. These were re-printed by permission of Bob Barrows (R & B Aircraft).
If you have any questions or comments regarding these notices, please contact:
Bob Barrows
2079 Breckinridge Road
Fincastle, VA 24090
(540) 473-3661
Important Engineering Terminology Differences ( taken from April 2003 Beartracks)
"In order to standardize the use of the words below, it is necessary to define what each term means when it is published in the newsletter. The recent Engineering Report about the AVIPRO wing load test made it clear to us that we need to be more specific about the terminology that we use when writing the report. The above mentioned test generated an Engineering Change NOT an Engineering Change NOTICE. Here is how we use the terms above:
ENGINEERING CHANGE NOTICE: Design change that requires immediate
attention to affected serial numbers. This NOTICE contains the technical
information to correct the unsafe condition.
ENGINEERING CHANGE: A change to current serial number drawings
onward - non-mandatory - may or may not be published. This change is
the result of a product improvement, update or modification. Or a minor
change of the design to ease manufacturing, maximize utility, economize materials
or ease assembly.
ENGINEERING REPORT: Field or lab test data that is disseminated
to the builder in the form of a report. An Engineering Report may generate
an Engineering Change Notice or an Engineering Change or neither. The
report may or may not validate the design. A summary of the results
will always be attached with our thoughts and recommendations."
Please note that once a notice or update is released, all plans numbers from that time forward have already been changed to reflect the updates/notices. Therefore, if your plans are dated after the dates listed below, there is no need to do anything. Your plans should already reflect the changes.
Below are links to the Engineering Notices/Changes:
January 1996 Updates - Two Drawing Updates - Reference plans #137 and below drawing #9: Skin stiffener. Also plans #107 and below, drawing #3 strut attach fitting.
April 1996 Notices - Reference plans #196 and below, drawings #11 & #12 : Aileron and flap pushrod lengths.
January 1997 Notice - Reference drawing #14 plans serial numbers 256 or below: Inboard Flap Levers.
April 1997 Change Notices - Reference drawing #18 , Reference drawing #25 and Reference drawing #28.
October 1997 Notice - Reference serial #296 and below - Drawing #24.
January 1998 Notices - Reference serial numbers 326 and below: Drawing # 18 firewall detail and Refer to drawing # 19 tail plane incident.
April 1998 Notice - Reference serial numbers 280 or below, drawings #12 and #14 inboard flap lever arm shortened.
October 1998 Notice - Reference serial numbers 376 and below, drawing #26: Control Link.
July 1999 Notices - Reference serial #395 and below, Drawings #9 and #10. Also serial #416 and below, Drawing #16.
April 2000 Change
Notice - Reference serial #453 and below, drawing #20:
Horizontal stabilizer/elevator outboard hinge location.
Clarification about April 2000
Notice - Question and answer about the above engineering notice.
October 2000 Change Notice - Reference Drawing # 14 Aileron cable pulley at strut attach
July 2001 Engineering Notice - Reference plans #500 and below Drawing #1 - Max Flap Operating Speed Range
January 2002 Suggestion - Suggestion for modifying Flap Lever.
April 2002 Engineering Change - Reference Plans #565 and below: Drawing #5 Rear Spar Plate reshaped. Drawing #13 Aileron & Flap hinges changes.
October 2002 Wing Load Test Results - Recommended inspection of existing finished wings and running changes for plans #583 and up.
July 2003 Engineering Change - Reference Plans #696 and below: Optional change to Rudder Horn.
January 2004 Engineering Change - Reference Plans # 731 and below - Drawing #28 Flap Handle and Drawing #20 Elevator.
July 2004 Engineering Change - Drawing #25 - Landing Gear Strut
December 2004 Engineering Notice - Drawing #4 - To correct error in drawing (notch in lightening hole at wrong station).
January 2005 Engineering Change Notice - Reference Plans #826 and below Drawing #4 - corrects a drafting error for notch location.
April 2005 Engineering Change Notice #1 - Reference Drawing #25 - landing gear shock strut - substitute material for that no longer available.
April 2005 Engineering Change Notice #2 - Reference Plans #826 and below (Drawing #19) Reinforcement at top of Horizontal Stabilizer Strut.
January 2006 Engineering Change Notice - Reference Plans # 942 and below (Drawing #28) - Changes in Flap Control Assembly
April 2006 Engineering Change Notice #1 - Reference Drawing #22 Trim Wheel mounting information
April 2006 Engineering Change Notice #2 - Reference Drawing #25 - LG shock strut twisted to better streamline into the wind.
July 2006 Engineering Change - Cover plates for the clearance hole where the landing gear shock strut passes through the fuselage belly skin.
October 2006 Engineering Note - Wing Rigging Tip
January 2007 Engineering Notice - Reference Plans #1020 and below, drawing #28 - information added about the material and thickness of flap cable junction plate.
October 2007 Engineering Change - Reference drawing #21 - Reverting back to the original Rudder horn design.
October 2007 Engineering Notice - Fuel system layout updated.
October 2008 Engineering Change Notice - Cargo door tubing change.
October 2008 Operation Notice - Fuel valve setting for takeoffs & landings.
Tailwheel Modification - To beef up the tailwheel fork.
July 2009 Engineering Notice - Main landing gear axle reinforcement.
July 2009 Engineering Notice 2 - Gear modification needed for larger tires up to 29".
October 2009 Engineering Change Notice - Changes how brake mounting plate is attached to axle.
January 2010 Engineering Change Notice - Alternate shock strut design for resisting increased side loads during a ground loop on asphalt.
January 2011 Engineering Notice - Improved method for mounting fuel line tee.
February 2012 Engineering Notice - Clarification on installing the top Wing Strut Fitting
January 2013 Engineering Change - Door Formers and sills to be made from Aluminum instead of steel.
February 2013 Engineering Notice - A change to VNE at certain altitudes.
February 2013 Engineering Change Notice - A change to how the Rudder Pedals are welded to the Cross tubes - Ref Drawing #27
September 2013 Engineering Notice - Installation of Rudder Stops.