History:
A number of Bearhawk aircraft that were fitted with the original streamlined Oleo Landing Gear strut have experienced gear collapses, usually associated with significant side loading (ground loop). The design was changed from the streamlined tubing, to a round tubing, to mitigate the issue.
Definitions:
There is a subtle but very significant difference in the terminology on the BearhawkSafety.com website :
Engineering Change Notice: Design change that requires immediate attention to affected serial numbers.
Engineering Change: A change to current serial number drawings onward - non-mandatory - may or may not be published.
In June 2016 a Bearhawk Engineering Change was issued HERE. The notice states : The landing gear shock strut has been changed on the 4 Place Bearhawk and the Patrol. This change was done to increase gear side load capability (ground loops) and cost reduction. The streamline tubing has been replaced with round tubing (1 1/8 x .065").
Although the title of the change may infer that the change is not mandatory, a previous Engineering Change Notice - Titled "Alternate shock strut design for resisting increased side loads during a ground loop on asphalt" was issued in January 2010 HERE and states: Note: This change has been superceded by this change: june2016.html.
If you own or fly a Bearhawk that is fitted with the streamlined oleo tubing, it is recommended to contact the designer Bob Barrows to discuss further.
Update: In 2024 another new Bearhawk that still had the original streamlined Oleo Struts suffered a gear collapse.
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