A number of Bearhawk aircraft that were fitted with a 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Engineering Change: A change to current serial number drawings onward - non-mandatory - may or may not be published.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side loads during a ground loop on asphalt" was issued in January 2010 HERE and states: Note: This change has been superceded by this change: june2016.html.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.
