Finish Welding My Bearhawk Fuselage 

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks! It's been a slow process, but I should be flying this spring. I have a kitlog you can look up. I haven't updated in a few months, but it will give you an idea how far along the project is. Good luck on yours! www.mykitlog.com/yeeeha

@@alaskabearhawk Excellent, I'll go check it out. You are going to be having a ball this spring.

Eric langat 4130 chromoly tubing is the only thing to use.

Cameron R Great question. No, I don't plan on doing anything more. This topic has been debated ever since time began...well almost. The reasons why I won't are as follows: First, no one can "normalize" any metal without being very accurate on the temperature to heat the metal to, how long to hold that temperature and most importantly the controlled slow-cooling of the metal. No one can do that with any accuracy using a torch and the Mark 1 eyeball. Special ovens are made for normalizing metal structures in a precisely controlled environment. Second, I risk inducing stress into the metal where I don't heat. Anytime metal is heated and cooled it changes somewhat and I like my fuselage just like it is. Another reason is heating at the same time. Do I do one cluster, then the next? Or do I do both front clusters together and the the rear clusters? Or do all four at the same time? The main reason it gets done is so called "stress relief". There is such a thing as stress relief from vibration. Once the plane is flying there will be some benefit from that. All in all, the risk to screwing things up is much greater than any benefit, and any benefit is highly debateable.

Very good. Thank you for the explanation. Your project looks great and thank you for the detailed videos you do. I can’t wait to see it when it’s done. Hopefully Ill have one to park beside yours one day but Im just getting started.

Not that I am aware of. If you are doing welding on a certified aircraft, you have to be licensed as an aircraft mechanic or working under one.

Almost. There were some places I just couldn't get to with the TIG, so in those places I used O/A with a Meco Midget torch.

Hi... That is an interesting question and the short answer is (in my opinion) no, it's not better. Ok, now for the long answer. Either method is acceptable. But, the method that you use should be the one you are most proficient with. There is no substitute for practice! If you are proficient with O/A welding, then by all means use that method. If you are proficient with TIG, then use that method. There is a tremendous amount of debate on this, so this is just my opinion. There were some areas that I couldn't weld as successfully as I could with TIG. Conversely, there were some areas that I welded with O/A that I couldn't weld as well with TIG. I personally like the TIG process because of the ability to control the heat much more precisely. But in order to appreciate the heat control the TIG process offers I learned first with O/A.

​@@alaskabearhawk Thanks for the info. The cubcrafters guys use MIG, which seems to be the most sofisticated... I read someone complaining about the welding process bearhawk uses, but it's the traditional and most popular, so it should be strong and durable. At the end of the day the safety of the weld depends on the welder you think?

@@plantpower3048 Well, I would disagree with your assessment that MIG is the most sophisticated method. There are very few aircraft manufacturers that use it and those that do have very experienced people doing the work. I *think* Maule Aircraft uses it too. It is very unforgiving in the hands of an amateur. My opinion, and it is an opinion, is that TIG is the most sophisticated from a versatility point of view. O/A welding for 4130 is a method that has stood the test of time for many, many decades. I haven't heard of any complaints about the Bearhawk welding. If there are complaints about the process they use, they are just ignorant of O/A welding. Their products are as good or better than most production aircraft. The person behind the welding equipment is always the key,

@@alaskabearhawk Sounds good! thanks!

It depends. You have to be a little more specific as to what isn't straight and the deviation from the plans.

Anything crocked no deviation , do you cut out tubing reweld new or does that screw up good tubes

That is a carriage that attached to the front and back allowing one to rotate the fuselage about its longitudinal axis.