Some years ago there was a guy building a Bearhawk near Elko. He was/had installed a Buick v8. I lost touch with him and I was just wondering if any of you guys know if the plane was ever completed and flown or??????

Yes, we know him well and yes it flew, for a while with that engine. It has an LS1 in it now. PM me if you want his number.

PM returned...

I thought it was a landrover engine?

A hybrid. Range Rover Block with Buick crank shaft, or the other way around. I forget which. I know the crank needed some machining to round the journal shoulders or something to that effect.

blackrock wrote:A hybrid. Range Rover Block with Buick crank shaft, or the other way around. I forget which. I know the crank needed some machining to round the journal shoulders or something to that effect.

Talk about experimental.....

Crzyivan13 wrote:

blackrock wrote:A hybrid. Range Rover Block with Buick crank shaft, or the other way around. I forget which. I know the crank needed some machining to round the journal shoulders or something to that effect.

Talk about experimental.....

Oh yes, and that is just the beginning. There was lots more to the engine and prop belt drive, electronic ignition and controls, fuel injection, etc. If you're ever interested, it makes for a good camp fire discussion. I've been fortunate to get that exposure. Alan is really good at putting things like that together and is willing to try new things. I learned a lot just being around Alan and Hal. They both helped me a great deal with my first build, the Bearhawk.

Hal, who sells the Zipper Big Bore kits for the Rotax's, is partners with me on the Elko hangar. Hal is a heavy equipment mechanic and a true magician when it comes to making things work correctly. He is definitely our go-to guy when we need to know how to fix something. Hal and Alan are the dynamic duo when it comes to the experimental realm. They make it happen.