To quote Howard Hughes in the movie The Rocketeer… ”The son of a b**** will fly!”

The stars finally aligned with the weather (and schedules) in western Nevada on the morning of April 8th, and the Dye/Hose eXenos took to the air for its first and second flights from Dayton Valley Airpark. Paul Dye flew both flights using the EAA Test Card #2 (suitably modified for an electric powerplant) and found the airplane to fly fine, with only a slightly heavy left wing and a stall speed right on the book value of 38 knots. The electric power system devised by Gabe DeVault worked flawlessly and Paul was able to manage temperatures of the motor, controller and battery to complete all the flight test objectives on the card. While the motor warms up quickly during takeoff and initial climb, the temperature are easily managed while maintaining a respectable positive rate of climb to pattern altitude.

The Xenos airframe (almost seven years in the building) performed admirably—as expected. While the long aluminum wings do flex enough to see a little oil canning on the upper surface in turns, they do what they are designed to do and generate gobs (a technical aeronautical term) of lift. Handling qualities are fine—in fact, the first thing that comes to mind is “it flies just like an airplane!” The landings were accomplished using half spoilers on final and a power-on approach but it should fly just fine in full glider mode when we get to that point in the test program.

Co-builder Louise Hose served as test conductor on the ground, making sure that all of the logistics were taken care of so that Paul could concentrate on flying. This included ground communications on a busy Saturday morning at the airpark where the first nice weather in months had a number of neighbors saddling up to go fly but all gave way to watch the long-term project (which many had helped with along the way) take to the air. She also handed out photo assignments to neighbors who wanted to be directly involved, and collected stills and video from long-time helpers Laura Starkey and Barry Wingate. She’ll be taking her turn in the cockpit as Phase I testing continues.

The eXenos is fairly unique in the homebuilding world, as not that many Xenos airframes have been built , and this is only the second one to fly with DeVault’s electric motor system. Sonex LLC has supported this project with a custom motor mount and technical support, as did MGL avionics, whose EFIS and radio grace the panel.

While nowhere near as sprightly in handling as the typical Sonex or RV, the eXenos goes where you want it to go and was stable in all axes. The airplane will use the EAA Test Flight Manual program through Phase I, and will soon have the appropriate Ops Limits allowing it to be signed out of Phase I when all task-based flight testing is complete.

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Some modifications include electric flaps, electric 2 axis trim, AeroVee Turbo, and full castoring tailwheel. The most enjoyable part for me personally was the paint application process. I used a small compressor, automotive paint and a cheap HVLP gun and it turned out great. The first flight was February 7, 2023 and went very well. I had been expecting to run into at least a few problems along the way, but everything up until this point has gone very well.

—Christopher Morris, Apopka, Florida

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—Peter Hoey
Doylestown, Pa

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First flight was in July of 2021. My lightning is powered by a Continental/Titan IOX-340 with a Prince fixed pitch prop. We installed twin Dynon HDX panels and a Garmin 650 for avionics. It was built with provision for a BRS parachute, but living in the Midwest, I never installed it (maybe some day?). This airplane flies like it’s on rails and responds crisply to controls without being twitchy. With a relatively high wing load, it’s smooth in light turbulence. Finally done with phase 1, we’re looking forward to some great trips that I’m still young enough to enjoy!

—Ted Lang

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Rollie Van Dorn, a commercial airline pilot who’s flown numerous other Bearhawk models, including the Model 5 prototype, flew the Phase I flight testing in the first finished Model 5 built by Collin Campbell. He noted that it feels the same as the Patrol, Bearhawk’s two-place tandem model, while maneuvering. 

“Ailerons actually feel lighter,” Van Dorn commented. “I expected this build to perform exactly the same as the prototype, and it did without exception.”

Van Dorn said that at 8500 feet, the Model 5 indicated 142 knots at 24 inches of manifold pressure and 2400 rpm. He went on to say that it was easy to maintain altitude with reduced power and that the aircraft exhibited gentle manners when pitching up and maneuvering in steep turns.

The Model 5 was designed to use Lycoming engines varying from 250 to 315 horsepower. The prototype used a 315-hp IO-580, whereas the first completed kit ran a 300-hp angle-valve IO-540. Both engines give a power-to-weight ratio equivalent to the most powerful competition acrobatic airplanes, making for excellent takeoff and climb performance. Van Dorn said the Model 5 really pushes you back in your seat and gets off the ground in a short distance. It hangs an 82-inch-diameter Hartzell Trailblazer three-blade carbon fiber propeller.

“I like to think of it as the Bearhawk grizzly,” Campbell jokes. “The biggest and the baddest bear of all.”

Check out the video of the Model 5 builder, Collin Campbell, providing more information on this aircraft.

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I live in a very active fly-in community in Port Orange, Florida and have privilege of he having the only Zenith on the field!

—Jorge Fernandez

More videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/roccoj083/videos

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It’s powered the 80 hp AeroVee 2.0 and performs just like Sonex said it would with cruise speed a conservative 130 mph. The project was completed in a 2-car garage and now I’m looking to complete my phase one testing and going on to enjoying flying.

—Edward Parisi

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The plane flew straight and level with no trim tabs. Don’t get me wrong, there were a few bugs. I still have a huge RV grin.

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I completed my EAB Inspection on May 14th 2021 and flew the first test flight that same day. I completed phase 1 testing on July 23rd 2021 and turned toward Oshkosh. I spent two nights at the New Holstein Super Cub Fly In, and landed at AirVenture on Monday July 25th. The Cub flies beautifully and I couldn’t be happier. I have Trick Air Skis, and Mead Amphibious Floats for it to keep me from getting bored in the future:)

—Daniel Gervae, Michigan, USA

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This is my third completion of my own airplane and my 13th first flight on a new or newly restored airplane. Hmmm… What next…?

—Scott Todd, Phoenix, Arizona

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