Robert "Bob" Barrows is an American aircraft designer and engine builder of light aircraft. Best known as the designer of several Bearhawk planes, he is also a mechanical engineer, and A&P licensed aviation mechanic. [1] [2]
Barrows is the designer of the Bearhawk Patrol, Companion, 4-Place, and Model 5 light aircraft, [3] as well as the Bearhawk LSA light-sport aircraft. [4]
Prior to designing the first aircraft in the Bearhawk series, the 4-Place, Barrows designed and built a STOL high wing plane called the Grasshopper and an aerobatic biplane. [5] After designing his four-seat Bearhawk in the early 1990s, Barrows started using airfoils designed by Harry Riblett in his Bearhawk designs. [6]
In April 2019, Barrows was injured in his Bearhawk LSA when he clipped power lines on approach to land. The LSA's steel tube design resisted crumpling beyond the firewall. [7]
Van's Aircraft, Inc. is an American kit aircraft manufacturer founded by Richard "Van" VanGrunsven in 1973. The Van's RV series aircraft are all-aluminum, low-wing monoplanes of monocoque construction. In 2023, over 11,000 Van's aircraft were flying worldwide, one third of the USA's experimental aircraft fleet.
Peter M. Bowers was an aeronautical engineer, airplane designer, and a journalist and historian specializing in the field of aviation.
The Barrows Bearhawk, now also called the Bearhawk 4-Place, is an American amateur-built aircraft, designed by Bob Barrows and produced by R&B Aircraft of Fincastle, Virginia, AviPro Aircraft and now Bearhawk Aircraft of Austin, Texas. The aircraft is supplied as a kit or as plans for amateur construction.
The Ace Baby Ace, a single-seat, single-engine, parasol wing, fixed-gear light airplane, was marketed as a homebuilt aircraft when its plans were first offered for sale in 1929 — one of the first homebuilt aircraft plans available in the United States. Plans are still available and Baby Aces are still being built. Orland Corben designed a series of aircraft for the Ace Aircraft Manufacturing Company, the Baby Ace, Junior Ace, and Super Ace. Corben's name was associated with the aircraft, and it is commonly known as the Corben Baby Ace.
The Onex, Sonex, Waiex and Xenos are a family of lightweight, metal, low-wing, two seat homebuilt aircraft. Kits are produced and marketed by Sonex Aircraft, a small manufacturer based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. By 2014, 500 customer built aircraft had been completed. The Sonex can also be built from plans.
The Zodiac is a family of Canadian all-metal, two-seat, fixed landing gear airplanes that first flew in 1984. The aircraft have been produced as kits and completed aircraft by Zenair in Canada and Zenith Aircraft Company in the US.
The Europa XS and Europa Classic are a family of British composite two-place low-wing monoplane kit aircraft. Designed by Ivan Shaw, the Europa was introduced in the early 1990s. Europas are manufactured by Europa Aircraft and supplied as kits for amateur construction. More than 450 Europas have been completed.
The Bede BD-4 is an American light aircraft, designed by Jim Bede for homebuilding and available since 1968. It was one of the first homebuilt aircraft to be offered in kit form. It remains one of the world's most popular homebuilts with thousands of plans sold and hundreds of examples completed to date.
The UltraFlight Lazair is a family of Canadian designed and built twin-engine ultralight aircraft that were sold in kit form between 1979 and 1984.
The ICON A5 is an American amphibious light-sport aircraft (LSA) designed and produced by ICON Aircraft. A concept aircraft was first flown in 2008, and creation of the production tooling began in December 2012. The first production aircraft made its first flight on July 7, 2014, and made its public debut at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on July 27, 2014. A year later at AirVenture, it was temporarily donated to the youth group Young Eagles, with the first official A5 customer deliveries occurring in 2016. As of 2019, 100 A5s had been delivered. The aircraft is known for having brought significant excitement and publicity to the LSA industry since its unveiling in 2008, although company legal and financial issues have slowed production since 2016.
The Ultravia Pelican is the name given to two series of high-wing, single-engine, tractor configuration ultralight aircraft that were designed by Jean Rene Lepage and produced in kit form for amateur construction by Ultravia Aero International of Mascouche, Quebec and later Gatineau, Quebec.
The Circa Reproductions Nieuports are a family of Canadian 7/8 scale World War I sesquiplane aircraft replicas designed by Graham Lee of Lamont, Alberta for amateur construction from plans sold by Lee's company Circa Reproductions. Leading Edge Air Foils of Peyton, Colorado at one time also made construction kits available. Lee's Nieuports were among the earliest First World War replicas available and paved the way for later companies to produce plans and kits for a great variety of warbirds.
The Rans S-19 Venterra is an American single-engined, tractor configuration, two-seats in side-by-side configuration, low-wing monoplane designed by Randy Schlitter as a light-sport aircraft and manufactured by Rans Inc. The Venterra is available as a complete factory-built aircraft and in kit form for amateur construction.
Rans Designs, previously called Rans Inc., is an American aircraft and, formerly, a leading American recumbent bicycle and tricycle manufacturer, based in Hays, Kansas, United States. The company name is a portmanteau of the first and last names of the company founder, Randy Schlitter. Rans has produced over 3000 aircraft in kit form and as completed aircraft.
The Denney Kitfox is a series of small side-by-side, two-seat, high-wing, single engine kit aircraft, designed and originally manufactured by Dan Denney and his company Denney Aerocraft of Boise, Idaho. The aircraft is amateur-built and not type-certified. Over 4500 kits have been delivered in 42 different countries.
The Barrows Bearhawk Patrol is a two-seat aircraft, that was designed to meet United States homebuilt aircraft category requirements. It was developed from the four-seat Barrows Bearhawk.
The Hummel Ultracruiser is an American amateur-built aircraft, designed by Morry Hummel and produced by Hummel Aviation. The aircraft is supplied as a kit or plans for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly aircraft.
The Bearhawk LSA is an American amateur-built light-sport aircraft, designed by Bob Barrows and produced by Bearhawk Aircraft of Austin, Texas. The aircraft is supplied in the form of plans or a kit for amateur construction.
The Bearhawk Companion is an American amateur-built aircraft, designed by Bob Barrows, that is produced by Bearhawk Aircraft of Austin, Texas, introduced in August 2019. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction, with first customer deliveries in October 2019.
The Bearhawk 5 is a five-to-six seat American amateur-built aircraft, designed by Bob Barrows and under development by Bearhawk Aircraft. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.