Wow, lots of interest here eh? :?
I'll just start talking to myself then. feel free to chime in if you want.
I've got the plans, and I've ordered Russ Erbs CD (supposed to be a nice reference source for Bearhawk builders).
Still waffling on whether or not I'll be purchasing Eric Newtons Build manual. I probably will buy it. Those that have it swear by it.
The real question for me is; do I want to completely scratch build this plane, or buy kits from AviPro. For those who don't know, AviPro makes QB kits for bearhawk builders. In addition to the QB, they offer various partial kits to help speed things along.
Am I building to have a hobby, and to enjoy the build process? or do I want to get into the air as quickly as possible. I'm kind of in the middle of the road on this one. On the one hand it would be nice to be airborne within 2 years time. On the other hand, I don't have the bundle of cash I'd need up front to purchase a kit. That, and it certainly would be a hoot to actually build this beastie soup to nuts.
If I had to chose today, I'd choose the long road. Ask me again 2-3 years into it, and I might just think differently.
So for now, I'll scratch build. I can get started for minimal investment, and see if the whole building "thing" is something I want to really do. If it is super I'm on my way. If it is fun but I want to knock a few years off the build, then AviPro is there. I've got a feeling that I'll fall into that catagory.