On 15 May 2004 15:48:06 -0700, (Ben Haas) wrote:

David O wrote in message . ..

The FAA Aircraft Registration database lists about four hundred Cessna
aircraft currently registered as Experimental. Of those, only the
following 14 Cessnas are registered as Experimental Amateur Built.

OK Cy and Roger, Explain these??? A curious mind wants to know..

Probably mostly errors in the database. Take N817BR, for instance. Listed
in my January 2004 database as Experimental/Amateur-Built Boeing B-17
Flying Fortress. Or like N484A, a Sea Rey licensed in the Normal category,
as are Sonerai N5102Q, Quicksilver N184DH, and Volksplane N2312B. I don't,
for the least minute, think anyone went through the certification process
on these.

The FAA Registration database has a Certification column (which indicates
how the plane was licensed) *and* an "Amateur-Built" column. Airplanes
like that B-17 are listed as "Experimental Amateur Built" in the
certification column yet have the "Amateur" flag turned off. There are 242
airplanes of this sort, from practically every manufacturer.

Things go around the other way, too. There are over 6,000 airplanes on the
January 2004 registry that have the Amateur-Built flag set, but are NOT
certified as "Experimental Amateur-Built." According to the FAA's
database, there are over 150 "Amateur-Built" Gulfstream 5s.

So: Don't rely too much on what the FAA registration database says.

But it *is* possible to get production-style airplanes certified as
Experimental Amateur-Built. I mentioned a Cessna 150 owner on a previous
posting, and realized that there is a Stinson 108-3 in the same situation
at my home field.

The owners either pulled strings with friends at the FAA or performed such
a massive rebuild that the inspector probably agreed it met the 51% rule.
Remember the guy I mentioned who had his 150 Ex/Am...he did NOT want any
publicity. He probably worked his via a buddy at the FAA. The Stinson guy
doesn't want to talk about his, either, but this plane has, at least, some
obvious external changes.

So: Is it possible? Yes.

Can a person who has no aircraft design, construction, or maintenance
expertise manage it? I'd say, no.

Ron Wanttaja