If Van Grunsven were to go through certification, we'd all be treated to
the thrill of paying a quarter million for an RV7. No thanks. It's only
through people like Van who have refined the Experimental market to being a
"cookie cutter" operation that many of us can now afford to fly brand new
aircraft that equal or exceed capabilities of GA, and are safer as well (if
built to designers recommendations for systems and engines).
Don't mess with a good thing. If you think that to be a real man is to
build an "experimental" from scratch or plans, have at it. Just leave the
rest of us alone. This "system" is doing fine.

MJC

wrote in message
oups.com...

A simple plans built airplane can be built in 2000 hours,assuming you
work halfway efficiently. The problem is many builders have no skills
and also no great amount of time to devote to the project because they
are working a lot of hours. (You'd think they would be therefore
affluent enough to buy an airplane....)

The sad part is kits wind up taking these people almost as much time
as a scratchbuilt airplane would.

The bottom line is you need to become a skilled aircraft mechanic to
build an airplane...is it a skill set you value enough to learn at this
price? (Don't mistake "skilled" for "licensed". They have absolutely
no relation whatsoever to each other.)

Experimental Amateur Built has, to an extent, become a simple and
baldfaced dodge around type certification. When 90% of builders are
building a few types of 49% done kits on a cookie cutter basis, it's
time to re-evaluate "the system". Experimental should be for
experimenters: people like Van Grunsven should be told to get a type
certificate, tool up, and build a finished airplane.