On Sat, 8 Mar 2008 21:01:53 +0000 (UTC), Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

OK, so the FAA allows these planes under the guise of "experimental"
they certify planes and then there are experimental planes that are as
good or better than the certified planes (not talking engines whose
"certifications" are all over the place).

Is that about right?

If so, 1) where do you find the output which points to "good" kit/plan
planes and 2) what good is the FAA doing (other than restricting the
good builds for market related purposes)?

The FAA made the rules in the late forties to accomodate guys who wanted
to make little putt putts like Piets and Longsters in their garages. The
rules haven;t changed significantly since then. You can draw out any
kind of airplane powered by any kind of engine you like on the back of a
napkin, go out and get material to build it from anywhere you like. you
can make it out of old beer cans if you like. The design can be as nutty
as you like. You're unlikely to get anything too stupid past them, but
you're pretty much given Carte Blanche in the design and matrials
department. So, you start to build it and then you can decide , before
you've even got a couple of opieces glued togethether you decide you
want to share this marvelous beast with the world. You advertise it on
the net and before you know it people ( crazy ones) are throwing money
at you asking you to build one for them. Lots of people have been burned
in many ways through this sort of activity over the years and there's
nothing to distinguish a VanGruven airplane from one of these things
legally.

Bertie

Thx for that.
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