Experimental LSA gliders?

Bob Kuykendall wrote:
On Feb 18, 10:55 am, Marc Ramsey wrote:
... the FAA does have rules on the book that
restrict series manufacture and sale of non-
type certificated non-ultralight aircraft...

Cite? I keep hearing that, but I keep not seeing it. All those Zunis
got into the air somehow...

I can't give one, clearly, or I would have in the past. There's a bunch
of stuff in advisory circulars that is just plain hard to track down,
even with the wonders of the internet. Maybe it is a myth, but I doubt
it. Even Applebay was preparing to go through the type certification
dance, why would he have bothered for a single seater?

Marc

I'm not sure exactly where it states requirements but as an example
the FAA requires kits to have 51% completed by the owner. They just
put a moratorium on new kits approved for the 51% rule and are trying
to evaluate programs like Lancair and other "weekend" kits. This is of
course for Experimental-Amateur Built. You can probably register a US
factory built glider as exhibition or racing and get away with it. You
just wouldn't get the repairman certificate for having built it. I
think this is how some aerobatic aircraft like the Zivko Edge do it.

http://www.eaa.org/news/2008/2008-02-15_kits.asp

You can't register something as ELSA or SLSA that has already been
certified, so you can't convert and do maintenance on a 1-26 or Ka-6
that already exists. If someone wants to start building them again
like they've done with the Cub and Champ then you could.

On Feb 18, 3:25*pm, wrote:
...the FAA requires kits to have 51% completed by the owner...

No, that's not quite true.

The FAA rules require that the "major portion" of the aircraft be
constructed for the purposes of recreation and education. They don't
care whether it was the owner or another person, or another person's
hairdresser's dog. Just so long as it was built for fun and learning
and not for money.

Thanks, Bob K.
http://www.hpaircraft.com

Thats where we have a definite advantage in Australia.
There is no speed limit for LSA and we only have to have a propeller (for
powered LSA). It does not have to be fixed pitch.
We fought hard for that and in the end are happy we managed to get that out
of the regulator.

As Marc rightly points out, LSA is a definite advantage for manufacturer's
to circumvent the multi million dollar type certification process. It does
not do much for gliders in my opinion if you have to prove that you have a
VNE of 120kts.
The nice bit about it is the 600kg which could make an 18m or strandard ship
go quite nicely. Who is going to check your speed in the air?

I don't envy the US system and am happy that our information re regulatory
material is readily accesible.
Admittedly, there is not much of an uptake in Aus for LSA, other than Jabiru
and a few imports, as our normal regs (for ultralights) are superior to the
LSA offering, even if the weight limit has not reached 600kg as yet. It will
this year though.
No one has taken up the LSA offering under gliding here as yet.

Chris

The FAA rules require that the "major portion" of the aircraft be
constructed for the purposes of recreation and education. They don't
care whether it was the owner or another person, or another person's
hairdresser's dog. Just so long as it was built for fun and learning
and not for money.

I left that out but I don't think the FAA intended to include
operations like Lancair or Velocity. If you have the money you just
show up and within two weeks you construct the airframe, hang the
engine, install instruments and are ready to fly away in a
pressurized, turbine aircraft at 350 kts. The builder may have a hand
in the "majority" during that time but the factory is basically being
paid to do the majority of construction. The factory is in the
business of building airplanes and thats why the FAA is taking another
look at approved kits and programs. They don't want it to get to a
point where the factory has you install a tire and say you built the
entire thing.