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Certified, Homebuilt or Ultralight? (merged)

Debate on homebuilt versus certified matters moved out of the End of the Lancair Evolution thread

Mooney_Driver wrote:

Looking at the last few years, more certified GA has developed here then in the US.

Can you be more specific on this and list few?

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

Emir wrote:

Can you be more specific on this and list few?

Several Tecnams and the Diamonds for starters? Should already be more than what new developed airframes came out of the US for GA….

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

Tecnams are certainly nice planes. They can’t compete on cost and performance with something like an RV, but in those areas where Experimental GA is legally constrained they are a good, but expensive option. Their cost even when built with southern Italian labor rates is the reason nobody in the US will compete, and why they don’t sell well in the US.

Diamond seems to have sold well for a while in the US but no longer – similar to the US Socata experience in the 80s. Maybe they’ll sell some twins as time goes on.

I don’t think it’s anybody’s business but the builder what kind of homebuilt he creates, or how much risk he takes, as long as he stays within the law.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 24 Oct 14:43

Silvaire wrote:

I don’t think it’s anybody’s business but the builder what kind of homebuilt he creates, or how much risk he takes, as long as he stays within the law.

Agreed, but only as long as he takes the risk alone (I have seen too many risk loving pilots taking out their unsuspecting families) and as long as he builds it himself.

EDDS - Stuttgart

I’m pretty certain most of the law abiding people concerned, pilots and passengers, are not terribly interested in the opinion of German individuals. Just a thought.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 24 Oct 14:51

Silvaire wrote:

are not terribly interested in the opinion of German individuals.

Are you gone crazy now? Since when does my nationality have anything to do with my liberty to express my opinion or with the liberty of others to listen to that opinion or not?

Peter: If you read this – either he leaves the forum or I will. Promised

EDDS - Stuttgart

Obviously @what_next, you can have any opinion you want and express it, as long as it’s not greatly offensive. What I’m saying quite specifically is that I think people engaging in legal activity in the US would not greatly value the critical and moralistic opinion of people in countries far away, where their activity would be vastly more constrained. Why would you think otherwise?

Last Edited by Silvaire at 24 Oct 15:37

OK, guys, please cool it. It’s not worth arguing about this.

Due to the European regs on homebuilt overflight and long term parking, the Evolution (which needs to be able to fly at a high altitude in the IFR system to make any sense) is even less useful than any high performance homebuilt. In fact it is practically useless, unless, in the unlikely event you will get busted, you can pay any fine in cash out of your pocket, with a smile. The Americans can have their cake and eat it on that, so to speak. Germany is about the only place in “modern” Europe where the Evolution can be long term parked, but it can barely fly usefully (and legally) out of German airspace… Consequently only 3 of them exist in Europe: 2 flying and 1 sitting in a hangar somewhere in the Balkans.

But it is fun to look at this plane and (for some) wish we could fly it in Europe.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

Germany is about the only place in “modern” Europe where the Evolution can be long term parked, but it can barely fly usefully (and legally) out of German airspace

This is an excessive statement Peter! Except UK and France, I don’t see any other country in Europe that prevents long term parking of a N-registered experimental. True that overflight permits are required for every individual country, but that is manageable from my perspective.

Belgium

Many previous threads e.g. here.

One issue with the Evolution specifically is that there is probably a zero chance of getting it onto any EU registry. Well, for highly motivated prospective owners, there is this

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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