Registration of aircraft with no EASA type certificate

Orphan or orphelins in France are basically manufactured aircraft where the priginal manufacturer no longer exists
There is AFAIK no weight limit.Many Jodels are orphelins.
Currently ULMs have an MTOW of 500kg or 525kg with chute and 575? with chute and floats. Generally, French ULMs start at an empty weight below 300kg. In typical French fashion there is a slightly strange way of calculating useful load so there is a laissez faire attitude to 2 fat blokes and a couple of big rucksacks turning up.
A DC3 can possibly choose to fly under “avions collection” or Orphelin but things are easier under collection.
A home built Mosquito bomber to 3/4 scale, after a little while under experimental category then swapped to "construction amateur.
All categories have very few difficulties flying around Europe and any permissions needed are usually for 6 months or more and most can be done online or at least by email.

A DC3 can possibly choose to fly under “avions collection”

The DC3 is not an ‘orphan’ and would not likely fly in any sub-ICAO airworthiness category. Boeing apparently has an office to supply data for non-current and legacy types, and under EASA regs this is useful in preventing any reduction in airworthiness certification associated with TC holder business status. Most of them fly anyway on FAA registration where the TC holder status isn’t a factor because the ‘orphan’ concept does not exist in FAA regulation.

Silvaire wrote:

The DC3 is not an ‘orphan’ and would not likely fly in any sub-ICAO airworthiness category.

AFAIU the DC3 is an Annex 1 aircraft. That doesn’t imply a sub-ICAO CofA.

Here is the current Type Certificate Data Sheet for the DC-3, now in revision 32 since the 1930s. Nothing about its type certification has changed since then.

As I understand it “Annex 1” is a recently invented EASA category (it’s hard to keep track of them, they change like a kaleidoscope) that on European registers covers the types of aircraft listed here

I can’t see an immediate connection, but I suppose there might be one in the mind of some EASA bureaucrat.

The link to the FAA online TCDS for the DC-3 didn’t work for some reason. Here’s an online version Link Rev 30 instead of the latest Rev 32 but close enough.

This also covers the ex-military (e.g. C-47) versions which like the others can still be used commercially, as per the notes in the current TCDS referring to air carrier operations.

Silvaire wrote:

Here is the current Type Certificate Data Sheet for the DC-3, now in revision 32 since the 1930s. Nothing about its type certification has changed since then.

I don’t see the relevance of that. I never said the DC-3 didn’t have a type certificate, did I?

As I understand it “Annex 1” is a recently invented EASA category (it’s hard to keep track of them, they change like a kaleidoscope) that on European registers covers the types of aircraft listed here

Indeed.

Anyway, it all depends on how you interpret “recently”. The concept of “non-EASA” aircraft has been around since the first EASA Basic Regulation in 2009 (although at that time it was Annex 2) which is not recent in the sense that was introduced from the very start of EASA.

gallois wrote:

Currently ULMs have an MTOW of 500kg or 525kg with chute and 575? with chute and floats

Yes, non-EASA UL It’s a pure French national concept that has very little in common with ULs as specified by EASA. This obviously also creates some problems now that non-French ULs can have MTOW of 600 kg (according to EASA). Which is a bit funny, because I have heard of no problems with French 525 kg ULs when the rest of Europe was max 450 kg (472.5 with chute).

DC-3s aside (which are not UL, experimental, sub ICAO or particularly GA-sized ), there are other ways to register an aircraft in a specific country than EASA or UL. I have no idea how this works in Holland though

France went to the 500kg when others were moving to 600kg. Moving to 600kg would have meant further restrictions on the category. I have asked before about what you need to do to get an UL licence in Germany for instance at what age and whether or not you have to have regular controls. The same goes for other countries. Although I do know you need a class2 medical in Spain which would be a no – no here.
I also know that a UL can’t have an autopilot in Germany whereas you can in France.
I’d be interested in other differences.
As for the DC3. We have one at Ferté Alais and as has already been explained it is EASA annexe1 so it is regulated (perhaps the wrong word) under national regulation.
What is called experimental in USA breaks down in France to various categories of restricted or non restricted C of A. Each has it’s own nuances.
An aircraft could possibly fit into more than one category eg Orphelin and Collection and then operator/owner can choose to register the aircraft under the category that suits best.
All carry the F-P registration except for experimental during its period as experimental when it is registered as F-W.
In terms of flying to other European countries, some have agreements for most it is pretty easy but one always has to check to see if a permit is required.

I also know that a UL can’t have an autopilot in Germany

Who dreams up crap like that? It is completely meaningless. You may as well ban carbon monoxide detectors. Banning seat belts would probably do more for suppression of flying activity