Experimental C of A
I know of a few people with Cessna like aircraft that were transfered to the experimental category. One easy way to do it is to build wings for it, the FAA and transport Canada considers that 51%. Building wings might sound like a large endeavor but a company in Quebec has a kit built aircraft called the cyclone, the aircraft is a Cessna clone and the wings will fit on a Cessna. That takes care of the 51% rule..... while retaining aircraft flight characteristics.
That may be what transport Canada considers 51% but it is not what the FAA considers 51%. Perhaps in the past, the FAA was more lenient about what it considered substantial modifications to standard category aircraft and licensing them as amateur built but those days are gone. In fact, the FAA is in the process of redefining how it comes up with 51% and it is causing some nervousness in the kit manufacturing business. Current approved kits are grandfathered but new kits close to being marketed may find that the FAA will not approve them if too much of the aircraft comes pre-built.
