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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.

Good parts plane? Wonder what the engine would bring?

The O-320 H2AD engine? Not much!!

Bill
Grants Pass, Oregon

Yup - that engine came with a built-in Airworthiness Directive right out of the factory doors. It taught Lycoming never again to put the letters "AD" into the model number.

I've heard that once the bugs were worked out, the -H2AD engine is reliable. I'm sure it was painful to those owners who had to live through the process though. I would not rule out an aircraft with this engine today without doing some careful research and ensuring it was properly modified.

Good point. I just helped work on a 172 with the -H2AD engine. It's flown pretty regularly with no issues. The most obvious continuous maintenance is the need for an anti-scuff additive in the engine oil. And I believe AeroShell 15W-50 comes with that additive 'built in'.

I personally am not very excited about having one drive to drive what is supposed to be two mags - one failure in the wrong place, (and not necessarily in the engine its self) and their both gone

This one doesn't have mags, it has an electronic ignition. Neato!

The bidding is going higher then I really thought that it would! I would love to hear what those that are bidding thoughts are??

Bill
Grants Pass, Oregon