Buying a used homebuilt: LSA compliant wrt Vh?

I am considering purchasing a small homebuilt biplane (amateur built experimental aircraft). It got its airworthiness certificate over 20 years ago. How do I determine whether the plane fits in the LSA rules? I know its gross weight is under 1320 lbs, max stall is under 45 kts, but I don't know that Vh (speed at max continuous power at sea level) was ever established. Was Vh part of the airworthiness certification process prior to LSA coming into being? If Vh was not established and recorded as part of the original certification, can it be established now, and if so, by what process? Any advice much appreciated, thanks.


From elsewhere on the EAA website I found: 


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Vh is defined in FAR Part 1.1 under Light-Sport Aircraft as: The maximum airspeed in level flight with maximum continuous power (Vh) of not more than 120 knots CAS under standard atmospheric conditions at sea level.



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So, even if the POH or other documentation includes cruise speeds and "top" or "maximum" speeds, there is no assurance that any of the data were collected at or corrected to standard atmospheric conditions at sea level, right?

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Originally Posted by Jeff Boatright

Was Vh part of the airworthiness certification process prior to LSA coming into being? If Vh was not established and recorded as part of the original certification, can it be established now, and if so, by what process? Any advice much appreciated, thanks.

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There's no requirement to establish Vh on an E-A/B aircraft. I think if you check it and it's in compliance, you're good to go. Make an entry into the logbook and/or make a placard for the panel if you want to formalize it.

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Originally Posted by martymayes

There's no requirement to establish Vh on an E-A/B aircraft. I think if you check it and it's in compliance, you're good to go. Make an entry into the logbook and/or make a placard for the panel if you want to formalize it.

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Thanks for the reply, Marty. I guess now the problem is how to get the seller to check that before I purchase the plane!

You can always re-pitch the prop "before" testing........

It would be really unfortunate if you were the first LSA given a speeding ticket when the Federales Against Aviation decide to expand their revenueing with speed camera traps. (Dang! I hope they don't read this and get that idea...)

Perhaps that is the secret chapter of NextGen they haven't yet disclosed. ADS-B speeding tickets. Will we have to be careful of self-violation? Do my Fifth Amendment Rights extend to my transponder? :rollseyes:

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Originally Posted by TedK

Do my Fifth Amendment Rights extend to my transponder? :rollseyes:

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Just don't have one, transponder that is.

For the question, look and see what the other airplanes like this one, make and model, are registered as. If they have a standard certificate you will be hard pressed to get it registered as anything but.

Tony