Point of information!
Cutting corners and saving a few bucks on construction are mutually exclusive goals.Experimental status is, and this may come as a shock to some and a perceived slight to others, not an invitation to cut corners or try to save a few buck on construction.
I've never met a homebuilder that cut corners - but every single one of them looks at how to make a safe plane at the lowest cost. Homebuilding is at its very core an effort to arrive at a product at a lower cost, mostly through the use of their own time as labor.
You are very wrong.I may very well be wrong, but then again if all things are equal with the "eh, it works" approach to construction, why do experimental aircraft have such a bigger issue with loss of engine power incidents and crashes (as an example)?
One has to dig into the numbers to find out the truth, but the high wreck rate in Experimentals has a lot to do with order of ownership once past the test phase of flight.
Here's a prime example - my aircraft, which is a just-over-ultralight open cockpit WWI replica biplane, andwill have (ready to cringe) motorcycle engine with redrive pulling it through the air.
There are no suitable certified engines that meet the requirements of the aircraft.
Now then, I'm building it for me - a very tall 6'2" 180 pound pilot. Well, when one scales me up from 7/8ths scale to match the aircraft to 1:1, anyway. In reality, everything will be customized for my 5'7" 145 pound body. I will know every thing about the engine and redrive from installation to maintenance. The non-adjustable seat will be set for me. The non-adjustable rudders will be set for me.
Statistically, if I make it through the 40 test period I have no more chance of mishap than any other pilot of a GA single engine piston driven fixed gear aircraft when number of landings is normalized.
The problem comes from when I sell the plane. The next guy might not be close to my height or weight and skirt the CG one way or the other. He may not be aware of how to inspect a redrive or what maintenance to do on the airframe and engine. Danger, Will Robinson.
Worse is when that second guy sells the aircraft. He won't get the "lemme tell you about my baby" briefing the first buyer got. He may be wildly off of my size.
He may have never flown a short wheel based light tail dragger. He might not know that the brakes are only to be used at a very slow taxi speed, being put in place solely to hold the aircraft at start, runup, and to finish off a power off coasting at the hanger when done.
Add in the maintenance mystery. One does not consult an A&P to maintain a V-twin; one consults a motorcycle mechanic.
One thing we do a lousy job of in the aviation world is transition training. This isn't just with experimentals; lots of LSA's are getting creamed not because they're unsafe - it's because the guy who's used to his C172 hops into a CTLS without transistion. The wing loading and power bands are different; crosswinds are trickier, and the effect of flaps may be disconcerting.
On TSO'd instruments, we'll reach agreement pretty quickly once we define mission. If I were building an aircraft that I anticipated doing scheduled cross country or IFR stuff in I'd be right with you. What about a "putter around" plane that will probably never go over 4,000 AGL, faster than 60 MPH, and will only fly in "fun" VFR conditions at uncontrolled airfields?
In my aircraft about the only thing on the panel I'll be watching is the slip indicator, volt meter, oil temp and pressure guages with real interest. Glance at the altimeter when getting ready to approach an airport for landing.
Just like I do in the Champ, which is all nicely certified and TSO'd.
The supposition that the EAA should "pass" a third of its membership (homebuilders and restorers) to cater to a very tiny wedge (one percent, if we're going to be generous?) of the membership that has even partial ownership of a multi-million dollar turbine spam can is precisely what keeps this thread going....
I'll agree that it's "big tent" in the EAA. I'm as alien to the notion of the 100,000 dollar homebuilt with the TSO'd everything as you are of a 560 pound one seat no luggage compartment tube and fabric biplane. But I'll still drool over the fancy stuff of your plane (real corinthian leather!) and watch you grin as I get you to wear the flying helmet and silk scarf while sitting in mine!
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I'm a member of AOPA to protect the GA side of piloting.
I'm a member of EAA to protect the Homebuilder side of piloting.
On 99% of stuff they agree and work together. That's a good thing. When they disagree, my support goes to whichever benefits me the most!
And sometimes they fight dumb issues that shouldn't be fought.
When the organizations become too similar one of them is redundant. We see this in politics all the time. When given a choice between voting for a Democrat or a politician that sounds like a Democrat, people will vote for the Democrat.*
* Insert any political party, as it holds true regardless.