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Thread: Homebuilt Fleet Size Summary - 2022

  1. #1
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Homebuilt Fleet Size Summary - 2022

    Per my usual practice, I downloaded the FAA Aircraft Registration database on the last business day in December. Here are the fleet sizes of aircraft that are registered as Experimental Amateur-Built. Note this does not include examples that are registered as Light Sport, or have a blank in the column where the type of registration is normally listed.

    For each year, the fleet size shown is on the last day OF that year.
    Type
    2014
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    2020
    2021
    2022
    Air Command
    35
    31
    31
    25
    19
    18
    18
    18
    17
    Aventura
    68
    63
    65
    57
    50
    49
    50
    48
    47
    Avid
    359
    343
    352
    342
    296
    289
    280
    278
    271
    Baby/Junior Ace
    228
    228
    230
    225
    204
    201
    199
    197
    193
    Bede BD-4
    91
    93
    92
    90
    78
    82
    78
    79
    79
    Bede BD-5
    43
    40
    41
    38
    34
    35
    32
    31
    30
    Benson Gyro
    218
    200
    198
    158
    105
    79
    64
    62
    58
    Bowers Fly Baby
    168
    167
    167
    160
    140
    139
    135
    130
    132
    Carbon Cub (EAB)
    46
    64
    90
    119
    177
    244
    308
    331
    388
    Challenger
    594
    586
    593
    578
    491
    480
    476
    461
    447
    Christen Eagle
    207
    206
    205
    204
    194
    192
    192
    193
    191
    Cozy
    160
    164
    165
    163
    151
    151
    156
    158
    157
    Glasair
    606
    596
    603
    599
    571
    571
    563
    558
    565
    GlaStar/Sportsman
    386
    396
    407
    424
    410
    424
    438
    443
    450
    Harmon Rocket
    85
    87
    85
    85
    80
    77
    75
    78
    79
    Hatz
    107
    110
    111
    110
    112
    111
    110
    113
    117
    Kitfox
    918
    936
    950
    946
    875
    871
    889
    887
    885
    Kolb (Ex-AB)
    241
    236
    235
    227
    205
    198
    186
    181
    177
    Lancair (All Models)
    847
    855
    875
    866
    824
    826
    834
    839
    821
    Lancair IV
    244
    259
    260
    249
    236
    240
    243
    244
    245
    Midget Mustang
    240
    236
    238
    233
    207
    205
    204
    202
    199
    Murphy
    171
    171
    176
    174
    156
    161
    159
    160
    158
    Pietenpol
    313
    311
    321
    319
    296
    297
    289
    284
    278
    Pitts (EX-AB)
    613
    617
    625
    608
    548
    543
    534
    522
    522
    Pulsar/KIS
    126
    124
    125
    122
    107
    108
    105
    102
    102
    Quickie/Q2/Q200
    148
    140
    143
    130
    109
    103
    100
    98
    99
    Quicksilver EX-AB
    163
    156
    162
    154
    134
    127
    129
    131
    129
    RAF-2000 Gyro
    114
    110
    111
    90
    69
    69
    69
    66
    62
    Rand KR-2
    175
    167
    167
    154
    132
    132
    124
    115
    109
    RANS
    638
    659
    677
    673
    636
    651
    652
    663
    676
    RANS S-12
    129
    128
    128
    121
    107
    106
    109
    104
    102
    RANS S-6
    201
    208
    213
    211
    204
    205
    200
    198
    201
    RANS S-7
    189
    202
    206
    209
    202
    210
    208
    213
    217
    Rotorway
    392
    374
    380
    350
    296
    296
    287
    283
    274
    Rutan Long-EZ
    418
    416
    417
    406
    379
    380
    378
    369
    371
    Rutan Varieze
    297
    286
    286
    272
    243
    238
    231
    222
    219
    SeaRey
    242
    242
    249
    255
    241
    238
    235
    236
    235
    Sonerai
    199
    194
    194
    184
    156
    156
    158
    155
    145
    Sonex
    420
    451
    484
    497
    486
    510
    527
    532
    539
    Steen Skybolt
    246
    247
    248
    235
    215
    215
    215
    211
    208
    Stolp
    396
    399
    402
    385
    358
    349
    354
    342
    337
    Stolp Starduster
    349
    351
    352
    337
    310
    302
    308
    301
    294
    Thorp T-18
    259
    259
    262
    257
    239
    238
    236
    238
    235
    Vans
    5956
    6110
    6293
    6414
    6447
    6634
    6779
    6960
    7115
    Vans RV-3
    154
    158
    160
    152
    149
    149
    149
    149
    146
    Vans RV-4
    956
    955
    965
    958
    921
    921
    921
    922
    915
    Vans RV-6
    1783
    1775
    1795
    1796
    1731
    1742
    1737
    1750
    1756
    Vans RV-7
    1066
    1118
    1170
    1220
    1244
    1285
    1322
    1358
    1400
    Vans RV-8
    1082
    1123
    1161
    1198
    1215
    1252
    1278
    1304
    1315
    Vans RV-9
    552
    588
    611
    630
    638
    658
    677
    689
    702
    Vans RV-10
    340
    366
    394
    419
    434
    459
    492
    530
    570
    Vans RV-12 (EX-AB)
    49
    53
    63
    68
    74
    75
    74
    81
    82
    Vans RV-14
    0
    0
    14
    38
    66
    98
    134
    182
    234
    Velocity
    237
    235
    240
    236
    222
    224
    228
    228
    236
    Volksplane
    95
    85
    86
    76
    48
    47
    48
    48
    45
    Zenair
    920
    965
    1013
    1028
    992
    1013
    1028
    1066
    1091
    Zenair CH-601
    348
    353
    367
    367
    339
    332
    325
    323
    313
    Zenair CH-701
    334
    348
    351
    347
    318
    328
    333
    329
    339
    Zenair CH-750
    127
    145
    171
    187
    209
    229
    247
    285
    306
    Overall
    27909
    28078
    28830
    28451
    26572
    26842
    26941
    27117
    27315


    Not every homebuilt type is included. I've tried to pick the most-common homebuilts, with a few of the rarer ones as well. If a type isn't listed, it's just because I didn't run the process for that particular aircraft. The above list accounts for about 2/3rds of the total homebuilts.

    You can download this as a PDF at:

    http://www.wanttaja.com/HB2022.pdf

    In the PDF, red text indicates a decrease in the fleet size since the previous year.

    Ron Wanttaja
    Last edited by rwanttaja; 01-01-2023 at 12:00 PM.

  2. #2
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Here's a plot showing the number of Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft on the registry each year since 2000. The "Shark Fin" effect is from the FAA's re-registration process, started in 2010.

    Name:  homebuilts per year 2022.JPG
Views: 1517
Size:  62.8 KB

    Ron Wanttaja

  3. #3
    ironnerd's Avatar
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    Interesting, but I'm not following as well as I think I should.

    Is this new registrations per year?
    John P. Adams
    EAA 1379403

    If it flies and puts a smile on your face, it's the best plane in the world.

  4. #4
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ironnerd View Post
    Interesting, but I'm not following as well as I think I should.

    Is this new registrations per year?
    Total number of EAB registered in the indicated year. There are roughly about 1,000 homebuilts added to the registry each year.

    Ron Wanttaja

  5. #5
    Joda's Avatar
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    Thanks for taking time to put together this data Ron. I will use this in a couple of presentations I'm doing this year. Great stuff!!
    Cheers!

    Joe

  6. #6
    prasmussen's Avatar
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    Only 132 of the Fly Baby? Surprising.
    The journey is the reward.

  7. #7
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by prasmussen View Post
    Only 132 of the Fly Baby? Surprising.
    Older design, and single-seater...not much interest as a general homebuilt. Have lost more than half the Fly Babies on the register since 2000.

    Pietenpols are hanging on better, with a drop from ~400 to 278 in twenty years. Probably a reflection on being a two-seat design, and more known for alternate engines.

    What REALLY got nailed was the Benson Gyrocopter. 1,053 on the registry in 1998, only 58 now. Lost about 500 just in the first deregistration cycle, from 2010 to 2013. Not sure how accurate that original count was, as far as whether the aircraft actually existed or no. I've always suspected that the first step in the instruction was to request an N-Number from the FAA....

    Ron Wanttaja

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