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Thread: 2021 EAB Aircraft Registration Summary

  1. #1
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    2021 EAB Aircraft Registration Summary

    As usual, I've downloaded the end-of-year FAA registration database and run my various processes to examine the trends for a number of homebuilt aircraft types. Note that these count only aircraft registered as Experimental Amateur-Built. It does not count aircraft that do not list a certification type (about 5,000 aircraft with homebuilt-like names) nor aircraft registered as Special Light Sport or Experimental Light Sport (e.g., SLSA or ELSA RV-12s).

    Type
    2013
    2014
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    2020
    2021
    Air Command
    36
    35
    31
    31
    25
    19
    18
    18
    18
    Aventura
    71
    68
    63
    65
    57
    50
    49
    50
    48
    Avid
    359
    359
    343
    352
    342
    296
    289
    280
    278
    Baby/Junior Ace
    230
    228
    228
    230
    225
    204
    201
    199
    197
    Bede BD-4
    98
    91
    93
    92
    90
    78
    82
    78
    79
    Bede BD-5
    49
    43
    40
    41
    38
    34
    35
    32
    31
    Benson Gyro
    271
    218
    200
    198
    158
    105
    79
    64
    62
    Bowers Fly Baby
    183
    168
    167
    167
    160
    140
    139
    135
    130
    Carbon Cub (EAB)
    29
    46
    64
    90
    119
    177
    244
    308
    331
    Challenger
    584
    594
    586
    593
    578
    491
    480
    476
    461
    Christen Eagle
    214
    207
    206
    205
    204
    194
    192
    192
    193
    Cozy
    158
    160
    164
    165
    163
    151
    151
    156
    158
    Glasair
    601
    606
    596
    603
    599
    571
    571
    563
    558
    GlaStar/Sportsman
    374
    386
    396
    407
    424
    410
    424
    438
    443
    Harmon Rocket
    88
    85
    87
    85
    85
    80
    77
    75
    78
    Hatz
    105
    107
    110
    111
    110
    112
    111
    110
    113
    Kitfox
    905
    918
    936
    950
    946
    875
    871
    889
    887
    Kolb (Ex-AB)
    248
    241
    236
    235
    227
    205
    198
    186
    181
    Lancair (All Models)
    835
    847
    855
    875
    866
    824
    826
    834
    839
    Lancair IV
    246
    244
    259
    260
    249
    236
    240
    243
    244
    Midget Mustang
    241
    240
    236
    238
    233
    207
    205
    204
    202
    Murphy
    173
    171
    171
    176
    174
    156
    161
    159
    160
    Pietenpol
    307
    313
    311
    321
    319
    296
    297
    289
    284
    Pitts (EX-AB)
    639
    613
    617
    625
    608
    548
    543
    534
    522
    Pulsar/KIS
    130
    126
    124
    125
    122
    107
    108
    105
    102
    Quickie/Q2/Q200
    168
    148
    140
    143
    130
    109
    103
    100
    98
    Quicksilver EX-AB
    170
    163
    156
    162
    154
    134
    127
    129
    131
    RAF-2000 Gyro
    113
    114
    110
    111
    90
    69
    69
    69
    66
    Rand KR-2
    194
    175
    167
    167
    154
    132
    132
    124
    115
    RANS
    627
    638
    659
    677
    673
    636
    651
    652
    663
    RANS S-12
    130
    129
    128
    128
    121
    107
    106
    109
    104
    RANS S-6
    200
    201
    208
    213
    211
    204
    205
    200
    198
    RANS S-7
    180
    189
    202
    206
    209
    202
    210
    208
    213
    Rotorway
    404
    392
    374
    380
    350
    296
    296
    287
    283
    Rutan Long-EZ
    428
    418
    416
    417
    406
    379
    380
    378
    369
    Rutan Varieze
    323
    297
    286
    286
    272
    243
    238
    231
    222
    SeaRey
    231
    242
    242
    249
    255
    241
    238
    235
    236
    Sonerai
    215
    199
    194
    194
    184
    156
    156
    158
    155
    Sonex
    383
    420
    451
    484
    497
    486
    510
    527
    532
    Steen Skybolt
    250
    246
    247
    248
    235
    215
    215
    215
    211
    Stolp
    404
    396
    399
    402
    385
    358
    349
    354
    342
    Stolp Starduster
    357
    349
    351
    352
    337
    310
    302
    308
    301
    Thorp T-18
    261
    259
    259
    262
    257
    239
    238
    236
    238
    Vans
    5745
    5956
    6110
    6293
    6414
    6447
    6634
    6779
    6960
    Vans RV-3
    155
    154
    158
    160
    152
    149
    149
    149
    149
    Vans RV-4
    952
    956
    955
    965
    958
    921
    921
    921
    922
    Vans RV-6
    1763
    1783
    1775
    1795
    1796
    1731
    1742
    1737
    1750
    Vans RV-7
    1000
    1066
    1118
    1170
    1220
    1244
    1285
    1322
    1358
    Vans RV-8
    1038
    1082
    1123
    1161
    1198
    1215
    1252
    1278
    1304
    Vans RV-9
    522
    552
    588
    611
    630
    638
    658
    677
    689
    Vans RV-10
    304
    340
    366
    394
    419
    434
    459
    492
    530
    Vans RV-12 (EX-AB)
    36
    49
    53
    63
    68
    74
    75
    74
    81
    Vans RV-14
    0
    0
    0
    14
    38
    66
    98
    134
    182
    Velocity
    232
    237
    235
    240
    236
    222
    224
    228
    228
    Volksplane
    104
    95
    85
    86
    76
    48
    47
    48
    48
    Zenair
    862
    920
    965
    1013
    1028
    992
    1013
    1028
    1066
    Zenair CH-601
    340
    348
    353
    367
    367
    339
    332
    325
    323
    Zenair CH-701
    331
    334
    348
    351
    347
    318
    328
    333
    329
    Zenair CH-750
    86
    127
    145
    171
    187
    209
    229
    247
    285
    Overall
    27946
    27909
    28078
    28830
    28451
    26572
    26842
    26941
    27117

    Ron Wanttaja

  2. #2

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    Thank you!

    I really like the service you provide with the community, as it gives a window into where the E-AB community's head is. Some planes have gone down in popularity (as some fall off, there's not much to replace them), some have risen.

    And a few remain steady over the time. The Pietenpol is the antithesis of C&C cut aluminum sheets with pre-drilled holes, yet it's numbers remain relatively unchanged since 2013.
    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

  3. #3
    Airmutt's Avatar
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    Aw gee Frank I thought you were gonna bust Ron’s chops for not having a line item for all the Nieuports on the registry
    Dave Shaw
    EAA 67180 Lifetime
    Learn to Build, Build to Fly, Fly for Fun

  4. #4
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Giger View Post
    Thank you!

    I really like the service you provide with the community, as it gives a window into where the E-AB community's head is. Some planes have gone down in popularity (as some fall off, there's not much to replace them), some have risen.

    And a few remain steady over the time. The Pietenpol is the antithesis of C&C cut aluminum sheets with pre-drilled holes, yet it's numbers remain relatively unchanged since 2013.
    It's even more interesting in that the figures I post are the *net* aircraft. In the nine-year period covered here, about 250 Pietenpols were removed from the FAA registry. The net has only dropped by 25 aircraft or so...that means that about 225 airplanes were added! Some of them are probably previously-deregistered aircraft, but that's still pretty good.

    Quote Originally Posted by Airmutt View Post
    Aw gee Frank I thought you were gonna bust Ron’s chops for not having a line item for all the Nieuports on the registry
    That's nothing, I'm waiting for an RVer to complain "Why do you show only 6940 EAB RVs on the FAA registry, and Van's says 11,000 have been completed!"

    Ron "Smacking one fist into his palm menacingly" Wanttaja

  5. #5

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    The one that comes as a surprise is Velocity. The baseline number of airplanes is relatively small, the factory is still in operation, yet the number of registered aircraft ain't moving.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kyle Boatright View Post
    The one that comes as a surprise is Velocity. The baseline number of airplanes is relatively small, the factory is still in operation, yet the number of registered aircraft ain't moving.
    Well, you are looking at the net change. During 2021, four EAB Velocities were removed from the registry. So four new ones were added to keep the net at 228. Still, that's not a lot....

    Ron Wanttaja

  7. #7

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    While I appreciate the work done in reporting this, and I understand the issues with searching the FAA's database when anyone can call their aircraft anything they want and the plethora of typo's, I also have to protest the glaring absence of the Breezys, Woody's Pushers, and certainly all the Wittman aircraft, Tailwinds in particular.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by DonN View Post
    While I appreciate the work done in reporting this, and I understand the issues with searching the FAA's database when anyone can call their aircraft anything they want and the plethora of typo's, I also have to protest the glaring absence of the Breezys, Woody's Pushers, and certainly all the Wittman aircraft, Tailwinds in particular.
    And every year, people complain of the lack of Dyke Deltas, Polywagons, VariViggens, Stits Playmates, Windwagons, etc. Inclusion on the list above is not a reflection of how important I feel the designs are, though I make an effort to include the most-numerous examples. The less-numerous designs are often included due to curiosity or the fact that I *know* someone who owns a particular design (this started as an EAA Chapter presentation). The Benson Gyrocopter had the *highest number of registrations*, back when I first started running these analyses back in 1998. That's why it's still included. In any case, it really highlights how the FAA's re-registration process has hammered homebuilt totals.

    If you add up the totals for the aircraft types for 2021 in the above table, you get 18,318 aircraft. Yet the total fleet size, as shown on the last line, is 27,117. So yes, there are about 9,000 homebuilts of other types that are not individually split out.

    As you mention, the homebuilt's make/model are up to the builder's whim, as are the actual spelling of the names. That's what gets fun when trying to identify aircraft. I mean that literally; it's kind of a detective story.

    Take Breezies, for instance. I first ran a Model name search for "*Breezy*". Then I noticed that a lot of the Breezies have a "RLU-1" designation. So then I add "*RLU*" to the filter, and get eight additional registrations that *don't* have "Breezy" in the name. It doesn't catch the one called "R.L.U.-1" (the periods throw it off), but that one also already had "Breezy" in the name anyway.

    But there's still a lot of uncertainty. Is a "GE-1 Breezy" the same aircraft? What about a "Naked Angel Breezy" (N11DD)? I'm guessing they are...but with the total "hits" on the filter only coming to 80 or so, the accuracy of the tally comes into question. And, of course, the same filters have to be applied to the "Make" entry, too, because some people put "Breezy" into the "Make," not the "Model".

    There's LESS worry about more-numerous types such as the RV-6. I still have to search for "RV-6", "RV6", "RV 6" and even "VANS SIX" (with wildcards of course), but almost all builders put a variation of "RV" and "6" in the model name. Still some misses, still some OTHER types of aircraft, but when you've got nearly 2,000 airplanes, the false hits and the misses have less impact.

    The table above is the result of building about sixty such filter sets, and running them against a each year's FAA registry. Once the filters have been developed, they're added to a macro I've generated. With the macros, generating the above table takes only a few minutes.

    I have added types to the automated processors. A year or two back I realized that the Carbon Cub was giving some of the RV models a run for their money, and added the type. Where the effort comes in is the need to run the same effort against the individual databases running back to 2008 (I post only back to 2013 because of the forum's posting-size limit). THAT is time-consuming, as the appropriate filters have to be copied to each individual registration year and, sometimes, updated to reflect the older versions of the registry.

    Anyway, now you know.

    Ron Wanttaja
    Last edited by rwanttaja; 01-05-2022 at 01:34 PM.

  9. #9
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    Speaking of the FAA's Re-Registration process (started in 2010), this table shows the homebuilt types that lost 50% or more of their registrations since 2008.

    Type
    2008
    2009
    2010
    2011
    2012
    2013
    2014
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    2020
    2021
    Air Command
    54
    56
    56
    56
    54
    36
    35
    31
    31
    25
    19
    18
    18
    18
    Bede BD-4
    158
    155
    153
    151
    134
    98
    91
    93
    92
    90
    78
    82
    78
    79
    Bede BD-5
    78
    77
    77
    78
    70
    49
    43
    40
    41
    38
    34
    35
    32
    31
    Benson Gyro
    750
    720
    717
    689
    518
    271
    218
    200
    198
    158
    105
    79
    64
    62
    Bowers Fly Baby
    270
    269
    272
    270
    244
    183
    168
    167
    167
    160
    140
    139
    135
    130
    Quickie/Q2/Q200
    306
    305
    303
    297
    277
    168
    148
    140
    143
    130
    109
    103
    100
    98
    Quicksilver EX-AB
    343
    345
    348
    335
    296
    170
    163
    156
    162
    154
    134
    127
    129
    131
    Rand KR-2
    347
    349
    350
    346
    314
    194
    175
    167
    167
    154
    132
    132
    124
    115
    Rutan Varieze
    480
    476
    473
    467
    423
    323
    297
    286
    286
    272
    243
    238
    231
    222
    Sonerai
    315
    309
    309
    307
    287
    215
    199
    194
    194
    184
    156
    156
    158
    155
    Volksplane
    224
    222
    222
    220
    176
    104
    95
    85
    86
    76
    48
    47
    48
    48
    Ron Wanttaja

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