Aircraft registration

[Eric Brown]

I am currently restoring a C150 that was wind damaged. The airplane was de-registered in 2015 before I bought it. The original N number will not be available until late 2020 and the airplane will be completed before then. So....... I reserved a special N number and then made the written request to the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch to have that number assigned to my C150. The response was; I needed to send photos to prove that I had a "complete airplane". I sent photos of the partially assembled airplane, from different angles, plus photos of the other major components that would show it to be a "complete" airplane. My request was DENIED. I was informed that they could only approve my request after I provided photos of a "COMPLETED" airplane, as in ready to fly.

I figure that if this is the case, I would have to wait for 2 months after completion (application backlog) before I could fly it. Also, it is my desire to complete log entries and 337s in a progressive manner as major rebuild and mod items are completed. Without an assigned registration number, I cannot submit a 337.

Now..... in the homebuilt world, at what point in the EAB project, is the N number assignment commonly requested ? Are photos or build records required to register ? Does the EAB project have to be completed first ?

Frustrated