Quote Originally Posted by chacalextreme View Post
Seems almost unbelievable that the regulations are so open in the US, and that it has worked well so far! We in fact are trying to follow US rules because they have been proved to work...
The general attitude here, dating back to the revolution, was traditionally one of self reliance and limited government interference in our daily lives. Sadly, that's changing, but this isn't the place for political discussion...

Now, a more specific question, how does it work for engines overhaul? you have all kinds of crazy combinations... An airplane model could fit a rotax, a subaru, a corvair, HKS, lycoming, or even a geo metro or chevrolet corvette engine!! when is time to overhaul such engine, who can do it? any need to have a special rating for that? because here we are starting to certify some mechanics in rotax, but seems unrealistic to have factory training for every brand...
It depends. For E-AB, for the most part, anything goes. You could power your plane with a twisted rubber band if you wanted to, and anybody can work on any engine. I believe you can get a shorter initial test period if you use a certified aircraft engine, if so then you need a licensed mechanic to work on the engine. SLSA needs a licensed mechanic for aircraft or engine work. I'm not sure what the rules are for E-LSA engines. As for overhauls, pretty much whoever can work on them can legally overhaul them, whether they should is another matter.