A bit of help regarding maintenance

[Sam Buchanan]

For the experimental case, lets say that I buy a set of plans of a DR109, I could build it at mi garage per the manual, take a lycoming 540 removed from a certified aircraft and overhaul it by myself or with help of someone non certified that knows the stuff, put it all together, get it inspected by the FAA and if everything is right, proceed to the 40 hours test flights, and then I would be ready to go? and after that, I can continue giving maintenance to the aircraft during its lifespan, with annual inspections signed off my me if I made the 16 hours training or by an A&P if I didn't. Of course I know that a project like this is a different animal that could take around 3500 hours of good workmanship, and a pilot with experience flying extras or pitts, but overall, from a legal and technical perspective, that would be the way to do it? right? (I'm using that example because I have here at my country a set of drawings from Todd Ashcraft for that plane, LOL)


Thanks to all of you responding to this thread, I have some good friends and a couple of aviation authorities following along!


Thanks again!!

The 16-hr training course does not apply to maintaining an aircraft with an experimental (E-AB) airworthiness certificate. Airframe and engine maintenance may be performed by anyone but the twelve-month Condition Inspection must be performed by either an A&P or the holder of a Repairman Certificate for that particular aircraft. A Repairman Certificate is customarily obtained by the original builder of the aircraft or the builder who completes the aircraft prior to final inspection by the FAA. This is the case regardless of whether or not the aircraft was constructed from plans or a manufactured kit. Obtaining this certificate does not require a training course, only a demonstration of knowledge of that aircraft during a personal interview with an FAA inspector.

Aircraft that are registered in the ELSA and SLSA categories do require maintenance to be performed by individuals who have received specific training, the 16 hr course being one of those paths. It gets a little more complicated with the ELSA and SLSA aircraft, I suggest you obtain documents from the EAA or FAA for that information. These documents can be found with a bit of time spent on Google.