Skip -Jeff and others,

By way of defense of your DAR, it is the builder's responsibility to ensure the airworthiness of this project. If you will recall, you signed a entry in your aircraft logbook that should look like this--

"I have assembled this aircraft from a kit supplied by Lancair and installed a Continental engine, and a Hartzel propeller.

This aircraft was ground tested, inspected and found in a condition for safe operation."

Then the DAR signed a statement that says--

The airworthiness responsibility is upon the builder-- not the DAR.

HOWEVER, the I have attached a guide for what a DAR should do.

In reality though, the certification by a DAR is mainly a paperwork drill. Not to be confused with the insurance company mandated inspection (seven pages) or the pre test flight inspection by the test pilot. When I wear all these hats--it blends together and I can confidently issued the airworthiness certificate/test fly the airplane with confidence that everything has been checked.  When I only issue in airworthiness certificate, I do not spend a full day or more doing an inspection.

Charlie K.