"I am shocked, shocked to find gambling going on in here!"
Captain Renault.

Brent,

 

I always enjoy your erudite compositions.  Actually, after some thought (limited by ever decreasing capacity), we should thank Rick and, maybe even, Carl.  They have brought to the surface (as have you and others) that PLANNING for aircraft construction goes beyond what tools one needs, checking that the sleeve and nut are installed before making the flare, etc.  It includes crossing one's t's and dotting one's i's (Hmmmm, paperwork again).

 

They (partners in the "sky is falling" scheme) have reinforced the idea that one should braid the FAA Advisory Circulars into the other construction tasks to make sure only salmon are swimming upstream.  What the devil does that mean?  Well, one should make sure that an Experimental Amateur Built airworthiness certificate is achievable.  One of the most useful steps is to require that the kit maker's kit is on the FAA approved kit list before the kit is bought.  Save that, the risk of certification failure begins sooner. 

 

Perhaps it would be wise, as the EAA suggests, to consult with its' technical advisors or maybe even contact the DAR that will eventually examine your craft long before the plane is 99% done.  This is so that odd issues, like flight tests to 62 Km altitudes, use of old tires as fuel, writing checks in place of bucking rivets and other substitute requirements might be properly addressed and documented before FAA bewilderment leads to the easiest spinal/cranial response - NO.  Also note that written communication with the FAA is not daunting and I have the documents to prove it.   

 

Even more interesting, since Rick brought up lawyers, is whether a kit company that sells investors and kit buyers on a product that is not yet on the "approved" list is, um, ethical?  Not to mention the builder assist issues that should be addressed.

 

BTW, Where is the EML (Epic Mail List) and why is this topic here on the LML - the LML that provides relief to Lancair builders, comfort to hundreds of tangentially interested parties (affectionately named lurkers) and someone oddly named "Zoom." 

 

The problems that EPIC raised have been topics covered in recent AOPA Pilot, Kitplanes and Internet news sources ( i.e. Zoom's pub,

 

 

).  Those with continued interest should stay alert (Yellow, I think).