Have a dilemma..Need advice.

[Drifteral]

Short version

I bought a RV6A from a guy in New Mexico last year. It's a project plane and hasn't flown in at least 10 years. The aircraft has roughly 500 hrs on it and the original engine was an Aluminum block Buick v8 with a Belted Air reduction on it.

When I purchased the plane there was no engine. Only the engine mount was included.

So here is the problem. The local FSDO office is telling me that if I change the engine over to a certified Lycoming I'm going to have to apply for a new airworthiness certificate.

Obviously with Jess Meyer's no longer making reduction drives my options are very limited.

Opinions or suggestions?

Thanks
Al

[Aggie78]

I thought a major mod like a new engine type would just put you back into Phase I for some period of time...

Not an expert, but I'd definitely seek a second opinion from someone at EAA...

[Mel]

It depends on when the aircraft was certificated. The "older" operating limitations said that a new airworthiness certification is required after any major change. This all changed around the year 2000. So if it were built in the 1980s or '90s, this could be true.
You need to look through the op limits. They are the controlling documents.

[rvbuilder2002]

Not necessarily so.

It is an experimental aircraft so it is eligible to be experimented with.

The only thing you should need to do is complete a new Phase one flight test program.

This is assuming that it still has a valid airworthiness certificate.
If it does, refer to the operating limitations and see what is required if a major change is made (this would constitute a major change).
Do what the operating limitations say.

Looks like Mel beat me to it.....

[Drifteral]

The plane was built in 92 by Glenn Smith so I'm betting Mel is right.

In a way it's to bad the original engine wasn't there. It seemed to be a very good setup and ran in it's original configuration for quite a while.

There was a small article on it in Contact Magazine back in 94 and at that time Jess had over 11 years under his belt with a Buick powered Globe Swift.

[Charles in SC]

Could you use a different brand drive?

[n82rb]

Originally Posted by Charles in SC

Could you use a different brand drive?

I would say that changing to a different drive would constitute a major change also, putting in the same situation.

Bob burns
Rv-4 N82rb

[pa38112]

Al,
What is the down-side of getting a new Airworthiness Certificate? It is a lot of paperwork, but between that and trying to run a non-traditional engine; I would choose the paperwork. There is a reason that most of the fleet runs Lycoming's.

[Robert Anglin]

Me too. "0-320" would be my choice to go back with. Some work but your going to do hat anyway. Two pennies and all that kind of thingy, Yours, R.E.A. III #80888

[Mel]

If this is N4344X, FAA records show the last airworthiness certificate was issued in 1992. If the op lims haven't been amended, then you will need a new airworthiness inspection. This is not a big deal. Any DAR with function code 46 can do a recurrent A/W.