experimental engines

[dmeloche]

this is an informative post rather than an inquiring one.

i'm building an rv6. i have purchased and installed a aerosport o-320 d1a. I was very pleased with the buying experience from aerosport. they were honest and straightforward with me especially regarding options i was considering that bart talked me out of. he seems a real straight shooter. 2 things have come to the fore since i have purchased the engine.

1) the engine comes from canada and has to go through customs. they record the value and final destination. this info gets sent to the state tax authority who immeadiately come looking for sales tax revenue. one of those letters that ruin your day.

2) since i am close to flying i'm starting to talk to insurance agents. one of the questions they ask is if the engine is certified or experimental. seems some of the underwriters are asking for different rates for aircraft with experimental engines. they don't seem to care where it came from only that it's not certified. bottom line: insurance could be more expensive for rv's with "experimental" engines.