Building then selling

Sig600 · #1 10-01-2010, 05:45 PM

Gents,
Was wondering if there are any liability or legal issues with building and then selling a plane like an RV-12. For someone that just enjoys building, seems like they could make a little cash on the side turning over projects. This is not a veiled attempt to ask for myself, I work way to much. As it is I have a 7 that's 6 years in the making....

Toobuilder · #2 10-01-2010, 09:45 PM

Aside from the possibility that you can be sued for anything, at any time in the US, I don't think there has yet been a case where a homebuilder has been sued and found liable for the airplane that they have built and then sold.

yakdriver · #3 10-01-2010, 09:58 PM

If you are building the RV12 as an ELSA it is perfectly legal to build it with the intention of selling it or for someone to pay you to build it. If you build it experimental then it is not legal to build it for the sole purpose of selling it or to be paid by someone to build it for them. You might make a little money building a 12 but not a lot. As for building another RV with the depressed prices out there you would be hard pressed to sell one for much more than material cost. Don

sailvi767 · #4 10-02-2010, 03:14 AM

If you enjoy building I would try and find someone who would contract you in advance for a LSA project. Its very unlikely in today's market you will be able to recoup your cost in the aircraft let alone your time. I am looking now at several RV options and have been watching what has sold and what is not selling. There are quite a few aircraft on the market where the seller is only trying to get what he has in the aircraft back. They are simply not moving. The ones selling are going well below what the builder has in the aircraft.
The unknown is what the market will be like 2 years from now when you might be completing a project. Hopefully it will have recovered.

George

pierre smith · #5 10-02-2010, 05:10 AM

....the reality of the situation. There are some builder assist centers that charge by the hour and do reasonably well but are very close to skirting the regulations.

Best,

David Paule · #6 10-02-2010, 08:57 AM

Plus, there's some competition. Someone's already doing just that, I've seen his ads. He's not asking a whole lot extra, either. There's not a lot of money in the game.

George's advice to find someone who'll pay for the build is good advice. It worked for me in the mid '70s.

I worked my way through college building a plane for a guy. I got extra credit for the build (aerospace engineering degree) and it was easy to get a job with that background on top of the degree.