Bugsy
Well Known Member
I attended the FAA brief at Oshkosh on the 51% rule and quickly noted that the most contentious issues for the FAA seems to be the portion of the kit fabricated by the builder as apposed to assembled. They were concerned that fiberglass kits (unnamed manufacturer) were 9% fabrication and aluminum kits (unnamed manufacturer were 19% fabrication. The FAA interpreted the intent of the 51% rule to imply that of that 51% we should fabricate half instead of assembling manufacture built parts. The FAA told the audience they had a goal of 20% fabrication and only the aluminum kit was close. What I got out of the brief was that the future kit certification checklist will likely have 3 columns.
1. % Manufacture/ pro built
2. % Amatuer builder assembly of manufacture built parts
3. % Amatuer builder Fabricated
The policy is in coordination and negotiation so we dont need to aurgue the merits or bash the reasoning here.
Reason for this thread is to ask our DAR breathren if we should ensure that our builder log captures not only how we put together this thing with photos of us in the picture, but also narratives and photos of fabrication.
For example:
1. I am using the terms assembly and fabrication in my narrative.
2. I am capturing the fact that I am fabricating the pitot/static out of aluminum tubing instead of assembling a factory supplied pitot/static kit.
Obviously I didnt squeeze the aluminum tube from a mold, but tube bending and flairing is more in line with fabrication that connecting the plastic tube supplied kit from Vans, and I think this will come down to a % fabricated question when we go to certification.
Do you agree with my logic and thought about capturing fabrication photos and narration in the log book?
1. % Manufacture/ pro built
2. % Amatuer builder assembly of manufacture built parts
3. % Amatuer builder Fabricated
The policy is in coordination and negotiation so we dont need to aurgue the merits or bash the reasoning here.
Reason for this thread is to ask our DAR breathren if we should ensure that our builder log captures not only how we put together this thing with photos of us in the picture, but also narratives and photos of fabrication.
For example:
1. I am using the terms assembly and fabrication in my narrative.
2. I am capturing the fact that I am fabricating the pitot/static out of aluminum tubing instead of assembling a factory supplied pitot/static kit.
Obviously I didnt squeeze the aluminum tube from a mold, but tube bending and flairing is more in line with fabrication that connecting the plastic tube supplied kit from Vans, and I think this will come down to a % fabricated question when we go to certification.
Do you agree with my logic and thought about capturing fabrication photos and narration in the log book?