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Do I need a "kit bill of sale" from Van's to register my project?

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Finally feeling like I'm in "the long home stretch" with my project, I've been reviewing the FAA forms needed to register a new homebuilt, and quickly ran across this:

"If more than 50% of your amateur-built aircraft was built from a kit (prefabricated parts), you must also include a kit bill of sale from the kit manufacturer. A regular Aircraft Bill of Sale, AC Form 8050-2 is acceptable if the word 'Aircraft' has been marked through and the word 'Kit' entered."

So do I send in the receipts for the subkits/engine/prop? Or ask Van's for a single, summary receipt? Any shared experience would be appreciated!

Thanks!

- Tom
 
Finally feeling like I'm in "the long home stretch" with my project, I've been reviewing the FAA forms needed to register a new homebuilt, and quickly ran across this:

"If more than 50% of your amateur-built aircraft was built from a kit (prefabricated parts), you must also include a kit bill of sale from the kit manufacturer. A regular Aircraft Bill of Sale, AC Form 8050-2 is acceptable if the word 'Aircraft' has been marked through and the word 'Kit' entered."

So do I send in the receipts for the subkits/engine/prop? Or ask Van's for a single, summary receipt? Any shared experience would be appreciated!

Thanks!

- Tom
To be eligible, the builder must do 51%, so the kit is typically 49% or less. However, you will need a bill of sale from vans to complete either the registration or the AWC, can't remember. As long as you have a builder number and signed the correct forms with vans, they will issue you a bill of sale needed for this once you request it.
 
Finally feeling like I'm in "the long home stretch" with my project, I've been reviewing the FAA forms needed to register a new homebuilt, and quickly ran across this:

"If more than 50% of your amateur-built aircraft was built from a kit (prefabricated parts), you must also include a kit bill of sale from the kit manufacturer. A regular Aircraft Bill of Sale, AC Form 8050-2 is acceptable if the word 'Aircraft' has been marked through and the word 'Kit' entered."

So do I send in the receipts for the subkits/engine/prop? Or ask Van's for a single, summary receipt? Any shared experience would be appreciated!

Thanks!

- Tom
The short answer is yes and it’s a pretty easy process. See the link below for info and [email protected] if you have questions - I’ve been emailing with them this week regarding an issue and they usually respond within an hour.

 
Finally feeling like I'm in "the long home stretch" with my project, I've been reviewing the FAA forms needed to register a new homebuilt, and quickly ran across this:

"If more than 50% of your amateur-built aircraft was built from a kit (prefabricated parts), you must also include a kit bill of sale from the kit manufacturer. A regular Aircraft Bill of Sale, AC Form 8050-2 is acceptable if the word 'Aircraft' has been marked through and the word 'Kit' entered."

So do I send in the receipts for the subkits/engine/prop? Or ask Van's for a single, summary receipt? Any shared experience would be appreciated!

Thanks!

- Tom
OK, so when dealign with the FAA, precise words matter! There is nothing whatsoever that asks for “receipts” - what they are asking for is a “Bill of Sale”, which is a specific FAA form - as you said, 8050-2. YOu get that from Van’s - they have sold you a kit, and that is what the form attests to. It has nothing to do with where you buy your engine or prop, and no, you don;t send the FAA reciepts.

Now what happens if you buy a fuselage kit from one guy who gave up, a wing kit from someone else who had to sell becasue of his divorce, and since it is an RV-3, the tail was built from scratch? Well there is a form for that as well - 8050-88, in which you tell them if you buiult from a single kit, from a bunch of parts, or if you grew the Sitka Spruce for your spars from seedlings. It is acceptable to NOT have a BOS if you built from miscellaneous parts - but you are swearing to that under pain of perjury.

Bottom line is that if you bought all the subkits from Vans, you simply ask Vans for the BOS, they send it, you send it in, and you’re done.
 
OK, so when dealign with the FAA, precise words matter! There is nothing whatsoever that asks for “receipts” - what they are asking for is a “Bill of Sale”, which is a specific FAA form - as you said, 8050-2. YOu get that from Van’s - they have sold you a kit, and that is what the form attests to. It has nothing to do with where you buy your engine or prop, and no, you don;t send the FAA reciepts.

Now what happens if you buy a fuselage kit from one guy who gave up, a wing kit from someone else who had to sell becasue of his divorce, and since it is an RV-3, the tail was built from scratch? Well there is a form for that as well - 8050-88, in which you tell them if you buiult from a single kit, from a bunch of parts, or if you grew the Sitka Spruce for your spars from seedlings. It is acceptable to NOT have a BOS if you built from miscellaneous parts - but you are swearing to that under pain of perjury.

Bottom line is that if you bought all the subkits from Vans, you simply ask Vans for the BOS, they send it, you send it in, and you’re done.
Request sent! Thanks to everyone. Now back to sanding . . .
 
You can buy a guide from the EAA on the entire certification process for Experimentals that is WELL WORTH the nominal price they charge for it. It will walk you through every step you need in a checklist format. Unless you've done it before, go get that guide. You'll be glad you did. It can save a lot of headaches, heartaches, and delays.
 
To add a little to this, I purchased kits second hand and you will also need a Bill of Sale history from owner to owner to show proof to Van's that you and the kit are legit before they themselves issue a Bill of Sale from their office. I went through this in 2023 with them.
 
BTW gents, a detail please...is Vans using an FAA 8050-2 for the transfer from themselves to first purchaser, or a Bill of Sale document on their own letterhead? Or both?
 
Does the BOS have to be requested near the end of build prior to registration or any time after all kits have been ordered just to have it on hand?
And when does one NEED to register? at the end, or can it be done long before AW cert to lock in an N number?
I've had a reserved N number for a year or so now and I see most folks register just before AW, but can it still be done mid-way through a build?
 
Does the BOS have to be requested near the end of build prior to registration or any time after all kits have been ordered just to have it on hand?
And when does one NEED to register? at the end, or can it be done long before AW cert to lock in an N number?
I've had a reserved N number for a year or so now and I see most folks register just before AW, but can it still be done mid-way through a build?
It CAN but it's certainly not recommended. You would not believe the number of projects where this happened and somewhere along the line the builder decided to sell or passed away. This can create a nightmare in paperwork; especially with the current backlog in Oklahoma City.
 
It CAN but it's certainly not recommended. You would not believe the number of projects where this happened and somewhere along the line the builder decided to sell or passed away. This can create a nightmare in paperwork; especially with the current backlog in Oklahoma City.
There are a number of conflitcing considerations - and Mel points out one of them - register it too son, and then sell….makes for mesy times. But…..OKC right now seems to have about a six month backlog for registrations, so don;t wait too long! Also - if you do it too early, you’ll likely catch the attention of your state or local taxing authorities, and they’ll want you paying property taxes for your “airplane” every year, even though it s just a pile of parts……

If you have. Reserved N-Number, applying it to your project when you register is easy and pretty foolproof, so don’t worry about that part of it - just remember to pay your $10 every year to renew the reservation!
 
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