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To be clear there’s nothing wrong with logging the test flights in the logbook but it’s not required.
Just for clarification for the OP, logging the Phase 1 flights is fine but not required.
We’re just making sure the OP understands what’s the minimum legally required entries he should be looking for during his prebuy records review.
OK, I am confused. There should be an operating handbook, and if there is one it means they did Phase 1 regardless of documentation?
Just for clarification for the OP, logging the Phase 1 flights is fine but not required.
Looks like Todd beat me to it.
Dont get frustrated - its actually pretty simple. Regardless of whether Phase 1 was completed by “time” or “testing”, there needs to be an entry in the aircraft records (usually the airframe log) that says that the airplane has been tested and found to have no bad fight characteristics throughout the normal range of flight speeds and loading (exact wording to be found in that aircraft’s Ops Lims). IF the Phase 1 was completed using a test program rather than hours, there should be records of the test flights - generally a test report, or at least a completed flight card - somewhere in teh aircrfat records. They shoudl then be summarized in an “Operatign Handbook” of some kind, but the form and content of that manual is not prescribed, so each builder can decide for themselves what is adequate.
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I'm only looking because of a video on utube. Normally I joke about random internet advice, but it was from the guy that wrote the books.Dont get frustrated - its actually pretty simple. Regardless of whether Phase 1 was completed by “time” or “testing”, there needs to be an entry in the aircraft records (usually the airframe log) that says that the airplane has been tested and found to have no bad fight characteristics throughout the normal range of flight speeds and loading (exact wording to be found in that aircraft’s Ops Lims). IF the Phase 1 was completed using a test program rather than hours, there should be records of the test flights - generally a test report, or at least a completed flight card - somewhere in teh aircrfat records. They shoudl then be summarized in an “Operatign Handbook” of some kind, but the form and content of that manual is not prescribed, so each builder can decide for themselves what is adequate.
Personally, when I do a Task-Based Phase 1, I have a file of all the test cards, with notes or spreadsheets (and/or graphs) reducing the data from each flight, and then I write a Flight Test Report that details the results of the overall program (my last one was about twenty pages for our electric motor glider) . I then take an existing manual for the aircraft (stolen front eh internet or provided by the kit company) and edit it with the specific data from the specific aircraft that I was testing.
And….no one ever looks at any of that again unless I sell the airplane (I don’t know that for sure - I have yet to sell one of the airplanes I have built…..
Let's see if we can distill this down to basic requirements so you will know what you need to look for during the pre-purchase. I hope the pre-purchase inspection will be performed by someone informed about experimental airworthiness, someone who has no or little experimental background could really lead you down some (expensive) rabbit trails.
To simplify things, there are four pieces of documentation you need in the plane to be legal; Airworthiness Certificate, Registration, W&B and Operation Limitations.
