WacoFan
Bigly
Excellent thoughts on the build vs "owner assist" builds and discussing the Limited Repairmen Certificate. Questions as a mechanic:I'm not 100% sure but I think this sort of high end experimental isn't built in peoples garages or hangars anymore. I'm unsure of the regulations regarding this sort of thing but I think this is the sort of thing where the "builder" shows up at the "kits" manufacturing facility for a period of time and "gets their hands dirty" assembling their trusty steed with the help of the skilled folks who've built and flown a number of these contraptions. If the original "builder" spends the time they get a limited Repairman certificate and are able to do "condition" inspections (it's an annual) and sign it off as airworthy. I highly doubt anyone who actually flies and owns one of the airplanes does not employ the assistance of a qualified mechanic, but there are cowboys trying to save a buck and get into the flight levels at 400 mph, but you never know. It's probably a fine airplane as long as everything is working, I can tell you from experience losing pressurization because of a door seal in a Lear at altitude is very unpleasant for everyone on board. The pressurization system instantly goes into emergency mode and starts just dumping unregulated bleed air into the cabin. It never bothered my ears but it did get very hot very quickly. I wonder what a Lancair IV-P turbine does in the same situation? I recall when we got back on the ground after doing this climb, fail and dive repeatedly and realizing the door seal was the culprit I spied with my jaundiced eye that whoever had recently replaced that door seal had not followed the AMM and did not poke holes in the seal that are required for them to work properly. The guy that installed the seal was my mentor. I ended up having to replace the seals and the airplane stopped having issues. If you've ever flown a 20 or 30 series Lear and wondered why there's holes in the door seal it's because they are not connected to bleed air and they use cabin air to inflate and keep the maelstrom outside from getting in.
After you purchase an already built "Experimental" - since you didn't build it you have to have an A&P do the Annuals, maintain the airplane, etc.
1) Would you take on a complex airplane built by someone/or some build shop you weren't intimately familiar with? Like something composite, turbine, retracts, pressurized, etc? Would the juice be worth the squeeze when weighing potential liability vs the amount of income you'd make?
2) Would this answer be different on a Pietenpol/Pitts/Vans/Bearhawk? Something simpler/more conventional?