How safe is it flying a kit aircraft built by someone else !

[Old Koreelah]

...Did the builder take the time to decorate the plane nicely? That shows that they took some pride in the project and were prepared to invest some extra time and money on it. The finish says a lot about the builder. By the time a builder reaches the end of the physical construction, there is a strong urge to get it into the air. It may have been built to a very high standard, but if the builder was prepared to take the extra time to make it also look nice, that suggests that they are thorough and patient, two very important attributes of a good builder. I think that how the builder finished the plane suggests how they built the plane...

All good advice CS, but it may not apply to every builder. What's under the skin of my aircraft is more important to me. While I intend eventually giving it a good paint job, building, testing and making improvements are my current priorities.

 

 

[rankamateur]

going through my wiring on one of my tornadoes and noticed that old mate has mounted the regulator with clecos and of course, my cleco pliers didn't fit[ATTACH=full]52044[/ATTACH]

So technically it has never been completed! Buy a couple of bolts and you will have a newly completed aircraft. Happy days!

 

 

[Garfly]

An interesting recent take on the issue of Homebuilt Vs Certified aviating in the US by Richard Collins:

 

https://airfactsjournal.com/2017/10/whats-wrong-experimental-pilots/

 

 

[skippydiesel]

My kit was "commissioned" in 2000 and is approaching 800hrs. I am the third owner. Each owner has "given" something to the aircraft.

 

I engaged the services of a knowledgeable aircraft LAME/glider repair person to do a pre purchase inspection. He understood the mix of materials that made up my future pride & joy. He did not give a completely "clean bill of health" pointing out a number of areas needing attention. The minor defects formed part of my purchase strategy and in time have been addressed/corrected.

 

I love it! its economical, and fun to fly. I have less doubt regarding its airworthiness than many of the "spam cans" a learnt to fly in.