The $5300 STOL airplane sounds like Johnny Cash's "psychobilly Cadillac". It'd be OK for farm use (aka covert op's) but good luck getting any kind of airworthiness certificate on it today.

Hotrod you are right on both counts. Johnny Cash Caddilac "one piece at a time", and since the Faa followed by Transport Canada brought out the new rules that you cannot used certified parts on an amateur built this kind of project is no longer possible.

Fun Haters!!!!

Even without credit for certicated parts, I would think it still wouldn't be too hard to meet the 51% requirement building a psychobilly Cessna (or Piper) but you're right-- the fun-haters seem to have put the kibosh on that sort of thing. Seems to me like it might be a good thing sometimes to use Cessna/Piper/whatever parts instead of something the builder cobbled together himself, but since when does common sense come into play? The feds so far have kinda given the nod & wink to hired-gun builders but since it makes sense for some all-thumb types to hire it done instead of butchering it themselves they're probably gonna crack down on that practice too.
I don't know all the details of it but I'd like to see us get an "owner maintenance" category ike Canada has now.

The sad thing is there is probably no justification for making that rule. I doubt Certified parts would fail any more than home built parts. If fact the certified parts have been previously tested, certified and used reliably for years! Guess if they aren't throwing a stick in someones spokes they feel they aren't doing their jobs. More like they just don't want to do the paperwork.

I don't think this guy was listening when people said "it can't be done"

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Experime ... 2eb7195a69