Pro covering 51%

[lamarglobe]

I am considering having a professional cover and paint my quick build four place. It is United States based. Would anybody know if by having this done would it violate the 51% rule? Thanks

[Chris In Milwaukee]

I doubt it. If in doubt, help them out a bit, get yourself in a photo for your build log, and let them go to town.

[Bcone1381]

https://www.eaa.org/~/media/files/eaa/homebuilders/ac%2020-27g%20-%20certification%20and%20operation%20of%20amateur-built%20aircraft.pdf

The link above takes you to the FAA Advisory Circular which the FAA will use to determine if an amateur built aircraft is eligibile for an experimental airworthiness certificate. Towards the end there is a list of tasks and the builder documents on this list which assembly and fabrication tasks were performed by amateurs, by the factory, or by commercial assistance. There is no problem using commercial assistance, as long as at point of certification, at least 51% of the work was performed by amateur builders.

I recommend you go thru the list and see where you would be at if you had the fuselage covered using commercial assistance. I think its highly unlikely you would have a problem if there has been no other commercial assistance.

[Chris In Milwaukee]

You might find fabric covering an enjoyable experience, though. Certainly worth attending a fabric covering SportAir workshop to find out before you drop $15K-25K for a cover job.

[whee]

You might find fabric covering an enjoyable experience, though. Certainly worth attending a fabric covering SportAir workshop to find out before you drop $15K-25K for a cover job.

I agree with Chris. Aside from building my engine the covering possess was the most enjoyable part for me.

[lamarglobe]

Great ideas, thanks.

[Bdflies]

Of all the tasks to 'shop out', covering would be my last choice. It’s not terribly difficult and it’s just plain fun!

painting, on the other hand.....

Bill

[Rollie]

Covering was fun and its very satisfying, its the first time that you really see a lot of progress. You spend so much time getting the fuselage ready to cover but there isn't much visible progress during all that time, then over a couple days you go from a steel frame to something that really looks like an airplane. Its the priming and painting that would be worth farming out.

As for 51% my understanding is that you don't have to do 51% of the build, its that you have to perform at least 51% of the tasks required to build the plane. Say there are 400 tasks, you need to perform over half of them at least once. Like making a wing rib would be a task. You make one rib or you make all of the ribs, its one task. Its how some of the builder assist programs get you through it so quickly, they build your plane while you go from one work station to another and do one of each task (and get your picture taken) until you have completed enough to show you "built" it. Plus the whole 51% thing is just so you can get your repairman certificate, you will still have an airplane you can fly without it. (I didn't realize that part at first-I thought that if I couldn't prove the 51%, they would not give me an airworthiness cert)

[jaredyates]

I'm seeing some ideas here that do not match my understanding of the rules, but I'm not an expert. Please proceed with caution, the FAA is not going to allow posts on our message board to be admissible if you end up at odds .

[svyolo]

I always wondered how the "builder assist" options were legal.

[Bcone1381]

If you are building, you will want to read, understand, and comply the advisory circular listed above in post #3.

I cut and pasted a sentence from the AC that communicates the FAA intent of certificating and experimental amateur built aircraft.

Keep in mind that a determination of major portion will be made by evaluating the amount of work accomplished by the amateur builder(s) against the total amount of work necessary to complete the aircraft, excluding standard procured items.

The way the FAA judges the amount of work is they ask us to document who performed a list of tasks necessary to build an aircraft. These tasks are listed on a checklist. All of the tasks are either a Fabrication of a part, or assembly of a part. So, although one task may take more energy to complete (like fabricating all of the ribs) but another takes less energy (like assembling hinge of a flight control) each is considered by the FAA to be worth one point on the list that the AC contains.

A builder can get unlimited commercial assistance for non-checklist items. For example, fabricating the fuselage covering or skin is one task, assembling the fuselage covering or skin is a second task. Painting the fuselage covering or skin does not appear be on the checklist so the builder could farm that entire task out and not have it impact the percentage of the work.

I believe Builder assist options are legal. The builder is doing all of the easy tasks and using factory tooling, and machines that reduce time, increase success and enjoyment and may have an factory educator/mentor/quality control person overseeing him.

I accordance with the advisory circular, a build would get partial credit if he partially completed a task. If he made one of the sixteen ribs that are required to be fabricated for a Patrol's two ailerons, he would get 1/6th of a point.