Zenith Aircraft Builders and Flyers
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Registering E-AB or ELSA pros and cons
As the appointment date to get an airworthiness inspection on my 750 is approaching I find myself having to decide to register E-AB or ELSA. In looking through several bits if information here and there I have found some conflicting information. The local MIDO office staff were not clear on this issue either.
How are others here registering their aircraft and why? E-AB or ELSA?
Thanks, Tim
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Paul Hajdu on
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E-AB, You have less regulations.
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Permalink Reply by Ken Ryan on
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Here's a good link that explains factors in making that decision:
http://www.sportaviationspecialties.com/Useful_Information.htm
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Permalink Reply by Timothy Aanerud on
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If you certify the aircraft as E-AB, then you as the builder can apply for a repairman's certificate for your aircraft and perform the annual condition inspection yourself. If the aircraft gets sold, then it takes an A&P to sign off the annual. If the aircraft is ELSA then a new owner only needs a LSA repairman's certificate.
The complication I see with the CH-750 is the gross weight limit. If you go Experimental Amateur-Built and list the gross weight at 1440, you're outside of the 1320 LSA limit.
The info in Ken's link suggests that it might be worth while to certify the aircraft as E-AB with a gross weight of 1320 so it can still be flown under light sport rules.
If the aircraft is certified as E-AB with a 1440 gross weight, can the airworthiness certificate ever be changed to ELSA or re-certified E-AB with a new lower 1320 gross weight? That's what I see as the dilemma.
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Permalink Reply by Jerry Latimer on
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I don't believe you can register any of the zenith aircraft as an E-LSA. To be an E-LSA it would have to be a kit version of a S-LSA. Right now I believe the only plane that you could register as an E-LSA is an RV-12 that you've built exactly like the certified version of the RV-12. Exactly means exactly, down to the correct bolts, instruments, wiring diagram, etc.
There is no certified CH-750 out there right now.
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Permalink Reply by Walt Snyder on
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You're correct Jerry, Zenith would have to have to offer an S-LSA of the 750 in order to for the kit to qualify as an E-LSA, and they do not. You have pretty much unlimited freedom with your build as an E-AB for those that like to do that. I haven't seen a Zenith biplane, yet, however………..
Walt Snyder
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Did Zenith have SLSA 750 in the past? I once visited a factory in Georgia (can't recall their name) that I thought was producing SLSA 750s.
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No. They had 601xl's, but they were certified aircraft and not SLSA. The 750 is a very recent design.
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Well I know I visited a factory in Georgia where they built 750s. They had about 8 of them in various stages of completion, one for a local Sherrif's department. The were all powered by Continental 0-200s.
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Permalink Reply by John Austin on
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I believe that was AMD and they are no longer in production? Another point - as pointed out, an E-LSA has to strictly conform to the certified design and no changes are allowed without permission from the manufacturer of the certified design. As an E-AB, you have complete freedom to build it as you wish!
John
N750A
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Zenith never submitted any of their designs to fall in SLSA category. AMD built certified aircraft that happened to meet the LSA criteria. I believe to be a SLSA, they have to submit paperwork that the plane was manufactured to the ASTM standards for LSA aircraft. Zenith had more flexibility by certifying the way they did. Like I said before, the RV-12A is the only plane that has been certified as a SLSA. You can purchase all of the kits and subkits to homebuild an RV-12A identical to the ones that Vans sells. Since Zenith doesn't sell such an animal. So none of the Zenith planes are eligible for registering in the SLSA category today.
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Actually, there are quite a few that have been certified now as SLSA, even the rocket like Quicksilver Sport S2SE.
Dan Johnson has a good list of the SLSA
http://www.bydanjohnson.com/?b=6&m=2
Walt Snyder
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So I will register my aircraft as an E-AB at 1320 lb gross weight (so a sport pilot can fly it ) and I will apply for a repairman cert.
Buzzy Buzz has a SLSA.
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