Restricted is for test and R&D. You are clearly not doing R&D or
Test. Therefore you have to find some in the FAA whose has the
authority to write you an 8130-? while turning a blind eye. If the
plane crashes one of the first things done is a paperwork review,
yours and the planes. The paper trail would lead right back to the
person who wrote your ticket. And it would be clear the ticket was
written improperly.

The 8130-? can (but doesn't have to) have restrictions, for example,
"can only fly over the water, and must take off and land from over the
water". I have actually seen this. And usually there are time
limits, 30 days, 60 days, etc based on the test plan you submit. You
do have a test plan?

I have heard of people (via this group) who have done this. But it is
a bending of the rules and quite frankly anyone who a lot of time and
effort in to getting a DAR ticket is not going to risk it. DARs serve
at the FAA convience the ticket can be pulled at any time if the FAA
says, "we don't need coverage in this area.".

You probably didn't tell your local FAA office the full story when you
got the 51% rule response.

You are risking your investment in the plane and you could end up
investing lots of time and money on a venture that could be nulled in
5 minutes if a new inspector asks a pointed question.

Sell the plane and build a kit or find a reasonable AP who will let
you do supervised work.

It is easy to put a plane in to experimental (5 minutes), REAL TOUGH
to take it back to cert'ed (could be days of DAR effort). Value of an
experimental C172, probably 10 cents on the dollar.







"Brad Mallard" wrote in message ...
I am a Private Pilot with about 100 hours. I am looking for an airplane that
I can call my own, whether it is certified, homebuilt, experimental, or
ultralight.

I have a Cessna 172 that is paid for right now, but I think I can build a
better plane faster that will haul more for about the same money I have
invested in my 172. As it is right now, I can't hardly do anything to my
172, as I am not an A&P.

I talked to my local flight service station and they said, if I built at
least 51% of an aircraft, then it could be classified as experimental. With
experimental, as long as I have documented everything, and passed their
inspection, and flew the plane for a documented 40 hours in assigned
airspace, then as soon as it was classified as experimental, it would have
the same freedoms as a certified aircraft.

If I wen the other way, and altered an existing plane like a Cessna 172 for
example, then it could be reclassified as "restricted" and I would have to
contact them every single time I decided to fly.

What I think I need from this group is maybe some restriction definitions
for the following: Certified, homebuilt, amatuer built, experimental,
restricted, and ultralight... or any other comments


Brad



"Dude" wrote in message
...
You cannot make a certified plane into a homebuilt.

You can move it from certified to experimental, but it will not be the
same
as a homebuilt and will not be treated as such.

You might be better off telling us what you want to accomplish by doing
this, and someone here will be able to tell you what you are up against.



"Brad Mallard" wrote in message
...
I know this is a popular question, but I have not seen anyone actually
answer it. Can you make a Certified aircraft into a homebuilt? The only
response I have gotten is "yes, but with a lot of paperwork." Is there
a
starting point?

Brad