There is some logic missing from this 51% argument.

Aircraft in the Amateur built category have a number of limitations.
As they are not certified they can only be used for personal use and
except for a few are not worth as much monetarily as the equivalent
certificated aircraft (if there is one)

Even if a person had a builders center build the entire thing, it
still would have to operate under the same rules. Amateur built. Any
one of us can purchase a used G-III, or Vans RV. The only thing is we
do not qualify for the repairman's certificate. How does that differ
from having a builders center do all the work?

Agreed having the builders center do all of the work would not satisfy
the educational aspect of the current rules, but neither does
purchasing a used one. Me? I'd be afraid of a used G-III I could
afford.

BTW building fixtures was mentioned. I'd guess I have close to as
much time in building good fixtures as I do in the actual building
process and with the price of steel those fixtures are getting
expensive. When I'm done they most likely will get pitched into the
scrap pile. That is a lot of 1" square tubing that varies from 12 Ga
to 1/4" wall.

I'd guess I have a good $500 into the wing fixture alone, probably
more. That sucker is big! It has to be as the wing is one piece tip to
tip. The top is made of true 2 X 6 milled lumber laminated with 3/4"
birch plywood and bolted to a steel tube frame top that is welded to a
heavy bottom steel frame with 10 casters and 10 3/4" leveling bolts.
The contoured portion to fit the wing is 3/4" birch plywood while the
trailing edge clamps are a good 40 feet of milled 1 X 2s. If I need
to move the wing, I loosen the locking nuts and give each leveling
bolt one turn "up", kick the caster locks and roll the whole works
out. When finished with what caused the need for that area, I roll
the fixture back in so the leveling bolts line up with the proper
marks on the floor, give then one turn CW and tighten the locking
nuts. Speaking of clamps I have almost a dozen of the squeeze clamps
(sorta like a ratchet) that will open to about 18" and another dozen
of the spring clamps that look sorta like a giant clothes pin except
they'll pinch a whole lot harder. Again more money for things the
builders center would have.

Again this is where the builders center would excel. They have the
fixtures and clamps that can be reused so the wing can be closed and
installed on the airplane in a small fraction of the time I can do it
and they still meet both the letter and intent of the 51% rule. The
same is true of the horizontal stab and elevators. They know just how
thick that stab should be when the shear web is bonded in. This will
save many hours of fitting the elevators to the stab and you can be
sure the left and right sides will match.

As far as I can see a *good* builders center operating with in the
letter and intent of the 51% rule could teach me more in one week than
I can learn on my own stumbling around for a year or two. I'd learn
more and get things done faster. Unfortunately as I have said before,
being retired and on a budget that is not an option.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com