How have you registered your aircraft?

For general discussion of the Just Aircraft family of aircraft.
Includes: Highlander, Escapade, Summit and SuperSTOL.
scubarider
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they are working

Post by scubarider »

The guys at JA said they knew it was coming and they are working on getting all the assurances in place.  It may be awhile though.  Not sure.  I know what you mean about the manual.  It does need some serious overhalling.  I mounted the aileron and flap mounts only to find out after the powder coating they labled them backwards so had to heat them up, drill and remove to start over again.  I was pretty heated.
D
Living life on the edge makes me dizzy.  I love Dizzy!
ftcaruso
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E-LSA registration

Post by ftcaruso »

I may be "the guy" that Tim referred to, as tomorrow (Wed 12/19) I have the DAR coming into the JA factory to certify my Highlander as an E-LSA.  In fact, there should be 2 Highlanders so certified under the "E" transition rule there in Walhalla, SC tomorrow.  Another gentlemen started building his about the same time as I did, back in July of 2006.  However, he actually put in all of the hours in assemblying the plane himself.  After 6 weeks of 8 hour days, 6 or 7 days a week, I had to abandon the project when the company that had purchased my consulting business defaulted.  I resumed my traveling and it has taken until this point for me to find another buyer for my business.  Back in September, 2006 I had to make a decision as to whether I was to wait until that time before resuming my project, or go "another route"  After several discussions with EAA, I found that if I could have the project completed before the Jan. 31, 2008 deadline for the transition rule (fat ultralights) there would be minimal paperwork, and no 51% rule requirement.   I was assured by JA that the plane would be completed by that deadline, and I allowed the factory to complete the assembly for me.  In fact, Troy was the principal builder for my aircraft, and I am well pleased with the result.  I regret not having been able to do more of the work on it myself, and I WILL have to take a 16 hour weekend EAA course for my repairman's certificate.  However, on the plus side, when it comes time to sell the plane ANYONE with a repairmans certificate can do the annual condition inspection.  With "A-B" LSA's, only the original builder can do so, which means that the new buyer will have to have an AI sign off on the inspection, just like a "standard" cagagory aircraft

Tomorrow I will learn if what I was told is correct and if the airworthiness certificate is issued as an "E-LSA"  I'l drop another posting then.
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scubarider
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love the plane

Post by scubarider »

Love your plane and paint scheme.  I beleive I have seen you at Wahalla when I was there at one point.  I noticed that you have a different cowling.  What type of engine are you running?
Dennis
Living life on the edge makes me dizzy.  I love Dizzy!
ftcaruso
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Highlander Engine

Post by ftcaruso »

Dennis  --  You caught me just as I am about to leave for the DAR inspection this morning.  We put the Jabriu 3300 in the highlander, and Troy used a new cowl design to help with the cooling via a better air flow.  I will give you more info later today, when I return from "the big test".

Frank

PS   -  I apologize for the oversized picture, but I am rather new at this whole posting thing, and didn't realize that the attachment would come out so large.  I'll do better with the next photo, showing the clean lines at the front of the cowl.
scubarider
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DAR

Post by scubarider »

Frank,
  I just talked to the DAR coming out your way.  He is the one that I am using also.  A great guy and you should not have a problem.  Good luck and let me know!
Dennis
Living life on the edge makes me dizzy.  I love Dizzy!
ftcaruso
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Now certified "E-LSA"

Post by ftcaruso »

Well, the DAR inspection went splendedly...more of a paperwork thing than an air worthiness review.   Mine lasted for about an hour and as long as the various FAA forms were signed and in order, the transition to E-LSA was routine.   Tom,  the other fellow who received his inspection today, and who built his entire Highlander at the factory, essentially by himself, had decided to use a Sabaru automobile engine in his ship. The first Highlander so powered.  Its a neat, small, and very inexpensive (about $4K) engine that puts out a bit over 100 hp and, they tell me, is fairly “bullet proof”.  This raised more interest  than did my plane, with its Jabriu engine.  Again, up through Jan. 31st, it does not matter what powers the aircraft.  You could use a Cat D8 diesel if you could get it in the cowl and within LSA weight restrictions.  After that date things change dramatically, unless the FAA allows for an extension.

I came aboard your group about a year ago, and each week I would log on, and just read about the various concerns, problems and solutions that you all had encountered in your projects.  I didn’t add much along the way.  Once I mentioned the name of the trailer company that had built my custom prototype, designed for LSA’s.  And now I offered some advise on the “E” category certification.  I felt that I really was not qualified to say very much, since a lot of the assembly on my plane was being done by others.  None the less, I learned a lot about reading this “blog” and am thankful that it is out there.  

My plane is really not complete.  We are still struggling with issues such as how to get sufficient cabin heat, fabricating NACA scoops to allow air flow to the oversized oil cooler that we hope will mitigate some of the Jabriu engine overheating problems, and possibly trying another carburetor other than the Bing that is offered by Jabriu.  An autopilot still has to be installed, and the “speed stripe” along the fuselage needs to be extended to the spinner.  Troy says that the list is less than 4” long, but I guess that depends on the font size.  Hopefully it will soon get its mandated flight testing logged (we still don’t really know if  5 hours or 40 hours are actually required), and then it may find its way down to the Sebring, FL LSA Expo next month.  However, if it gets there, it will not be me flying it.   I have to get back out on the road to break in the new guy that will be taking over a portion of my testing business, and then try to complete all of my remaining Spring projects by April.  Then my time with the airplane will really begin, starting with my insurance company mandated 10 hours of tail wheel training.  It has been over a half century since my last “conventional” gear flying...in an Aronca 7AC.  They feel that I might need some brushing up.  I’ll drop a line every once in a while to let you know how things are going.

Frank

ps-  I am enclosing a front view showing the clean looking cowl.  You have to excuse me in the photo but Troy took this for my Christmas card mailing last Saturday.  We hope that the oversized oil cooler with direct air flow via the NACA scoop will allow for sufficient cooling and not necessitate a hole cut below the spinner for a radiator.
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Johnny C!
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Post by Johnny C! »

Good Grief Frank!

What a beautiful airplane!

I don't see how you could possibly wait
until next spring to fly it!

Good Luck & keep us posted on the
carburator change. I know there have
been some jetting issues with the Bing.

Again, she's a beaute!

Merry Christmas everyone!

John
There are many things that happen really fast when you are
flying an airplane. There is no sense in rushing any of the others.

I would much rather be looking down at the runway, than up at it.

Duane Sorenson & Rick Norton Gone West 6/8/09. Godspeed
rgmullins
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Post by rgmullins »

I recently read that because of the large backlog,  the EAA has asked the FAA to extend the January 31 deadline to register ELSA aircraft under the transistion rules for anyone that has the paper work in before that deadline. For anyone thinking of going that route you might want to monitor the EAA site for updates.
scubarider
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hard to believe

Post by scubarider »

It would be hard for me to believe that the FAA will extend its deadline.  They have been asked before and it was denied.  My suggestion to anyone is to get it done before the Jan 31st deadline.  Just less hassles.
Living life on the edge makes me dizzy.  I love Dizzy!
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stede52
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Post by stede52 »

I also heard it from the FAA in Oklahoma City and the DAR I used for my Challenger here inSeattle. According to my DAR he the FAA told him there were so may requests currently in the registration pipeline (many thousands) they were now seriously considering the extension.
rgmullins
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Post by rgmullins »

Hopefully the EAA has some influence. I'm going to go ahead and file the paperwork just in case the deadline gets extended. My neighbor and I started on the kit in early September. We have the fuselage mostly done and painted and the wings are almost ready to cover. We're making good progress and it would be great if we could get it done before the Jan 31st deadline but I'm sure it ain't happening!
rgmullins
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Post by rgmullins »

for you guys that have your paper work in, The FAA did extend the deadline

http://www.eaa.org/news/2008/2008-01-23_exemption.asp
rgmullins
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Post by rgmullins »

Oops, I see that b1x4nqb already beat me to the post  :oops:
ftcaruso
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E-LSA registration

Post by ftcaruso »

I would strongly recommend that all that are able take advantage of this post Christmas present from the FAA, seriously consider the “E” option.  I believe that  E-LSA  offers some advantages over the “AB” route.  The greatest being, I think,is that the resale value should be better since the new owner would be able to do his own annual condition inspection after taking the weekend repairman's workshop and filing with the FAA for his certificate.  The new owner of an AB-LSA would need to get an A&P to sign off each year.  The phase 1 flight testing should be of a shorter duration (from 5 to 25 hours, depending on the DAR), as compared to 40 for the AB.  Also I believe that the prospect of purchasing an “E” (experimental) aircraft will carry a stronger perception of  “legitimacy” over the AB (home built) type.  Something you “younger” guys are probably not yet thinking about, but since I am much closer to 70 than 65, those economic resale matters are important to me.  The DAR inspection was also a piece of cake.  He didn’t even want to look at  my builder’s log...just weight and balance data.  So, if you have already pre-registered and reserved your “N” number, think about it.
b1x4nqb
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For what it's worth

Post by b1x4nqb »

If anyone is going this route it was recommended at this late of time to use either Powell Aircraft or Aero Space Report as an in between to hand off your paperwork to the FAA.  Even overnight at this point in time will not necessarily make it to the appropriate department before next week.  These 2 companies have people within the FAA and they literally hand off your paperwork through a window for these ELSA registrations.  In return you get proof the FAA has received your paperwork.  I found this interesting!  You could literally overnight Wednesday to one of these and still make the deadline if you have everything else in order.  The FAA only has to have received your paperwork, not actually processed it by COB Thursday the 31st.  You then have until 2010 to complete with the extension from what I understand.
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