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The fastest / most capable UK LAA / Annex 1 aircraft type?

Anyone flown the VL3 Evolution from JMB Aircraft? “https://www.jmbaircraft.com/

I fancy something moving away from the Conti/Lycosaurus engines. This seems to be the best in terms of performance.

I don’t think it can go on the G reg, but can go on several European registers.

EGLK, United Kingdom

From my perspective, (and I am biased as I own an for more than 10 years), the Europa XS with a ROTAX 914 si the best performance against investment and operation cost. The current market is at less than 50K like this one: https://www.planecheck.com/index.asp?ent=da&id=47797&cor=y planecheck_G_FITY_47797_pdf

Belgium

Anyone flown the VL3 Evolution from JMB Aircraft?

I didn’t fly it (wouldn’t fit) but the dealership is in Belgium and I’ve seen quite some units on the different airfields nearby. The degree of fit & finish is spectacular !

EBST, Belgium

The problem is there are very few RV10s in the UK.

Presumably one could just get one built to order by a serial builder in the US.

In the US, if you are not the builder you need an A&P (not an A&P/IA) to sign off the Annual. Many previous threads on this one. On the UK LAA G-reg system there is no advantage at all in being the builder because an LAA inspector has to inspect it anyway annually. So you can just buy a homebuilt…

How much would that cost? I think “serial building” is a fairly low profile activity in the US because it runs against the ethos of the homebuilding concessions (which in the US are substantial) but AIUI quite a lot of it does take place.

The shipping would be about 10k. A ferry flight would not be a good idea since complying with the engine break-in procedure is highly unlikely to happen unless you throw a fair bit more money at it.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

More often what I’ve seen in the US is a builder getting substantial amounts of building help from somebody more skilled than themselves, but remaining the builder for initial registration. ‘Serial Building’ is done by quite a number of enthusiastic builders but it seems to me most do it for fun, not money, keeping the new plane and selling the prior one. Those are the ones you see for sale.

The distinction between initial builder and subsequent owner for FAA regulated maintenance is surely there, but not as big a deal as it may seem. All maintenance (as opposed to inspections) can be carried out and signed off by any owner, on any US-registered homebuilt and there are so many non-IA A&Ps floating around the enthusiast community that typically most of the Annual is done by the owner anyway and signed off by an A&P friend or acquaintance. My RV flying airport friends do only a very limited Annual regardless, because they fiddle with their relatively simple planes year round and are well aware of their condition before starting the inspection. It then ends up being an exercise in looking for cracks.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 02 Apr 14:36

I wonder how hard it would be to find a “friend” in the UK to help you build the thing.

When the LAA inspector inspects it during the build, does he quizz the purportive builder on how much he actually did, and perhaps ask for a demonstration of riveting?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I don’t think it matters for the UK LAA how much help you got in building it. People often buy abandoned projects, and they’re openly advertised.
You might find an LAA Inspector willing to help. The IR would be the only people interested in whether you payed him. (They’d be interested even if it was VFR only. )

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

When the LAA inspector inspects it during the build, does he quizz the purportive builder on how much he actually did, and perhaps ask for a demonstration of riveting?

I couldn’t answer for the LAA but FWIW in the US, the FAA DAR is looking for plausible deniability (of having had paid help for a majority of the plane) and is probably more interested in spirit than letter of the requirement. If the whole plane was built in a place controlled/occupied by the principal builder that’s a very good start and with a few records also on hand it probably doesn’t go beyond that.

Anybody involved in building a metal plane, even as a helper, learns to rivet

Last Edited by Silvaire at 02 Apr 20:31

There are strict rules and regulations concerning building or importing an LAA aircraft:

Building

local copy

Importing

local copy

I don’t know if it’s available on LAA (whatever that means), but the GlaStar is popular here. It’s fast, lots of space, short field and looks nice.

It depends on what kind of capability you want.

Lancair: fast, cool, useless for anything except going fast and looking cool.
RV-10 and -9: Sedate, but fast-ish, short field no acro,
RV-12: economical but slow, a bit heavy, short field
RV-3, -4, -8: Fast, short field, tandem, acro
RV-6, -7, -14: side by side, fast, acro (the -14 probably is the best overall RV?)
Glastar: Space, fast-ish, bush light, perfect allrounder, but no acro.
CC: Bush plane de lux, but that’s it also.
Europa: efficient, practical
Sonex-series: small but fast, crisp handling, short field, acro, need 100+ hp (a small Jabiru isn’t enough)

And there are lots of others. Best all round is definitely the RV-7/14 and the Glastar. All 2 seaters.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway
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