On second thoughts I would keep the TB20, which is a really great plane to fly for both short and long trips, and great to get photos and movies out of, and would fit a bigger engine, say 300HP.
On top of the above assumptions, if time and money and loading were no issue I would get a Radial Rocket. Because radial. The red/grey on the site was actually for sale last year, but above my budget (it started quite a bit higher than the last price on the site). Anyway, I need to gather a bunch of hours before I’d dare sit in such a plane, and that will probably happen in a good old PA28.
Plane and Pilot had a nice article on adventure aircraft, and the last three are attractive. The 182 Kenai being an all rounder.
Peter wrote:
Based on what I have read about this, it would be very difficult to operate an F104 as a Exp typeThe FAA looks for previous fast jet time.
In Europe, no chance whatever.
By far the most demanding task is to keep it airworthy. Being current in one is just a question of money. But, an airplane that requires afterburner to take off will purely be a show piece. The noise emissions are way off any civilian regulation.
Peter wrote:
Based on what I have read about this, it would be very difficult to operate an F104 as a Exp typeThe FAA looks for previous fast jet time.
In Europe, no chance whatever.
Why fight the system? Just get this:
FL250 (with FL280 as an option), 270kts, 1200nm range, pressurized comfort. All for a measly sum of money. Will cost you much, much less than any Cirrus, Evolution etc – or anything you can come up with. But we invent acrobatic and contortious calculations to justify bizarre hangups, like maintaining a twin rating or trying to justify a new plane financially. This is bang for buck just unbeatable no matter how you calculate. 
Isn’t the problem with the Aerostar (or any of the old piston twins) that they tend to spend much of the year grounded for unscheduled maintenance? And in the Aerostar’s case, doesn’t it have a tendency to kill you?
For me it should be the Ravin 500.
With a 100kt-brain any fast aircraft is going to kill you. If you are far enough behind the aircraft, perhaps you’ll arrive at the accident site only when the dust has settled. If that saves your skin though…
I haven’t flown the AEST but all Pilots who have flown her for some time like the aircraft. It reportedly handles nicely within the envelope, as has been tested for certification. That would be one of the main strong points against high performance experimenrals: Due to possible alterations to the original design, buid quality and choice of materials and processes you are uninevitable test pilot for your homebuilt aircraft even if you have built a well proven design. That is a task that you have to perform in a very professional manner or it will bite you. That is not for everyone, especially in high performance homebuilts.
