Experimental aircraft

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In generic use, an experimental aircraft is an aircraft that has not yet been fully proven in flight. Often, this implies that new aerospace technologies are being tested on the aircraft, though the label is more broad. Experimental aircraft is also a specific term referring to an aircraft flown with an experimental category airworthiness certificate. The term experimental aircraft is often erroneously used to mean homebuilt aircraft. While all homebuilt aircraft are experimental, there are many types of experimental aircraft that are not homebuilds.

1 FAA definition of Experimental Aircraft
2 Amateur Aircraft and Kit-built Aircraft
3 Experimental aircraft culture
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] FAA definition of Experimental Aircraft

The United States Federal Aviation Administration requires an airworthiness certificate to be maintained as part of the official paperwork associated with each aircraft. Aircraft produced by certified aircraft manufacturers will go through an extensive period of testing to prove that they are airworthy. These tests cover everything from engineering and construction to the flying characteristics of the aircraft in question. Once the aircraft and manufacturer have satisfactorily completed these tests, they are authorized by the FAA to produce aircraft with a standard airworthiness certificate. Any other aircraft will be issued an experimental airworthiness certificate.

The FAA issues experimental airworthiness certificates for eight defined purposes:

Research and Development -- Aircraft whose purpose is to test new design concepts, equipment, or operating techniques.
Showing Compliance with Regulations -- An aircraft that is built for the purposes of demonstrating the airworthiness of a design. For example, any model of aircraft that is today built with a standard airworthiness certificate, will have initially flown as a prototype with an experimental certificate.
Crew Training -- An aircraft used solely for training that, for some reason, does not have a standard certificate. For example, NASA operates a highly modified Gulfstream to train pilots as a simulation of the landing behavior of the Space Shuttle.
Air Racing
Market Survey -- A sales demonstration aircraft.
Operating Amateur (Homebuilt) Aircraft
Operating Kit-built Aircraft

[edit] Amateur Aircraft and Kit-built Aircraft

In the eyes of the United States Federal Aviation Administration, an Experimental Homebuilt Aircraft is not constructed by a licensed aircraft manufacturer. Instead, at least 51% of the aircraft is constructed by a private individual; the remaining 49% percent can be purchased from a kit manufacturer. In the past, far less than the allowed 49% of the kit was assembled by the manufacturer of the kit. Now, the majority of experimental aircraft builders purchase kits that are assembled by the kit manufacturer up to the 49% limit. These are often called "quick build" kits.

This category of aircraft can be built and flown by any licensed pilot, although an FAA examiner must certify the aircraft for flight. Most nations' aviation regulations require new designs and amateur-built aircraft to be physically marked as experimental, and extra flight testing is usually required before passengers (who are not pilots themselves) can be carried. At least 25,000 of these homebuilt aircraft exist in the U.S. alone, though many are based on conventional designs and experimental only by name.

Homebuilt aircraft are built from materials in one of four categories: rag and tube, metal, wood, or composite materials (fiberglass, carbon fiber, etc.). The first category, describes a building method where the aircraft's superstructure is built using welded steel or bolted aluminum tube covered with Dacron fabric. This fabric can be painted to stiffen it. The second category, metal, describes the common all aluminum aircraft. Examples of this kind of experimental aircraft include the Vans RV series of 1 & 2 place kits. Of note is the fact that over 4700 of the Vans aircraft are currently flying. Finally, the most recent addition to the fleet is made from composites. This category is notable for its designs employing body curvature and light weight which would be impossible with the other materials.

Instead of building experimental aircraft from kits, it's also possible to build from plans. The builder needs to procure all raw material him/herself. An example of a plans built aircraft is this IBIS experimental aircraft project.

[edit] Experimental aircraft culture

In the United States, the FAA's Experimental Aircraft designation is supported by the Experimental Aircraft Association. The largest airshow in the world is the EAA's annual AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which takes place in late July and early August. Other annual events are the Sun N' Fun Fly-In, which occurs in the early spring in Lakeland, Florida, and the Northwest EAA Fly-In in Arlington, Washington. These events are called a "Fly-In" as many people fly their homebuilts and other aircraft into the airport hosting the show, often camping there for the duration. Both events last a week. Takeoffs and landings at these shows number in the thousands.