Experimental designation for production airframe

[Swede]

That little turbine, from what I gathered from a quick browse of the site, looks to have planetary gear reduction from the turbine 60,000+ RPM down to the prop. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with this scheme, but the gearbox needs to be VERY well engineered, with a well-designed lube system, and quality components, or the advertised TBO won't be reached. It'd suck to strip gears at a critical phase of flight.

I love turbines and don't give a hoot about 10 GPH vs 6, so like you guys I am waiting for a reliable, modestly-priced turbine retrofit. Whoever solves the problems and brings one to market will make a lot of $$.

 

[A Squared]

As has already been alluded to, there are several flavors of Experimental certificates.

There are: Experimental Flight test, Experimental research and development, experimental exhibition, Experimental amateur built, and maybe a few others.

Almost all have very servere limits on how and when you may fly and for how long the certificate is valid. Ex flight test is for the purpose of flight testing, and I beleive is time limited, experimental, R&D is granted for a specific development project, experimental exhibition allowws you to fly at airshows, to and from aishows, and for "proficiency" The proficiency allows a little wiggle room, but the only one in which you can just go out and fly for your own purposes is Experimental, amateur built. In order to be Experimental, Amatuer built, you must have built 50% of the aircraft yourself. Bolting a different engine on a production airframe almost certainly wouldn't qualify as being 50%, unless you also did other extensive modifications.

 

[pilotmiketx]

I'd check with the local FSDO and see what they say before you spend any dough, but I met a guy at Gladewater TX who was going to put an APU engine on a 150. And there's a guy who has a Walters turbine Navion.

Check out www.innodyn.com. There's some pretty neat videos of a Super Cub and RV 4.