Nobody can stop you building a Gypsy or a Tiger Moth. Problems only arise if you choose to sell it as something it is not. It would not be a DH Moth in a legal sense, no. But if it looks like Moth, is built like a Moth, from the same materials and to the same specifications as a Moth, would that detract from the pleasure of of owning and flying what is, in all respects other than legal semantics, a Moth??

If I build one to the exact same specs it is a reproduction. Nobody in their right mind could be persuaded that is is anything else, nor would anyone in their right mind try to pass it off as an original. I differentiate between a “replica” and a “reproduction”; a reproduction is not merely a look-alike, but built exactly as the original.

Nobody can legally stop you from selling a kit of parts for a “Moth” or whatever you choose to call it, any more than they can stop you from building an Isaac’s Fury. (Which, in case anyone wonders, is not a “real” Hawker Fury…) It would just happen to be a very well proven, very authentic REPRODUCTION of something bearing an uncanny resemblance to a certain DeHavilland product. I am not talking about putting one in production as a certified airplane.

I still think the attitude is one of sheer snobbery. Who would suffer if people built Moths from plans? Would British Aerospace go out of business?

The nicest thing about flying is that, for the little amount of time you’re actually up there, it is a world of wood, metal, fabric and the laws of physics – none of the legal and paper bullsh.t that surrounds aviation can touch you……

I think somebody needs to read some sections of the ANO and have a basic understanding of legal requirements for building an aeroplane.

As someone who is spending a lot if time and money on designing an SSDR type at the moment, I’ve already realised that serial production of that airframe, in kit or completed form is an absolute minefield. Litigation, insurance worries on this new build is so complex, it scares me. For me it’s purely a case of achieving something I want to do, it will never pay it’s way even in part for the amount of work that goes in.

With what you are suggesting, what you forget that In the end somebody qualified has to put their name to it that it is airworthy to some standard (be it SSDR, permit, CofA etc) you can’t just build a plane and fly it, it must be insured and no insurance company would touch you.

I think the only loophole is foot launched gliders below a certain weight, I think they still require no form of certification not do they need to meet any design standard. Even the unregulated SSDR has rules to follow.

Quite why anybody would want to fly anything self designed that they don’t have calcs for though defies me!

FB