Legal sport aircraft?????
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 11:36 am
I have been looking at a supposed Light Sport Champ. But I do not know if it is light sport compliant or not. Some of the changes made in the past MAY have been done to increase the GW to 1350. That takes it out of Light sport. But they may have been done for other reasons. For instance adding a wing tank can be for many reasons. But the kicker is that this aircraft has a placard which states "No intentional spins when carrying baggage" (something like that). That placard is only used on Champs 1350 or above. But the owner provided a recent weight and balance showing the GW as 1220.
So to make a long story short or simpler:
Lets say a person did upgrades that are also upgrades needed to increase the GW either on purpose or unintentionally but never recorded the GW change but did record the changes themselves and provides a recent weight and balance at 1220. Under that scenario is this then still a LSA or not since a new gross weight has never been declared?
I like the aircraft but am learly that someone is trying to pass off an aircraft that was modified to 1350 before LSA came into being. Now they want to tout it as light sport to up it's value and are being somewhat sneaky. I just cant find any reason to have the placard. Except that maybe a donor panel was used from a heavier Champ.
Any thoughts on the subject or questions I could pose to the seller would be appreciated. This is a Champion 7BCM. The 7CCM certification notes the changes to take it to 1350. 7BCM has no such notes.
Or maybe the answer is that no matter what mods you do to a 7BCM, it can't be taken to 1350 so I am safe? Except of coarse to make sure the changes were made and documented properly. But again, why or where did the placard come from.
thanks in advance,
Alan
So to make a long story short or simpler:
Lets say a person did upgrades that are also upgrades needed to increase the GW either on purpose or unintentionally but never recorded the GW change but did record the changes themselves and provides a recent weight and balance at 1220. Under that scenario is this then still a LSA or not since a new gross weight has never been declared?
I like the aircraft but am learly that someone is trying to pass off an aircraft that was modified to 1350 before LSA came into being. Now they want to tout it as light sport to up it's value and are being somewhat sneaky. I just cant find any reason to have the placard. Except that maybe a donor panel was used from a heavier Champ.
Any thoughts on the subject or questions I could pose to the seller would be appreciated. This is a Champion 7BCM. The 7CCM certification notes the changes to take it to 1350. 7BCM has no such notes.
Or maybe the answer is that no matter what mods you do to a 7BCM, it can't be taken to 1350 so I am safe? Except of coarse to make sure the changes were made and documented properly. But again, why or where did the placard come from.
thanks in advance,
Alan