Buying a home build kit plane from SA Whisper X350

[Wizane1971]

Hi Everyone.

I am looking into the hurdles of buying a Whisper X350 from South Africa. Other than the usual obsticles like shipping, inspection, VAT, and flying it before buying it. I was wondering if anyone has seen these in the UK and if it would be a straightforward process to get it registered with the LAA. Any advice is appreciated. Should also mention the plane is already built and been flying in SA.

[Ian Melville]

Getting LAA approval for a new design is not a walk in the park. You will need full co-operation of the manufacture to undertake any tests the LAA require. They will also require a great deal of documentation from the manufacture that would not normally be made public.

Though if it is a long established design, then the worldwide fleet may have sufficent safely flown hours to have partial or full exemption based on that history.

Suggest you call LAA engineeroing and have a chat with them.

[Wizane1971]

Hi Ian,
I have just done a little reading on the requirements, which follow a complete strip and inspection process. I'm fine with that, other than what it may find. I will speak to engineering and the OEM with regard to support. Looks like there are 50 sold version of the one I am looking at, and more of the Gen 2 version, so hopefully there is sufficient evidence for flying hours.
Thanks for the reply.

[Ian Melville]

Are you sure that the stripdown and inspect it not for importing an LAA appoved design that has been built outside of the LAA control?

You need TL 1.07