ORIGINAL: abel_pranger
Bill-
Did you ask him why he would expose himself to the liability that might entail (rhetorical question)? Really, signing off on the airworthiness of any aircraft built by someone else you probably don't know, that may have hidden structural defects you can't see, seems cause for sober contemplation as to potential risk to one's fiscal well being. I recall another organization (possibly IMAA) dealt with that concern and settled on inspection procedure that left the owner/builder solely responsible for the integrity of the aircraft; the 'inspector' just verified that owner/builder certified he had complied with specified build standards/inspection procedure.
I really don't care to be around those bloated behemoths anyway, but even if did I wouldn't have any part of sign-off on them.
Abel
Abel,
If you will download the pdf file that entails the requirements for these large models, you will find that it pretty much does just that. The inpector's basic job, as I read it has more to do with the capabilities of the pilot than the model in qustion.
Someone raised the question of Balsa and Spruce.....I seriously doubt that you will find much balsa in a model that size, but rather mostly composites and ply and some spruce. Don't sell your fellow model builders short though, Have you ever seen Mac Hodges B-29 fly? I can promise you that it surpasses the minimum weight requriement for this program, and it does fly very well, and very safely. I would put more faith in something that most builders would engineer and build, and do so knowing how much it would weigh, and the flight envelope that it would pursue.
Bill, AMA 4720