Simple ? What exactly does it mean when a manufacturer has a short kit?

Plans and the laser cut parts

Yes, as in ONLY laser cut parts. No sticks or sheeting...

Wow, I figured it wouldn't have the hardware, but no sheeting or sticks. That is short.

In theory a short kit is fairly cheap to make and ship since it only has the 'shaped' parts; which fit into much smaller packaging than something with a bunch of 36 to48 inch long sticks and sheets.
Sheets and sticks are often available from local sources, and a lot of builders keep a pretty good supply on hand anyway.

Not all short kits are equal.

Most of the Modern laser cut short kits are just the difficult to cut bulkheads, formers and wing ribs,,, then you can order the fiberglass and plastic parts from other suppliers.

But some older short kits did come with Cowls, Canopies and foam cores, you still needed sticks, sheeting and hardware, etc., Wing Manufacturing kits were like that.

Scale is right,
Before buying any short kit you need to contact the seller or manufacturer to find out exactly what you will and will not be getting.

I'm not ready to order one , I just got started in building and I just can't stop looking at all the different kits out there. Was curious what some meant saying short kit. I've been flying for years now , but only afs. There a ton of kits out there compared to arfs, so just wanted to know what I'm even lookin at. Thanks all for the replies.

Mostly shaped parts only. Sticks, sheeting, hardware, canopies, cowls, and wheelpants you usually get or build yourself.

It is spendy. Depends how bad you are wanting a kit that manufacturers do not sell any longer. Worth it if you want it because you will NEVER get what you invest into it in the end anyhow.

Brian

Should have been building about 15 or 20 years ago before ARFs took over the market. The kits offered would have staggered your mind. In the 60s and 70s a hobby shop smelt like a lumber yard when you walked in. The shops were stocked from floor to ceiling with nothing but kits of every type.
I guess for someone just starting to look for kits it seems like a lot but to those of us that have been building for years, the shelfs are bare. Seems like there are only 10 kits these days that we see.
Welcome over to the light side. After you get a few kits under your belt you may want to look at plans building. With plans there are planes offered you will never see at a field. A short kit just makes a plans builders life a little easier.

No kidding. Hobby shops back then were a fire inspector's nightmare. I think documenting inventory was an impossible concept to many LHS owners back then. Now, hardware packets with the screws, nuts, washers, etc. are all spread out neatly on a peg board display along a 15 foot isle. Then, that same quantity of hardware would be crammed into 5 feet of space, on pegboard, in bins, boxes, shelves, and the rest of the isle would contain more of the same. But ahhh, the smell... The House of Hobbies (Clearwater, FL), circa 1970, is forever and fondly etched in my mind.