I've been looking and have found offers for short kits and semi kits.

I wonder what are the differences or similarities.

Hardware, plans, providing more wood .....

Best regards

As you mentioned, short kits usually come with the plans, canopy, maybe a cowl if needed and some wood. The wood is usually all the formers, wing ribs and such. You as the builder buy all the sheeting and balsa sticks. There are some short kits out there that have no wood at all and the builder would then have to cut out all the parts. Good Luck, Dave

For each kit you must specifically inquire as to what is included- there is no standard or rule.

Exacty! One mans short kit is anothers canopy cowl and plans. Some have plans some dont, some have cowls and conopies, some dont. Some are just glass fuses with foam wing cores.

szig,

As everybody else has pointed out, there's no standardization for "short" kits. At best, a good one will have plans, all the curved parts,(ribs, formers, wing tips, etc) and if they don't provide a cowling or canopy, they'll point you towards a source for one that should fit. As for hardware, a lot of builders use their own specific favorite type of hardware, even if there's already a hardware package in a kit.
A lot of people like short kits because it enables them to be more picky about the sheet and strip wood they use (that is IF you have a well stocked LHS or some other good balsa source close by). With most full kits, they supply sticks and sheet and you have to cut it to length and width anyway, so why not use the stuff you hand picked? I'm not sure a short kit actually saves you money, but it gives you a bit more control over what you put into your finished product, which we all want to be the best airplane it can be. It's worth having a go at, and a lot of fun to boot.

papermache

Thank you all for your answers.

szig