RV building outside of Canada

Hi to all !!

Previously, I posted here about my plan to start building a RV-8 outside of Canada (in France or Switzerland) then, when my job here is done in 2016, move back home in Qu?bec with my project.

After discussions with French and Canadian authorities, here's the scoop if any one else has the same idea:

Concerning amateur building, Transport Canada doesn't accept any foreign inspections not made by the MD-RA (Minister's Delegates-Recreational Aviation).

3 options are suggested:

1- Complete the airplane in the foreign country with all their necessary inspections and paperwork, then fly it for a minimum of 100 hours. Then it's possible to import it normally as a private plane.

2- Build until you reach an in$pection $tep, have a Canadian in$pector come over to do hi$/her $tuff, and you're re$ponsible for all hi$/her expen$e$ of cour$e...

3- Build until you reach an inspection step, leave that part open for future inspection and import it that way. (I guess if the skins are set, some un-riveting will have to take place...)

I don't believe I'll have time to complete it so my option will be to do all possible steps without closing up the skins... Then import the disassembled plane for inspection in Canada, and complete it afterwards.

One side note, for France to issue a F- registration to a foreigner, he/she needs to be considered as a permanent resident.

So my empennage is ordered and on it's way, the tools are just about to be ordered, and I finally found a decent place to build...

Expected start of building is April !!!

Have a nice day !!!

I would lean towards step 3 approach but just close the final side with clecos. No derivetting required. If clecos are problematic for shipping, consider closing the final side with only a very few pop rivets, to be removed later.

Bevan

A lot of builders have built sub-components up to the next-step-is-closing phase, and then put that part aside until everything was done. Then they pay for *one* pre-closing inspection.

If you chose this route, find someone local who has built before you, to look over your work from time to time. You won't save anything if you have an entire airframe built to the pre-closing stage, only to find something fundamentally wrong when the first inspection happens.

Thanks guys for the advice.

I already thought of using a few pop rivets for temporary closure during transport, that's what I meant by "set skins"

Snowflake, I will follow your suggestion. There's a builder not too far from my place and visits between his shop and mine are definitely in my plans !!!

Can't wait to get started !!!