Who owns the Culver Cadet Type Certificate?

[Bill Poynter]

I received the following message from the UK and thought that one of our members may have an answer:

Hi Bill,

I am based in the UK and have recently been looking at importing a Culver Cadet project from the states and restoring it over here.

However I have recently come up against a bit of a showstopper in that the aircraft cannot be given a permit to fly on our Light Aircraft Association (UK equivalent of the EAA) as the type is shown as being a certified type under the FAA and under new European legislation a certified type imported from outside of the EU must also be certified within the EU. Unfortunately as the cadet is not certified in the UK already it would cost a huge amount of money to do so relative to the cost of the airplane.

The oddity here is that the holder of the TCDS for the Cadet is listed by the FAA as Superior Aircraft but as far as I am aware this company went bust many years ago. My question to you is, who now holds the TCDS for the Cadet? If we could prove to our authorities that the type is effectively orphaned we may be able to register it under the LAA.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Mark Huxtable

[Culver Dreamer]

  According to the website www.ibeatyouthere.com the Culver Cadet type certificate is owned by the
Antique Airplane Association.  I have not been in contact with them to verify this. Maybe someone near by can call and confirm the info.
Mark

[Brett Lovett]

I believe Antique Airplane Association may own Type Certificate A-748 to the L-AR-90, and Lark 95. AAA did rescue the remains of Spinks aircraft.  Spinks acquired the type certificate from Helton, who acquired it from Lark Aircraft, who obtained it from California Aero, who acquired it from Superior, who acquired it from Culver (to the best of my memory and knowledge).  I am uncertain if the FAA would consider the Antique Airplane Association the legitimate owner of the type certificate, and if the AAA actually obtained ownership of the type certificate, or just the Spinks' remains.

I believe the lineage of the type certificates for all other Culver models ends with Superior Aircraft (except for the PQ-8A which became the Jamieson J-1, and the Dart series which went to Applegate-Weyant, then Dart Aircraft Corporation).  I'm not sure it will be so easy getting the FAA to admit that the type certificates are orphaned.

[Brett Lovett]

What about G-CDET?  http://www.culvercadet.com/4main.jpg  How was it registered with the CAA in the UK?

http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=detailnosummary&fullregmark=CDET

http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=reg&fullregmark=CDET

It looks like it was imported to the UK in 1986, with the previous US registration of N29261.  It might be worthwhile to research how this aircraft was imported to the UK and approved for flight there.

[Bill Poynter]

Evidently the rules have changed since Harry Fox initially imported G-CDET into the UK.  I corresponded with him on several occasions when he owned it.  At the time he imported it, he was able to license it as a Permit aircraft. (equivalent to our Experimental).