The FAA has an interesting approach to replacement parts in certified
aircraft, and the same standard could be used for ham gear. The rule is
that an owner of a certified aircraft may manufacture his (or her) own
replacement parts, or commission the manufacture of a replacement part, if
they have the certified drawings for the original part and construct the
replacement part from those drawings. This applies whether the aircraft is
a Boeing 707 or a Piper Cub. Under their rule, the home constructed part
becomes a factory original part.
The rule is very specific, and the part cannot be made by cloning the
original - you must make it from the drawings. A friend of mine owns a 1940
Funk airplane. He is a certified mechanic and needed a replacement strut.
The strut was simply made from tubing, but he could not look at it and
simply make a good or better replacement. He had to find a source for the
plans for that particular strut (at a pretty hefty price for a piece of
paper), then manufacture his part from that blueprint. He then certified
that it was made according to the original specifications. Presto, it
became an original part.
73, Colin K7FM
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