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'Aircraft kit' is the pre-fabricated parts of an aircraft. The individual parts of the aircraft (fuselage, wings, horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer, landing gear, cowling, etc.) are dispatched from the manufacturer unassembled, similar to a model aircraft kit. The owner then has to assemble the parts and pieces to make up the aircraft.
In the United States, the owner/builder must complete at least 51% of the fabrication for the FAA to consider it a home-built aircraft.
Some examples of aircraft kit manufacturers, past and present, include:

★ Aero Composites

★ Algie composite aircraft

★ Bede Aircraft

★ Cirrus Design

★ Glastar

★ Lancair

★ Murphy Aircraft

★ Quickie Aircraft

★ Rans

★ RotorWay

★ Revolution Helicopter (defunct)

★ Rutan Aircraft Factory (defunct), now folded into Scaled Composites

★ Vans