system
> A flying homebuilt is not guaranteed to be bug-free. A careful pre-purchase inspection is a must.
This cannot be over-emphasized. In addition, consider that many homebuilt aircraft are unique, one-off examples due to builder modification of the original plans/build manuals. It’s critical to have access to the builder’s log, and someone–preferably the original builder–with experience in inspecting the type aircraft you are looking at. I would consider a comprehensive builder’s log for an experimental to be at least as important as the maintenance logbook. A typical A&P/IA can confirm satisfactory techniques and hardware, but will not likely know about common gotchas and idiosyncrasies of the type.
If there is no builder’s log and you decide to purchase the aircraft anyway then you cannot assume anything about the aircraft’s flight characteristics or systems operation. I would consider a self-imposed flight test regime, to include hiring a qualified test pilot (unless you are one) to handle the first few flights to confirm handling qualities and systems operation.
