Definition
A packaged set of aircraft parts, materials, and instructions sold to a builder for assembly into a complete, flyable aircraft. In the light-sport and experimental categories, a kit may range from a basic set of plans and raw materials to a near-complete airframe requiring only final assembly, depending on the manufacturer and the regulatory category the finished aircraft will fall under.
Plain English
A boxed-up collection of all the parts and instructions needed to build an airplane yourself.
Context Anchor
Seen in light-sport aircraft discussions when comparing factory-built aircraft with aircraft assembled by an owner or builder from supplied parts.
Derivation
From the Dutch word 'kitte,' meaning a wooden container or tankard. Over time it came to mean a set of items packed together for a purpose. In aviation, it carries that same idea: a complete package of parts, ready to be assembled into a working aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Kit-built aircraft fall under experimental amateur-built rules with specific operating limitations and maintenance requirements different from factory-built special light-sport aircraft.
Intuition Check
Do not assume kit means a small accessory package or a ready-to-use airplane. In this context, it means the parts and instructions used to build the aircraft.
Example Sentence 1
He spent three years assembling his light-sport airplane from a kit in his garage.
Example Sentence 2
After completing the kit, the owner had the aircraft inspected before the first flight.