Style: compact · Demo Build Log
Demo Build — Build Log
March 11, 2026
11 entries · 38h 15m total
5 build sections
Fuselage: 3 entries, 10 hr 45 minWings: 3 entries, 10 hr 15 minElectrical: 2 entries, 7 hrEngine / FWF: 2 entries, 7 hr 30 minLanding Gear: 1 entries, 2 hr 45 min
| Date | Section | Entry Title | Hours | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2025 | Fuselage | Aft fuselage bottom skins riveted Completed riveting the aft bottom skins from station 150 to tail. 312 rivets total — had one set that needed drilling out and re-driving. All shop heads within spec. Finished the session by priming the interior before closing up permanently. | 5 hr 30 min | 📷 4 |
| Feb 22, 2025 | Fuselage | Forward bulkhead assembly complete Installed and riveted the forward bulkhead assembly (F-706). All AN470AD4-5 rivets driven with no driven-head defects. Checked squareness against reference lines — within 1/32". Also installed nutplates for firewall attachment bolts. | 1 hr 45 min | 📷 2 |
| Feb 15, 2025 | Fuselage | Fuselage sides joined at keel Completed joining the left and right fuselage side skins at the keel center section. Used approximately 80 clecos for alignment before final drilling. All holes match-drilled to #30, deburred, and ready for dimpling. The fit is excellent with no gaps along the keel line. Torqued all temporary bolts per the plans spec. | 3 hr 30 min | 📷 3 |
| Feb 8, 2025 | Wings | Right wing leading edge skins Fitted and match-drilled the three leading edge skin sections on the right wing. All holes #40 pilot drilled, then opened to final #30 size. Edges rounded with a file and scotchbrite. The inboard skin required a small adjustment shim at the root — documented with photos. | 3 hr 15 min | 📷 3 |
| Jan 25, 2025 | Wings | Wing ribs installed — left wing Installed all 12 wing ribs on the left wing, working from root to tip. Clecoed each in position, verified alignment with a laser level, then match-drilled. Completed 8 of 12 ribs today — the last 4 tip ribs will be done next session when I can get help positioning. | 4 hr 30 min | 📷 4 |
| Jan 18, 2025 | Wings | Left wing main spar preparation Deburred all holes in the left wing main spar caps and web. Applied two coats of Akzo epoxy primer to the interior surfaces. Allowed to cure 24 hours per manufacturer spec. Spar is ready for rib installation. | 2 hr 30 min | 📷 2 |
| Feb 20, 2025 | Electrical | Avionics tray and radio stack installed Mounted the Garmin G3X avionics tray and completed the initial wiring for the GDU 460 display. Pinned the D-sub connectors for the ADAHRS and engine monitoring wires. CAN bus terminated with proper 120-ohm termination resistors at each end. System powered up successfully — display shows startup screen. | 4 hr | 📷 3 |
| Feb 12, 2025 | Electrical | Main bus wiring harness routed Ran the main power bus from the battery contactor to the firewall feedthrough. Used 2 AWG welding cable for the main bus run. All connections made with ring terminals, torqued to 25 in-lb and covered with self-amalgamating tape. Ground strap from engine mount to firewall torqued to 35 in-lb. | 3 hr | 📷 2 |
| Mar 5, 2025 | Engine / FWF | Lycoming IO-360 engine hung Major milestone — engine is on the airframe! Used a hoist and a helper. All four mount isolators installed in the correct orientation (soft side toward the mount). Prop flange torque checked. Throttle and mixture cable routing planned for next session. Took about 3 hours total including safety. | 3 hr 30 min | 📷 4 |
| Feb 5, 2025 | Engine / FWF | Engine mount fitted and drilled Fitted the Vetterman exhaust-compatible engine mount to the firewall. All 4 through-bolts installed with AN960-716 washers and elastic stop nuts. Torqued to 160 in-lb per the mount manufacturer spec. Verified clearance from all four sides — minimum 1.5" on all surfaces. Ready for engine installation. | 4 hr | 📷 2 |
| Feb 28, 2025 | Landing Gear | Main gear legs fitted Fitted both main gear legs into the fuselage gear tower. Had to elongate the right-side aft hole by about 0.015" to achieve correct alignment. Both legs torqued to spec. Wheel pants mounting brackets installed at correct cant angle per the plans. | 2 hr 45 min | 📷 2 |
| TOTAL | 38h 15m | |||
Demo Build · Experimental Aircraft Build Log · KitplaneBuildLogs.com