6 & 7 Dec 2025

Installed the wiring harness for the interior heater fan. This was not part of the Midwest Panel Builders kit since they could not source appropriate connectors and wanted the wires joined with spade terminals. I contacted Siroco, who manufacture the fan, and they put me in contact with T7Design in the UK who stock the appropriate connectors and harness. It was relatively easy to fit with the correct connectors

Installed a doubler for the Garmin GA35 WAAS GPS antenna at the top of the luggage compartment, then covered it with carpet for a neat finish. The doubler is actually from the RAMI doubler kit but fits nicely

I was very dissatisfied with the front top skin fitment and discovered that other builders had experienced a similar issue, resolved through fitting additional rivets. I took the bull by the horns, marked and drilled holes for additional rivets and then removed the top skin, luckily it came of reasonably easily as the Sikaflex was still not fully cured after a week, but it still stuck properly to the fiberglass and side skins. Removing it took a few hours with a scraper and some sanding. The rivet holes were dimpled and countersunk, then the top skin was refitted - MUCH better result this time. I do have an issue on both corners at the firewall where it looks like some additional shim material may be required - will check when the cowling is placed in position. One thing Sling has not called out in the KAI is the need to trim the top skin flange on the top where it meets the canopy (to avoid overlap and allow the windscreen to fit flush against the canopy). I had to trim this in place on the aircraft which wasn't ideal

Fitted the dashboard after quite a bit of trimming to suit the layout of the instrument panel components. The template provided by Midwest Panel Builders for this purpose didn't account for a number of components encroaching on the panel surround, so wasn't as helpful as it should have been