Having spent a lot more hours that I had wanted on building the workshop, it's finally nearing completion. The three tables (that form one long one) are complete and levelled. The components from the crate are now stored inside the table, a measure I took to maximise my available space in the garage. The tables are built with 25mm steel bar and MDF tops - probably overkill but I figure I'll be using these a lot so might as well make a good job of them.

The next job I'm working on is adding a ring main to the garage. It's been on my list of things to do for a while as the entertainment system is housed in here and it's all run from a socket extensions which is probably a little overloaded. So a new mini ring main is going up, this will provide me with 9 double sockets at the consumer unit and 3 double sockets as extensions.

The clecos and rivet puller are currently in shipping from ZentithAir and should arrive shortly. Now I'm on a quest to find a quiet air compressor and suitable air drill. Webcam should go up in the next week or so too.

It's taken five months but the LAA have finally provided me with a build project plan, which means I can now start the process of building. It's taken a while because this aircraft type is new to the UK and although it's a derivative of an existing type, it needs a new approval. Coupled to the demands of adding a new type to the register, I'm also planning on using an engine that hasn't been used in the UK before too.

It's an ambitious project but the results should be worthwhile.

Of the nineteen inspections I have to go through with this build, the first one is the Workshop, so I must now get on an finish converting the garage to become the Paul Leigh Aircraft Manufacturing Head Quarters it was always supposed to be.

I attended a metalwork workshop held by the LAA a few weeks ago, to learn how to rivet and prepare the metal for construction. It was very worthwhile and I learned a lot about this subject which will occupy the majority of my free time for the next year or so. I built an aluminium toolbox with approximately 50 rivets of differing types. It's not pretty but it's very tough and practically indestructible.

After just over four months of waiting, the kit has arrived at the house.

A curtain sided lorry arrived at 7:15am and myself and the driver had to open the crate and take out all of the packaging and move the contents in to the garage piece by piece. Then we dragged the huge crate in to the garage as well, where I've put some of the contents back in. I can't fault the packaging from ZenithAir, it all seems very professional so far.

The picture below is the official kit picture, my garage could never be that tidy and organsied!

After having made the decision to use the garage to build the aircraft, I needed to clear it out to make enough space. This was easier said than done and required a new space to put the accumulated stuff we owned, thus a new shed was delivered.

I spent a few weekends doing this, mainly because our garden is on a slope and it needed a base on stilts. It was quite windy on the day the shed went up but I managed it all in a day, saving the roofing felt and smaller fiddly bits until the next weeked.