"When did you finish it?"

[Frank Giger]

"When did you finish it?" is my least favorite version of "how long did it take you to build it?"

From a box full of tubing to getting an FAA sign-off was a bit short of three years.

That was about two and a half years ago.

But the aircraft still isn't finished. Every time I walk up to my little Bebe there's always something that catches my eye that can be improved, changed, or touched up.

Don't get me wrong, the plane is fully in condition for safe flight, but she's not "finished."

I'm working on improving the center section cover.
I just finished making better rudder stops.
The tail wheel got a re-work to improve it...I'm very pleased with how it turned out.
The coaming around the cockpit...version 4 is a step backwards in many respects.
The seat back needs some sort of padding put in if I'm going to fly for more than an hour. I'm getting soft in my old age.
Top gun needs re-positioning, as I thought it was too far forward; and I've already greatly improved the front mounts for it.
Cover the wheels? Probably should, though the historical accuracy thing can go either way.

This doesn't include maintenance tasks, such as patching that tiny hole in the fuselage fabric down by the tail. I think I caught a piece of FOD on the runway for that one. Re-wrapping the control stick. Putting a patch on the cowl.

It's a lot of fun working with a plane one built from the tube up, but I doubt she'll ever be "finished."

[Joda]

The way I see it, a homebuilt aircraft is never really "finished". There's always something you want to change, upgrade, or replace. It's a "living document" as they say. The only way it's finished is if you sell it (or wreck it).