Las time I posted was about 4 Months ago. I've done a lot of planning and design work since then and thought I would share my progress. I've also started building finally in the cooler weather. So many things that I have done I don;t know where to begin but here are some of the top ones.

The UL520T engine mount uses the original Dynafocal hardpoints on the firewall but is adapted to mount the UL520T which is a bit lighter than the Lycoming so it is a few inches further. The position affects the cowling and the exhaust will stick out so it is either modify my existing cowling or make a completely new one. I am not sure which path I want to take but perhaps a new design for the cowl. I will also be modeling and performing CFD/Thermo analysis on the flow paths for the engine/turbo/intercooler setup to ensure that there is adequate cooling based on flight dynamics i.e. angle of attack, airspeed/ OAT etc. The goal is to get it right before I start making plenums or anything. The advantage of the UL engine are:

1. It is a 6 cylinder and runs smoother than a big 4 Lycoming.
2. It is a 320ci engine with slight boost making 220HP and about 426 ft-lb of torque.
3. With boosted engines the torque curve is flat so the engine makes nearly max torque from off idle to WOT - which should translate into solid performance gains at altitude. Math shows 416 ft-lbs torque at 70% throttle. When combined with a high-pitch prop it should make noticeable speed gains over a NA Lycoming. Math performed with the help of Aerospace Engineer Haken Langebo shows WOT at 15K density of 293mph and 70% @15K density of 268mph. Still have some modeling to do on performance and running prop numbers. The prop is a 4-blade Airmaster electric constant speed with Sensenich SNR68JE blades and an electronic governor/controller to maximize performance. 
4. 4. The UL520T is full FADEC with redundant ECU's and I will be building it with redundant LifePo Batteries and 2 busses on board.

I have also scanned the fast build core center box section, the fast build wings and lots of other parts, just for posterity at this point but the work has laid the groundwork for mods of all sorts. In doing this I learned how asymmetrical the fuselage and wings are. They are not even close! Ribs and gussets are also not symmetrical from the blueprints. Not surprised since it was all pre-cad era design. That said, I have made a list of potential improvements and suggested ways to cut down build time for the remainder of the fleet out there.

I am creating entirely unique interior parts. I am redesigning the instrument panel, seating and other parts. Modeling my wiring bus, all nuts bolts washers etc. for a bill of material and will create a web-based version of the design when done. It should allow people to spin it around and see where everything goes. It certainly makes it easier for me to understand from the model instead of the blueprints. I am missing the bob weight and a few other small things but mostly I am now building.

For ribs, I posted earlier that was buying sandwich panels. I am in fact doing that. I have created tool paths for the ribs and other small parts that will allow near net shape pre-fab parts. The panels are 7781 e-glass 2 ply per side on 45 ° and are FAR 25.853 rated. Way easier to ship pre-cut ribs and way way easier than laying them up! I am doing Nomex core but I can also get Divinycell core. Lots of pictures attached to see the progress.