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, and thats just wings, not including the tanks 
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I think you are more than half way because the panel is complete and a lot of the firewall preparation is done also. The most challenging task ahead is the canopy. The engine installation and FWF is not particularly difficult if you approach it systematically and follow the Vans recommendations. For me, the most challenging part of FWF process was the baffles and the cowl, there is a fair bit of iterative work involved.
There is a LOT of truth to what Scott says. We tend to get ourselves stuck when something looks “finished”, yet we know we have to take it all apart to continue…..and we like seeing something finished, so we don;t take it apart….and we’re stuck in an infinite do-loop. Take the interior out, maybe take the fancy stuff out of the racks and put them in a cabinet - you’ve got some messy stuff to do, so do some disassembly and get after it! ( I just finished a section on this exact topic as part of a big series I am writing about “Eating the Elephant”….and am at a similar point in our Rocket build. A few more electronics things to check, and all of it comes apart so I can continue making progress.
By the way, there is no requirement that you log hours, unless you just want to. You have to log your work, but that doesn't require counting hours. I don't...I want to focus on BUILDING, not counting hoursAt some point during the build, we’ve all been where you are at.
I remember thinking “hmmm. Half done” after finishing the tail and wings. That lasted about 10 seconds after I opened the fuselage kit crate. “Uhm, this has a lot of parts to it….it’s going to take a while.”
Just remember, this isn’t one big job, it’s lots and lots of small ones. Eventually, the canopy, the firewall forward, the cowl, the fiberglass work, and all the small jobs that make them up are done, and you get to put it together for the last time. (OK, maintenance does mean some things come apart….but then they go back together, and you get to fly again!)
Keep at it. That first flight, first passenger, first long cross country trip, and first time doing the Fisk arrival into Oshkosh make it all worth it. And those bits are just the start….
PS: I have to admit, about half way through my build I gave up counting hours…..just seemed like the number was never going to stop increasing. I did, however, keep taking photos of the process. The photos are enough to prove you built it for licensing and repairman certificate.
Now that I'm more or less retired, I need something to keep my @ss off the couch and building airplanes is a great way to do that.
My technique...I didn't count hours of work. I touched the plane every day that I could (vacations & work notwithstanding). Took pictures pretty much every time I did something, and some days it was as simple as only removing the blue covering. I'll also admit to being very overwhelmed looking forward to the next major work after completing the last...e.g. I designed, cut, and wired my panel...only to get it done and realize there's a bunch of wiring still to go, a firewall and engine to be worked/installed, and then the baffling. Had no idea how much fun that was going to be. Lastly, it didn't leave my garage until absolutely necessary.
Yea, I know. I'm familiar with the FAA approved "task list" to meet the 51% rule for the amateur built experimental category. I was originally keeping track of build hours mostly out of curiosity about how long it takes (me) to build one of these things.
