Grand Championship Cozy: Getting the Gold

Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 03:09 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Dennis Butler completed building his Cozy III aircraft after two decades of work.
His dedicated effort was recognized with AirVenture's Golden Grand Champion Plans-Built Award.

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After two decades of building his Cozy III, Dennis Butler took home AirVenture’s Golden Grand Champion Plans-Built Award.

First photo of the project with Dennis’ son, John.

Fuel tank with baffles.

Rear window draped over shaping device.

Wing jig.

One of Dennis’ lasagna parties.

Primary activity of the Aircraft Attitude Adjustment Party.

Hanging the aircraft to allow work on the firewall — backward.

Engine mounted.

Fuselage detail.

Wrapping the engine in Saran Wrap for cowling development.

The blue plugs are in place for the foam.

The engine is in place for cowl forming.

Early panel development.

Panel in place.

Wiring for the panel.

Dennis’ paint shop.

Painting the wings.

Front seat upholstery.

Rear seat upholstery.

Finished cockpit.

About ready for flight.

Enroute to AirVenture.

Dennis Butler with the trophy for his Grand Champion Homebuilt.

Enroute to AirVenture 2011.

Enroute to AirVenture 2011.

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