It`s built right out of the box.Carbon fiber gear and a klett tail wheel are the only things that didn`t come in the kit.I`m pretty sure my scale is right,it weighs within a couple ounces of my buddies scale.I didn`t do anything extra to it to lighten it.I just weighed it again and I got 10lbs 4ozs.I have added a fuel dot and a fuel filling T since I weighed it last.Don`t know what to else to say.Later Jon