I could fill a book with the upgrades and tweaks, They fell into four categories, safety, weight savings, performance, and appearance. The safety issues were neglected hardware and the electrical system. Hardware was replaced and the electrical system gutted and done to Bob Nuckolls - Aerolectic standards. Since the wiring was already built-in I added wingtip LED NAV/strobes. The prop blades were updated to the new 200AC blades because of a neglected mandatory service bulletin. The canopy system which is basically Pitts has the extended rails so the canopy opens all the way. I improved the canopy capture slides to prevent canopy jamming and loss of the canopy. ADS-B in and out was recently added. It's the Uavionix Echo which has WiFi in that links seamlessly with an iPad and ForeFlight.
I've learned from experience that every homebuilt needs to have a current W&B done. Over the years the Laser had gained a lot of undocumented weight. Changing to a Sky Dynamics lightweight flywheel, Skytech featherweight starter, a lithium iron battery was the big weight savers. In addition, the updated electrical system, the steerable tailwheel, replacing the rubber gap seals with tape, the carbon fiber sight, and removing the baggage door, all made a significant difference. I pulled over 60 lbs from the airframe and got the empty weight below 1000 lbs. I also came up with an accurate CAD plan view to determine where the MAC and CG really are.
Besides the weight reduction for better performance, the wheel pants were moved to house more of the brakes to reduce drag. The biggest performance - handling improvement came from the ailerons. These are the long, 96" ailerons. I bonded a carbon fiber tube to the torque tube drive to significantly increase the stiffness. The aileron bellcranks were made rigid with the addition of a diagonal brace. All the spherical rod ends were replaced with ball bearing spherical rod ends. All the bolts were replaced with close tolerance NAS bolts. The torque tube control system has less mass and links than a pushrod system. This is a very rigid control system without any play. The second part of the aileron system was the mass balance and spades. The tip weights were higher than the Leon Tolve recommendation, so they were reduced. From research, it became evident that the Tolve report mass balance was excessive. It provided a flutter speed well in the excess of 400 mph. With the extra mass, it also added significantly to the inertia in the ailerons. By reducing the mass at the spades the feel of the ailerons is improved and the aileron flutter speed is maintained beyond critical speeds of the rest of the airframe. The spade shape, size, placement, and angle have been extensively flight tested. I've machined spade spacers to give them more leverage and the proper angle without the need for washers for hands-off flying. The hinge gaps have been sealed improving roll rate. The spades have been tested with videoed yarn tuft tests. Aileron feel is a personal preference and your feel may not be the same as mine, the spades are easy to change, but should be done with care.
The finish on the airplane is Poly Fiber. It was originally put on very light and over the years some of the color was wearing thin. The tail surfaces were removed and refinished. Some of the sheet metal was also refinished.
Empty weight: 992.1 lbs