sorry for the late answer, i was out a couple of days.
1. the stock photo looks like the front panel overhangs the cabinet by a little bit. Is this true? How much can you get away with?
---The photo on the website show the Calypso, these are assembeled speakers and so there is no need for simple to built- solutions like for the DIY Dragonfly- kit. The Calypso`s have routed widebands, then a frontplate with a grill- cloth is glued with sillicone on the front (removable with a string when needed). The frontplatter is 2 cm wider and higher than the "body" of the cabinet.
2. the plans just show the feet, but the photo's always show with a footplate. I have a carpeted listening room. Is it just trial and error listening test?
---Calypso has a footplate for better look and more stability, when you add a footplate of 2 cm thickness add 1 cm total to the distance between horn- opening and floor.
3. Are people putting a little hatch in to access the drivers, or sealing them in forever? If a hatch, where is best?
---When you built Dragonfly following the original- plan you mount the drivers on the frontside of the cabinets, when you plan a "Calypso look alike" best is to rout the drivers flat into the frontplate of the Dragonfly- cabinet and add an extra- frontplate by the use of sillikone or screws, this can be removed in case of damage.
4. Effects of rounding the edge of the speaker apeture
---You can round the edges of the cabinet, no big effect in sound regarding Dragonfly.
5. Use of grill cloth
---In general grill cloth reduces the performance of speakers a LITTLE, especially in the higher frequency- range (even good cloth, every speaker).
Cheers
Robert Bastani