To begin the build, Top Flite has you build the tail surfaces. This portion of the build was pretty straight-forward, with a few hangups that I'll outline below.

The Stabilizer: Be careful when you're separating the balsa pieces from the stabilizer ribs to accommodate the stab core because the thin balsa can split easily! Also, it pays to dampen your stabilizer skins while you're gluing them. Be sure to use a very narrow, long glue tip on your CA bottle also. Other than these minor warnings, the stabilizer was pretty simple as long as you pay attention and take your time, especially when gluing your skins.

The Elevators: Here is where the fun comes in. I really enjoy this kit because of the extensive craftsmanship required to complete it. For instance, the elevator tip, root blocks, and stabilizer tips are all blocks of wood that demand hours of shaping to achieve perfection. Some might see this as a draw back, but in my opinion this type of kit really needs this uniqueness. If you want a war bird that doesn't require 100+ hours to build, by an RTF or ARF!

Joining the Surfaces: CA hinges!!! Ugh.. well, they do work. But, they're a pain in the @$$. I have the brand-name CA hinge slotting kit. Even so, this is a five cigarette, clench your jaw, throw a couple tools step. Otherwise, I enjoyed joining the surfaces because it allowed me to blend the stabilizer woodwork with the elevator woodwork.

Some Tips:

On Skinning - I found slivers of leftover balsa to be EXTREMELY useful when skinning the stabilizer. Basically, I used them instead of microballoons or other fillers to eliminate tiny gaps that inevitably occur when you're sheeting. Simply take a balsa sliver created earlier from trimming various bits and pieces (or cut some slivers from excess balsa sheeting) and wedge them in the gaps as necessary. A drop or two of thin CA, and some gentle sanding... viola!! A beautiful, gap-free tail surface!

On Creating a V in the Elevators - For heaven's sake, buy a multipurpose sanding bar (includes shapes for the V, leading edges, and a 'rounding' shape). This made life so easy here! But, be sure and mark the centerline of your elevators before beginning your sanding work, or else you might end up with a lop-sided V!!

On Cutting Hinge Slots - Don't use too much glue when joining your leading/trailing edges of the elevator and stabilizer, respectively! If you do, like I probably did, cutting hinge slots through CA-soaked balsa sure is a P.I.T.A.

All in all, these steps (albeit briefly summarized here) took me about 20 hours, I think. I don't really pay attention to the hours, but it took a good while to get to a spot that I feel comfortable with. I'm extremely happy with my work, but please let me know if you have any recommendations or tips for future builds! Comments/questions welcome and encouraged!

Images Incoming!!!