Richard,

I glassed my tail feathers after they were permanently glued to the fuselage. I personally prefer to do it this way because it adds to the strength of the joints as well as helps to make fillets where the surfaces are joined.

BTW I was able to get my first stick time in 36 years this past weekend. It was every bit as much fun as it was way back when. My flights were on the buddy box and were cut short due to the engine cutting off 2 out of 3 flights creating dead stick landings which happened to be down wind on a short runway right into a barbed fence. Missed the fence posts the first time just shredding some monokote on the wing of a Hobbico Nexstar that I purchased for the practice. The second dead stick wasn't so fortunate as we hit the fence post and damaged the wing. I will be ordering another wing as soon as Tower hobbies has them in stock. I will stay with the Nexstar until I am able to take off, fly, and land consistently and then move on to some of the planes I have been building in the last year. I plan on waiting on the Simla maiden until I am proficient enough to feel comfortable doing so. I may however have one of the more accomplished pattern flyers from the club give it a whirl just to check the trim, the power, and the control systems. I must say that those who have actually seen her(even in unfinished state) are quite impressed with it's over all appearence and relative low weight to size. I too am anxious to get her finished but I am opting to take the time I need to make it as nice as I possibly can.

Bill