Things veered off course soon after.
First, I did to the wing what I should have done at first: I skinned the upper center section with 1/32” balsa. This covered the mottled catastrophe that resulted from trying to level that area with glaze.
This should sand out easily and smoothly and cover the irregularities that remained after several applications of glaze.
However, while waiting for the glue to set, I began working on other details that needed completion before the test flights. Such as:
Side window installation.
Here they are in place fastened with canopy glue. I even remembered to remove the protective coating!
Aligning and installing the tail surfaces.
Here, I have dry-positioned the horizontal stabilizer to assure . . .
that it was level with the wing.
I epoxied the stab to the fuse and trimmed the Ultracote to provide a gluing surface for the fin.
Here, the fin is epoxied in place and stabilized while the glue cures.
I went ahead and permanently hinged the elevator and rudder. This is the final hinge positioning before thin CA application.
Tailwheel installation.
I'll go back and touch up the white nylon with silver paint later.
Installation of the power system.
It seemed like the firewall area shrunk by 50% or so since I mocked this up earlier in the build.
Positioning and installing the cowl.
Here, I have positioned and taped the cowl in place prior to drilling tiny holes . . .
for the M1.7 x 6 chrome-plated sheet metal screws. After the test flights, I intend to paint the cowl to match the fuselage and add some engine detail.
By the time I finished these necessary tasks, the glue on the wing skinning had dried, but it was time for bed.