ORIGINAL: carrellh
I recommend covering the plane before you glue on the stabilizer and fin. I've only built one kit, a GP PT-60, and I deviated from the manual on that part. Several experienced builders said it would be much easier to cover before assembling the tail to the fuselage. The plane in my avatar is my PT-60.
I agree whole heartedly. It's just too easy to remove the covering where you'll be gluing and much, much harder to glue then cover. I really wish I had known this before I glued mine down, I finished covering the tail feathers, but geez it wasn't easy when they're already glued on...