RE: Mid-Star 40 build
Time spent nightly varies. Maybe 1 -2 hours on weeknights. Sometimes as much as 3 on the weekends. I usually do as much as I can that evening until I run out of things to do. That doesn't make much sense as I read it, so here is an example. The first night on a wing, I pin down the main spar, then use a few ribs to line up the bottom trailing edge sheeting and the bottom turb. spar. I then fit all the ribs. After everything is where I want it (checked with straight edge, etc), I glue and pin the ribs down. That is all that I can do on the wing that evening, so if I want to work on it some more, I may start on the fuselage sides, etc. Just remember, the numbered order on the directions is not cast in stone! It mainly helps when you reach a point on the wing construction that says something like "The fuselage must be completed through step X before you can continue..."
Using carpenters glue has been good to me this build. Easy cleanup, no stuffed up nose from CA fumes, forces me to take my time and make sure everything fits, and makes me stop for the night.
Okay, for last nights progress:
1. Right wing. Completed sanding the top, and made the cutouts in the end rib.
2. Epoxied the wings together. The directions called for 1 inch of dihedral at one end rib (plus or minus 1/4 inch.) I blocked the wing up for the 1 inch, and let it cure overnight.
3. Prepared the aileron rods and glued them into the provided blocks.
Okay, some pictures:
First is the bottom of the right wing, after all sheeting and wing tip was attached. Next is fin and rudder, last is stab and elevators.