Building the Fuselage

First, get your jig set up. using a level, triangulate everything and make sure your jig is level. On mine I have it mouned to a piece of 3/4" MDS board.

I've included a pic of a slight modification that I use to make everything straight. At either end of the jig, dead on the center line, mount a piece of "C" channel MDS board with a piece of music wire, thick brass tubing, or whatever.....and make it high enough to clear the fuselage in the jig. The only thing that is critical is that the wire/tube is centered and perfecly vertical.

Next tie strings and pull them tight at the top and the bottom of these tubing/wire pieces. Now you should be able to sight down the strings and have a perfect vertical plane. this is what we'll use to align the fuse.

Starting at the tail block, adjust the jig so the center line of the tail block is perfectly centered in the plane. Lay in the fuse sides so that it's upside down. the long flat surface on the bottom. Using the jig itself and a couple of pieces of scrap wood and clamps, glue the tail block with a thin coat of slow cure epoxy. Make sure the fuse sides are exactly asligned with respect to one another, if you are off here it will throw the wholep lane off. If it takes an hour to get this step right, it just takes an hour.

After the tail block has cured, put the formers in place from F3 back. Don't glue them yet. Tweak everything and continually sight down the strings until everything is perfect and you are satisfied that it's straight. Also be sure to step off to the side and be sure it's seated down properly in the jig and one side doesn't raise up.

When you're happy with what you see, apply thin CA to the formers and make sure you geta good bond. if you have any small gaps, use thick CA. I usually go down the back sides with thick CA anyway just to make sure.