I finally made it to Kinko's and copied the plan. I also made a mirror image copy of the right wing panel drawing so that I could build over it for the left wing panel. I never knew this before but Kinko's has an oversized scanner and printer that can copy any length paper with a maximum width of 36". The same machine can also make mirror image copies.
As I mentioned before, the rear portion of the horizontal stab was missing. The LHS did indeed replace the missing wood. I have been reading and re-reading the instructions and examining the plan and the parts that make up the wing. As I did so, a number of questions/concerns came up. Some of them I solved myself but I need some input on the others. I think that you'll be able to tell just how much of a novice I am by the questions I ask.
First, the two trailing edge pieces are about 1/2" too short. I have a balsa stripper and some 1/8" sheet stock that I can use to make replacements.
Second, I won't be able to build the left wing panel connected to the right wing panel as I originally planned because my building board is too small. The wing is over 61" but my board is only 48". I could probably figure something out but the hassle doesn't seem to be worth it. I will be building the panels separately and joining them.
Third is the order of building the wing. The ribs, spars, shear webs, cap strips, and leading and trailing edges and sheeting all seem to make sense. However, the center sheeting is put on before the wing panels are joined. The root rib of each panel is glued to an angled center rib that sets the dihedral. It seems like it would be better to join the wings first and then add the center sheeting so that clamps can be used during the joining process. It also seems like it would be easier to make any adjustments so that the wings are joined straight and not swept forward or back if the center sheeting is not in the way. I'm sure that many wings have been put together the way the instructions say but wouldn't the wing joint between the root ribs and the center rib be stronger if it could be clamped when joined? What do all of you recommend? I am planning on using 30-minute epoxy to join the wing panels.
Fourth, the manual says that the leading edge can be held in place with blocks while the glue is drying. I have been trying to visualize this and just can't seem to figure out how this would work. The front of each rib meets the center of the leading edge with the leading edge having a 1/8" overhang above and below the rib. How can this be held in place while the glue dries?
Fifth, I was examining the spars and found slight bends in them. I am going to spray them with window cleaner and then pin them to the board over the plan and weighted down on top while they dry to straighten them out. Does anyone have a better way to do this?
On the subject of tools, I found an excellent straight-edge at the local art store (Pearl). It is 42" and is made of 3/8" thick aluminum. It is also a center-finding ruler. One side of the straightedge has an arrow in the middle of the edge with numbers increasing to each side. To find the center of anything, just make sure the same reading is on both sides of the arrow and the arrow then points to the center.
I also found a Wil-Kro razor plane on eBay that comes highly recommended by Paul Johnson who created the amazing Airfield Models web site (
http://airfieldmodels.com/index.htm). If you haven't already seen the site and you are building a kit, you have to read his site.
I will take some pictures of the wing assembly as I build. I am now cutting the shear webs and marking the centers of the leading edge and the front of each rib to make sure they line up right. I plan on using the shear webs to lay out the ribs the same way that RCKen did in his LT-40 build.
I know that I am going really slow but I want to make sure I understand what to do at each step before making mistakes. Hopefully documenting some of my thought processes here will help others as well. I do have a confession to make. I bought a new Lil Squirt on Saturday, finished it Sunday, and flew it yesterday morning! Nice to have another one.