Sorry Cees, elevator was an error, has to be aileron. And I saw the tank retainer but didn't write what I mean, that I don't think the groove in the fuselage side is due to the retainer. I rather would think of a linkage for reeds equipment.

As to Ed landing his big one (Simla): I know what you mean about the wing mounting with dowels and rubber bands. The adjustment problems are solved by the form-locking mount with front dowels and back bolts. But the old mount wasn't bad at all. With a suitable tape on the wing saddles, for instance, it is a friction-locking mount and, once adjusted, will stay in place even on landings as Ed shows. The Simla plug-in wings may be even more prone to trouble due to their delicate construction.

As Evan pointed out, things not always went well in the old times, hence not only a backup model but also a model built to minimize damage. In case of a mild crash, the fuselage may survive because it's built very sturdy and the wing because it can slip out of it's saddle. See the plan detail you posted, there are only slopes but no edges, and the (hard) formers are a bit away from the wing's leading and trailing edge.

I intensely exploited this crash-proof design of the old models when I tried to learn flying in the 1960s. I used to joke the only case it doesn't help is when you land the model through an open garden door (what I even managed to do).

I forgot: I mean the fuselage in front of the wing has exactly the same shape, except that it is a wee bit shorter on #2. The fuse length behind the wing seems to be the same but the fuse is taller/higher on #1.