As I have said before, I'm planning on purchasing a Sig SE for my second plane. But I'm debating on whther I want a kit or ARF. I'd like to have me SE done fairly early this summer which is what makes the decision hard. If I can't get it done relatively early, I'm going to go for the ARF. From all the comments I've heard the Somethon' Extra is a quick easy build. Approx. how long will it take to complete this kit?

I built one in a month. They are one of the easier kits from what I've read on here. I read one post where someone did it in 4 days. I think you will get it done by early summer with no problem. The arf is 200.00 vs. 75.00 for the kit.

I didn't log my time but worked a little most every evening. What makes it so fast is that you use CA on one piece then the next piece, and on and on. This was my first kit. The only mistake I made was toward the end where you fit the fairing blocks. Everything was going good up to that point and I started getting a little lax reading the instructions.

mine took a week . and about 70 liters of mountain dew . yea i wanted to fly the next weekend

It will be my first build and I plan to get one or the other in the next few weeks. Prophanger, just curious, about how many hours did ya spend on it a day or night on average?

I'm not wanting to rush through the building progress, Just anxious to get it done as I've pushed my trainer about as far as I can go with it.

I'm thinking a month, maybe, if you work on it a LOT! First plane isn't going to be as easy as the second. A month may still be pushing it. Covering alone is going to take a couple days for you. Just working with the glues, learning to cut and sand is going to take extra time. But here's the rub.. If you ever want to build a really nice plane you are going to have to start somewhere to learn. If the the first plane you ever try to build is a scale Maratuka kit you aren't going to have fun with it.

P.S. I'm starting a SE this week! It's my 4th kit.

I've found that if time is the most important factor and it's short , building a kit may not be the best choice. The SE is a great kit but there are enough challenges that if you're watching the clock you may get frustrated. By the time you get covering and incidentals the $ difference is what, $100 ? That may work out to a couple of bucks an hour. I like to build but find it's more enjoyable when it happens at its own pace.
I built the SE as a second plane but backed off and went to another because I was concerned it was too big a step. In retrospect I'm glad I did but every situation is different.
BTW the SE is great!

777, I don't think you'll have it done by early summer. If it's your first kit, I would venture to say that 2 months is a more realistic build time. And if, as you say, you're not going to get it for a few weeks yet, that puts you at STARTING it in late June.

The se kit is a smooth builder and you could make the dead line you have
set. You will have to stay with it and build some every day. I dont think you
will have any problems. The fuse lodge gos togeather real quick if you set down
at the table and applied you self for one weekend the fuse could be built. The wings
take a little longer cause you need to take more pains with them. Main thing is
build at the pace you are comfortable with.

about 15 hours a day

my second was about a week, had the wings done in about 2-3 hours each! the first one, also my first kit, was about a month of occassional evenings.

after building more kits, i realize how easy the SE was. it is nothing more then a big pre-cut jigsaw puzzle. my recent kit, a lanier stinger 1.20, was more like a box of foam and wood, with some stapled together instructions that sort of guided you to the best way to assemble it. although, that turns out to be more rewarding anyway, and you start looking at kits like the SE as almost ARF...

fuse lodge?

Must be nice.......

I have to work []

You could get a different ARF, maybe something in the $100 or so range then also get the SE to build. That way you get the SE but you get to flying also. Tower Kaos is around $100. Phoenix Funstar is around $110. Both look pretty nice!

I'm with Woodbutcher on this one. The time constraint worries me. I've never built a SE, but I've built three other planes, all relatively easy kits, and they all took a LOT longer than I planned for. Here's what happens (to me at least). I start thinking I'm just going to throw it together. You know, speed is the thing. Don't want to get too involved, since it might crash.

Then, as I build, I realize if I just take a LITTLE more time, it's going to be so much nicer. Wouldn't it be a good idea to put a little fiberglass on that hatch cover? How much sanding on the leading edge is enough? What about fuel proofing the fuel tank compartment? Then you get to covering. You know that a simple color scheme would be much quicker, but the plane starts to look SO nice, and it won't take much longer to cut lettering out of Monokote, or do that American Flag scheme you saw on RCU. Wouldn't some checkerboard look nice on the rudder? You know, you've already spent so much time on it, what's another couple of evenings? Then, you can't figure something out, and you post it on RCU, and it takes a week to decide between all the conflicting opinions. Anyway, before you know it, you've eaten up a LOT of evenings, and spent a lot of time making trips to the LHS.

Kit's are great winter projects. You can spend as many leisurely evenings as you like on them.

LOL
I checked and the right letters aren't even close on the keyboard so the typo excuse is out the window.

I did mine in 5 days and took about a day and a half to cover it.

As much as I hate to miss out on building it, I think I'm going to go with the ARF. Not being able to complete it with allot of time to fly in summer (if any) won't give me much time to get aquainted and fly it probably until the following summer.

Well it is only May. You could probably be done 2 weeks into July. That leaves 3 good months to fly it..

It could be done QUICK.. 1 month if you work on it.

I just finished building the LT-40 Bigger plane. Also made by SIG. Very easy to build

I had the wing complete in 1 day. I had to hold off cause it was winter. But i betcha i coulda had it done in 1-2 weeks. THe wing took me about 4 hours.. non stop.

But go for it, if you have the time i say you can do it for sure.

Good luck and have fuN!!!