I just started a Sig Somthin Extra Kit. The instructions say to use medium or thick ca for the entire thing. Previous posts here in the kit forum stressed following instructions exactly so thats what Im doing. I've started both wings. It seems as if its going to be plenty strong. I goofed and glued two ribs on the the wrong order and I played h*ll geeting them loose. So is this ok? Is it normal to only use CA when kit building? This is my first kit....

"Experinece teached at the cost of mistakes"

A motto I've lived by...

No, you don't 'need' to use CA exclusively. It's a bit of a mis-leader, because CA dries sooo fast, is usually the glue of choice for modellers, and that the plane (with CA) can be built litterally in a week-end. CA is also, not cheap! You can use Aliphatic glue (the yellow wood / carpenter's glue) but it dires slowly, like a few hours, as compared to a few seconds for CA! Each glue does have advantages, and disadvantages...

I think for first timers, it is important to follow and understand the instructions to the letter. that way, you know you won't make any mistakes, and won't second guess the process, andf thought eh building process, you'll learn a few steps that are 'standard' in building just about any airplane.

As some have said: "Measure twice, cut once". Same thing with glueing: Check twice, glue once. It's is also a good idea to dry fit everything before gluing. in some cases, you can go a few steps ahead, and see how the assembly will go together, to get an idea of what to expect (and to see if something is off before 'commiting' it with glue..)

Is it normal to use CA Only? Well, no, not really. Most times the fire-wall is epoxied in to the fuse. Also, when glued, the Wing join, Stab, and Fin are often epoxied. Since the SigSE has removable wing halves, and cable struts on the tail feathers, Normal CA is probably enough. Also, The SigSE is laser cut, the fit should be really close with the FireWall, and the CA may just hold.

What does surprise me is that you do not use Thin CA. With Laser Cut pieces, I would have thought that the plane would be made with mostly thin....

I can only re-iterate though, unless you are a real expert builder, trust the kit manufacturer, and do what they suggest.

I can also say that if you want to glue the canopy on, DO NOT USE CA, use canopy glue. The CA will "bloom" inside the canopy, and you will get a permanent "fog" inside it.

gus

Working on my 3rd Sig SE now. Yes, CA is normal for building this kit. Follow the directions and you will not have any problems. And yes, you can use thin CA on this plane with no problems at all. Using thin CA will definately speed up your construction time.

Hope this helps

I'm currently building and SE, been using mostly CA so far, except for the firewall and landing gear blocks which I used epoxy and carpenters wood glue for the wings trailing edge sheeting, wing tips and side fusalage construction, this will give you enough time to position the parts before it dries.
Joe

I also use epoxy on just firewalls, landing gear area's and the inside plywood piece on the wing end. Epoxy will fill up gaps better if something isnt flat, just dont go nuts because it can add weight