If you could just give some tips that would be awsome. Thanks

Follow the link in the header post of Caffeen Man's above (specifically about truss fuselages) and a whole world of info opens up.

Paul's site has more info than most have questions.

Cheers,

Colin

Building is not really hard, but it requires patience and common sense.

1) Read the instructions
1a) Did you really read the instructions?
1b) No, really! Not just "looked them over", but really READ and THINK.
2) Measure twice, cut once...
3) A few simple tools are all you need to get started - hobby knife, razor saw, metal straightedge, steel square, pins, assorted sandpaper
4) Measure twice, cut once...
5) Keep your work area as neat as possible
6) Measure twice, cut once...
7) Clamps are some of your best friends. Use them.
8) Did I mention about measuring and cutting?
9) Keep a good sharp blade in your hobby knives
10) 2 x M = 1 x C


You get the idea.

[sm=thumbup.gif]And, yes, absolutely visit Cafeenman's wonderful [link=http://www.airfieldmodels.com]Airfield Models Web site[/link]. Paul's articles on building are better than anything you will find in a magazine or book today.

Rule #1 READ THE DIRECTIONS

Rule #2 Follow them!

Jerry

Understand the directions before you make a cut! Make sure you are cutting or gluing stuff in the right place

Don't build when you're tired.

Don't build when you're in a hurry.

Don't build to a deadline.

If you make a mistake and get frustrated: STOP, go away for a fews hours, then come back to it.

If you make a "wet" mistake (spilled paint, glue, etc.), clean it up just enough so you can: STOP, go away for a fews hours, then come back to it.

Have fun!

Gary

Here's something I just posted in the beginner's forum that is worth repeating here:

As soon as you take stuff out of the box, it will never go back the same way, and things get lost VERY quickly! So here's a suggestion: (Note: this advice goes for the ENTIRE building process, not just the first few days)

Lay the box top along side the box. Take things out of the box, look them over (Feel, smell, taste or whatever else blows you skirt up) and return them to the top of the box.

Get in the habit of moving things from one box to the other any time you need to sort through things - That way, anytime you need a part, it will always be in one of two places - Either the box top or the box bottom.

I agree with Minnflyer on the box tip. Never move the parts out of either the top or the bottom. You are just "looking" for trouble. (yes, pun intended) You will find yourself looking for lost parts. I usually find mine after I have gone to the LHS and bought a replacement. I do have another suggestion that I use. I find a shoe box, nothing special, but one big enough to put in the hardware pieces. Wheelpants, fiberglass cloth, screws, short pushrods, control horns, bolts, blind nuts and on and on. I tried putting these things in small plastic containers (the kind you get from the deli), but the first time you hit one and it goes flying and the parts scatter, you wish you hadn't used it. I also mark the shoe box with which plane parts are in it, just in case, I hold off for a while and start another plane. Noooo...never have done that before....

OH..yeah almost forgot the most important tip: Read the instructions!

BTW: If you are interested, I am in the middle of building a Hog Bipe from kit and am posting my day to day progress. I do put in some things in the postings that I run across as I am progressing. Some of these are general enough and can be used on other builds. Feel free to follow along if you like, I am putting in both the good and bad during the build. I am no expert, and don't pretend to be. This only from my point of view as one who builds for the fun of it.

Here is the thread:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_25...tm.htm#2560569

That shoebox brings something else to mind...

hat I do is to get a big Zip-Loc bag. Anytime you need to open a plastic bag-o-parts, put the remaining parts in the zip-loc and zip it!

measure twice, cut once.lol

cut or curve away from your hand,fingers, or body.
it's kind of hard to build or fly with awhiees or missing fingers.

Mark the fuselages LT and RT. Remember to build a LT and RT wings too
Did boos boos on both before

A flat level building surface. Be real pickie about it.

Get a long stiff straight edge. I choose one of those metal level/ruler thing
This will help in the process of gluing LE and TE straighter and truer.

For beginners, try using med. CA
This will give you more time. plus it's a litte thicker.

Most beginners use too much glue when using thin.
Then get fustrated or don't understand and add more glue, and it still dosen't stick.lol
Glue and glue makes a poor bond
Glue and wood makes a better bond.

Wear a mask or work in a will vented area.
CA ,expoxy fumes is not too healhy.
Breathing in saw dust can be adbrasive for your lungs also.

some things I have just now picked up on doing my second kit, which is my first "non interlocking" kit is this.

Don't be afraid to sand.
Sand left and right fuselage to match each other because die cutting is not that great

Stack wing ribs and sand them as well because die cutting is not that great..

Be patient, use clamps to trial align everything.

And make for sure everything is aligned correctly before you glue it, when doing a fuse don't count on marking bulkhead locations on each side to align the fuse, actually draw center lines on the bulkheads and align them to a center line drawn on your building board as well..

I now do a measurement on some peices before I glue them. To ensure I have the 1/2" LE vice the 3/8" TE. Ya only need to make that mistake twice before learning. I actually seperated the wing construction balsa part from the fuselage balsa parts. If I have too many balsa part in one area I easily get confused and trouble is soon brewing.

Oh! And one more thing! READ the directions! Dont just look them over, read them before starting. Then read them again as you are building.

Good Luck

LOL Funny but all too true.

Swager makes a good point. Make sure you are using the RIGHT part - Especially when it comes to sheeting.

campbec/fledermaus - thanks for the compliments about my site. I appreciate it.

The first thing I do is pull out the plans and instructions and read everything. Then I mentally start assembling the model using only the plans/instructions. Usually some things don't make sense so I study those things a bit more.

I sand all the sheets in the kit before removing any parts just because I like my work to look finished even if it's never seen again.

Then I remove all the parts from the sheets and put them back in the box. They fit that way.

I have a 5-gallon bucket (you can get them from restaurants for free) that I put all the leftover wood in just in case I need some scrap during the project or forgot to remove a part. Don't throw anything away until the plane is finished.

A lot of times there are large sections of the leftover sheet that can be saved so I'll strip those off with a razor knife and add it to my stock. No sense in tossing out perfectly good wood.

Basically my best suggestion to you is to take your time and enjoy the project. Don't worry about how long it takes. It's not a race and you should try to enjoy building for its own sake. Every part is there for a reason and it's worth taking the time to make sure it's right rather than trying to rush to the next thing.