RE: TOOLS & SKILLS OF THE BUILDER
 

I learned alot by building a few of those Top Flite kits. Each page has a handy "How To" trick in the margins. They'll teach you plenty. You'll also get a good fell of how a kits goes together.

RE: TOOLS & SKILLS OF THE BUILDER
 

One thing I think about kit building that should be touched on is to be careful and not try to build it too strong. By that I mean to try and build every airplane as light as you possible can. Sometime even the best efforts still turn out too heavy to fly good. As a very wise flyer once said ( Build to fly, not to crash!! ) Just keep in mind when you are building that ever ounce you put in the plane will be there from now on. Jasaburr

RE: TOOLS & SKILLS OF THE BUILDER
 

Hello from Canada Eh

Rather than a laser cut kit perhaps a better first kit would be a Sig Kadet Senior (kit not the arf) or its smaller counter part the Seniorita. These planes are an excellent start at building a foundation for scratch, or plan building. You’re probably thinking “well I’m past the trainer stage” that may be so but don’t let that deter you, these plane are excellent examples of fundamental building techniques. Skills learned will be applied many times as you progress through the hobby. Do a good job and you will want to finish these girls clear to show off your workmanship. They lend themselves very well to “kit bashing” so you can easily avoid any real or imagined stigma to showing up at the field with “a trainer” by making some subtle changes to the aircraft. In fact do a little snooping on the web and you will find lots of bashed Seniors. The plane as designed is quite easy to fly, in fact it is so easy to fly that is actually quite a challenge to fly it well. Taking almost all the dihedral out of the wing and adding the barn door ailerons as is the case on the Sig arf is a common first bashing step…

A nice little bonus with this kit is nothing other than a decent building boad and the most basic of tools is required. Try one you will not regret it….. bert

RE: TOOLS & SKILLS OF THE BUILDER
 

My most used tools are sanding blocks and an exacto knife and a 36 inch long metal ruler. I could not do a thing without them. And here is one of them Kadet's to look at

RE: TOOLS & SKILLS OF THE BUILDER
 

i couldn't agree more. i think the best looking models are those done by modelers with an assortment of sanding tools, both store bought and handmade. steel files, diamond files, sanding blocks, bars, pads and those custom made out of foam for a specific profile or made from a dowel give the best results. also, masking tape is probably my second most used "tool" as it prevents sanding and gouging of areas that don't need sanding when trying to shape other areas (ie. wing ribs, sheeting, tip blocks, etc)