The next step according to the directions is to sand the stabilizer and elevator to shape, however I'm going to skip that for now in an effort to better control the balsa dust this build is going to create. My "plan" is to build most (all?) of the structures and then come back and do as much rough and final sanding as possible outside or while using a dust collection fan. Otherwise I tend to get sinus infections from inhaling the dust.
With that said, I'm moving on to the wings. The instructions would have me build both wings and then join them together permanently, but a wing this size is darn near impossible to transport without a trailer, so I'm looking at modifying the plan to let me do a 2-piece wing. It shouldn't take too much work to design and the parts will then easily fit in my vehicle. All wing ribs and half-ribs were removed from their die-cut sheets, and I'm pleasantly surprised with the quality of the cutting as all of the pieces came out cleanly. They need a quick sanding to match them all and then construction can start.
On another note, I think I need an intervention... I was glancing through Craigs List Wednesday morning and saw a Bud Nosen Trainer for sale about 40 minutes from work. A couple e-mails were traded with the seller and I was able to pick it up yesterday after work. It's a big bird, with a 105" wingspan and a fuselage I could almost fit a basketball inside! It's fully built and in nice shape, needing only an engine, fuel tank, and receiver. It's not a scale design but should still be plenty of fun with a 23-26cc gas engine in it. This is a picture of my plane that I found from the previous owner trying to sell it this past winter. I like the fact that it doesn't really need any work, other than the engine, as it'll be a fairly quick project. And no, I'm not going electric with it...
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