I got started yesterday morning and spent about 15 hours building. I didn't have much else going on. I plan to keep going today and hope to get it all to the point of ready for covering.
Thoughts and review. The balsa is very nice. I'm not a balsa expert and don't do any competition flying but these guys know their stuff. They sorted the balsa by density and the plans list exactly where to use which types of balsa. There was only one issue with the laser cut pieces. For some reason, the top former for rib 3 seemed to have been crushed somehow. The thickness at the bottom was the normal 1/8" but at the top, it was barely 1/32". It was the only one like that.
Exactly opposite of the MM kits that everyone else is building, the plans on the kits are very detailed and there are basically no instructions. If I hadn't build a balsa plane before, I would be lost, and at times, I'm still lost. I have had to gut super glue joints more times than once. I would NOT recommend this kit to a beginner. The website lists it as "Building: Easy" and while the parts go together pretty well, there are a few instances where they don't explain anything. For instance, the stringers that run the length of the wing on the bottom are not depicted on the plans anywhere. There are notches cut out of the ribs but the notches don't go to the tips. Are you supposed to extend the stringers to the next rib or stop it at the last notch? It probably doesn't matter much but did cause me some confusion while I weighed the pros and cons.
Also, this was the first stick built fuselage I've done. All of the other models had a keel and I glued the formers to them. This construction is much lighter and just as strong (stronger?) but was harder for me to build.
I used magnets to build the separable wing option for ease of storage and transport.
But enough talk, pictures!