For some builders, their plan is to just dive right in and get to work. That plan sucks.
The thing with these kinds of massive projects is unforeseen roadblocks as well as the inevitable "burnout" that happens. road blocks can be a simple as not finding something you know you have or not knowing you need something and it takes 6 weeks to ship to you. During those 6 weeks you are stuck with no progress being made and your project then gets stalled because you get used to NOT working on it... even just a little bit. Burnout just happens when it happens and you have to dig deep to know yourself, your limitations, and when/how to step away to recharge.
I've been making build plans ever since my 2015 Sikorsky S-39 build. I built a scale 72+ span airplane from scratch to flying in 51 hours over 3 .5 days. How? a year's worth of planning. I had every part, every tool, every sequence of the build planned and ready to execute. It was a great lesson and one that I now keep to. This time last year I was in that planning mode. I did not want to start the actual build until I had a functional prototype of the constant speed/ variable pitch prop. The Mustang, as a subject itself, is really not that appealing or interesting to me. It's not a challenge to build either. I've done these Top Flite kits before. The idea was that I'd get the base challenge off the ground and primed for a fun end-goal. The other minor projects, like the above pressure sensor as well as other current background items, were to be small side projects to combat burnout.
So, what's the plan now? Well, the same as before but I've taken time to refresh it. I have a few other airplanes I've acquired over the course of the last 6 months that need painting details completed and frankly those will be a welcome distraction when burnout happens. I'll stay productive but see a new subject, different materials, and be able to take a break and be able to come back to the Mustang with fresh eyes and renewed motivation. Plan for items with easy and tangible gratification. The Fokker D.VI needs crosses and nose art. The Durafly ME-163 Komet needs paint and minor details... maybe a rocket ignition system. My MXS-R70 needs landing gear re-build (again). The FW-190 needs panel lines and paint. There are plenty of things for me to do and chose from as I see a need to recharge.
As for the plan itself, some additional parts are arriving as I have evolved the project from its original intent. To be fair, the objective of this build is to NOT be showy or flashy. I want it to be a bit understated so I'm not going crazy with sliding canopy or animated cockpit controls. There are no cowl flaps to move. There is ONE vent flap that I will do and gear doors. Cockpit will be detailed of course and a pilot, for sure.
Parts already on-hand:
Servos: had some help here from Horizon Hobby (more on that later)
Pneumatic retracts: Includes associated hardware required to function
Oleos and wheels
Tail electronic retract
Motor: includes some spare parts for the complex design
ESC
Receiver
hinges
glues/epoxy
fiberglass cloth
shop supplies: razor blades, towels, screws, nuts, specialty hardware like offset hinges
Parts due to arrive at this point are as follows:
FrSky Neuron 8A SBEC: I want the safety of a dedicated BEC separate from the ESC that will be doing work to govern the motor speed. The telemetry will be nice too.
RPM and dual temperature sensor: I need to be able to accurately measure and monitor the RPM for when it comes time to set the ESC governor as well as make changes to this based on testing results. Temperature sensor for the ESC and battery bay as all of this will be quite complex. Remember, this is essentially a helicopter setup in the nose of an airplane. Helis ususally have VERY open canopies to allow things to cool.
S.Bus to PWM converter: I have used these before. I like them for simplicity. The FrSky full-range receivers carry al 16 channels along with Smart Port data (telemetry) but unfortunately they have anywhere from 4 to 8 PWM outputs. This leaves at least 8 but up to 12 channels on the table. Those who tuned into my Top Flite Corsair build know that I used all 16 channels on that airplane. Let's cover that plan now.
Throttle
Aileron (X2 for differential if needed)
Elevator
Rudder/tail gear
Flaps
Main gear retract
Tail gear retract: needed due to endpoint adjustment differences between electric and pneumatic systems; doors to use mechanical closure
Main gear doors
Exhaust flap (may be able to slave to throttle position, needs more reading and research)
Lights (easy addition that does add depth to the model)
Ordinance drop (maybe, easy addition but may not bother)
That adds up to at least 12 channels. The converter takes all 16 digital channels and breaks them out to a PWM signal with pins for each channel output. It saves a little bit of $ as well as they are generally $10 cheaper than a receiver. Yes, I still try to stick to a budget on these big builds. As it is, I've already got about $600 into this project for those who would like a sense of cost.
So there you have it. Disagree if you want to but you can't argue with the efficiency of this extensive planning. Of course life happens. Like my move that stalled this project, which is why I stalled it the way I did. I did not want to come back to it until I had an adjusted plan for the new shop. My point here is to again reiterate that big winter builds can be just that, winter builds... not multi-year endeavors with multiple stop-starts that kill momentum. Make a plan and fully commit.
Hope every thing goes smoothly. 
