Oh handles, I didn't think it could be airplane paint!

WOW That looks just like your plans - you ARE an accurate builder!

...and you know I am teasing.  I really like this project and look forward t seeing this one in the air.  Looking alike ANOTHER winner Mr R.

Great job, dennis ... really impressive. 
Congratulations...

THANK YOU Jose luis!     However I think you meant to congratulate Crist.     

  even I am not bold enough to take credit for Crist's work!   

No problem Jose.  I knew who you meant.  Thank you for the kind words.

 Looks really nice Crist and a NEW design from someone, great to see.

 I'm just wondering though because I did catch myself thinking this the other night, is there a Legacy hiding in there somewhere? Not trying to take away anything from your design work, just curious.

Chris
What hinges are you using?

 Hey Crist, it's been a week since we've heard from you here, are you lost in the balsa dust?

 I can relate, I've been trying to finish this little Challenger for months now so I can start on something new. I've been kicking around the Legacy .40 along with about a dozen others...

Hey Crist, you gunna have Red, White and Blue handles for this one   

Looks nice Chris.. Ive been following this for a while..

Love the shape.

Wayne,
We had our audit this past week, so the OT and stress will be reduced from now on....till the next audit!  I'll pick it back up shortly.

 Polk City is right around the corner Crist!

Looking forward to it and seeing you guys.

 With the Thundervolt?

 In RTF form?

 That's where I was going with this.

Hey Crist, does Floyd and Larry know your calling them OLDER ? 

Beautiful stuff Christ.  How did you come to decide on 2 degrees right-thrust? A typical starting point?

I'm curious as I have read that some are under the opinion that less is needed with the reverse rotation used on a typical E setup - while I have always assumed more right-thrust is your friend when "at the top".

Doug,
Over the last 10 years of reading and flying stunt, this is where I've settled in.  Would 1 1/2 degrees work?  Probably, might not even tell the difference.  I bet that most of the "numbers" we use that the vast majority of us flyers wouldn't tell the difference e.g. 1 1/2 or 2 degrees of right thrust.  I feel that it is not hurting my pattern so I go with it.  I did try straight ahead on several airplanes and did not like it.

Tonight I covered the wing.  I'll do the flaps tomorrow.  By the end of the weekend I plan to have the trim on and have the hinges done.

Dennis,
I'm using "old" Monokote that I got at a swap meet when a hobby shop closed.  These rolls were obviously old Monokote because the "clear" plastic wrap was slightly yellowed.  No problems what so ever and it has that reassuring Monokote smell to it when unwrapped and unrolled on the table.  Ah, "I love the smell of Monokote in the morning"...

I finished up the white Monokote tonight.  The wing, flaps, stabilizer, and elevators are covered with white Monokote.

I thought I'd show you how I cover a flap or elevator with a hinge pocket.  Remember we sanded them in earlier in post # 36.

1) Cover the bottom first wraping the Monokote around the LE past the center line.
2) Trim the LE Monokote past the center line.  Let the knife just go through the Monokote where the pockets are.
3) Seat the LE down.
4) Take a hobby knife with a #11 blade and slit the Monokote along both edges of the hinge pocket.  I use a lever type motion.
5) Using your trim iron seal down the Monokote just enough to get it down onto the bottom of the hinge pocket.  Don't seal it down real good for now, you'll see why in the next step.  I usually start more on the flat surface of the flap/elevator and using a rolling motion I run the trim iron onto the bottom of the hinge pocket.
6) Now take your #11 blade and run it along the edge of your hinge slot. Now I use the tip of my blade to pick up/out the timmed off piece.  This is why you don't want to seal it down real good in the previous step.
7) Use your trim iron to seal down the remaining Monokote in the hinge pocket real good.
-) Turn the trim iron on its side and press it up against eack side of the pocket to seal the edges of the Monokote.
9) Cover the other side and again overlap the LE Monokote past the center line.  Repeat the previous step to seal down the Monokote.
10)  When all done covering, I use a rag with Acetone and wipe down all my seams to get rid of the excess adhesive.
11) I then use some Nelson paint that matches the white Monokote and with a touch up brush, I dab a small amount of paint onto the sides of the hinge pocket where there isn't any Monokote.  I usually do 2 coats.  Let dry and on to the hinges!

Looking really good Crist.  Really appreciate the details shots. 

Sure missed seeing you at the nats this year.  Hopefully next year!

Thanks,
Jason

The last picture shows the Nelson paint and the finished hinge pocket.

Nice job with the monokote on the hinge pockets. 
So for those not fortunate enough to have supply of "Old Monokote", what's the next best shrink film option that's readily available ?

Time to hinge the surfaces.

Now that the Monokote is done I add the Klett hinges.  I add them to the elevator and flaps first, then to the stab and wing last.  I use a piece of .032 mw cut to the length of the flaps and elevators (4 pieces).  I bend a 90 bend about 1/2 inch long.  This is so I can twist the wire as I'm removing it from gluing in the hinges.  Sometimes a little glue gets on the wire so it needs a little help breaking free.  I then string on the hinges needed.  3 for the elevator shown.  Note that the hinge tabs are all on the same side.  I place the hinge so that the elevator hinge has its tab on the outer side of the hinge slot.  This is to aid when I'm inserting the hinge wire to help align it so it will go into the stab hinge tab.  I can move the elevator up or down in or out to help align the wire.
Next up is to apply the glue into the slot.  I use Pacer Formula 560 canopy glue.  It is water based glue so cleaning it up is easy.  Sure beats epoxy.  I've never had a hinge come loose!  Once you use this stuff, you'll never go back to epoxy.  I use one of those glue bottles that Tom Morris sells.  Also you can get them from a craft store.  I put the full strength glue in the needle bottle then "inject" the glue into the slot.  I don't fill the slot with glue because all it will do is over run and then you'll have a lot of wiping to do.  Experience will tell you how much to squirt in.  Then starting at the tip, I insert each hinge into the slot.  Remember we want to keep the hinge tab toward the tip.  Once all the hinges are in place and you've wiped up any and all excess glue from the the elevator and wire, then I take the assembly and gently push it up against the straight edge of my bench to align all the hinges so that the .032 wire just rests on the LE of the elevator.  Do not push too hard all all.  You'll push the hinges below the LE of the elevator and you play heck getting the hinge wire in when joining the elevators to the stab.  Don't ask, just take my word for it.  Set aside to dry.  Once the glue has dried, remove the wire by gently twisting it and withdrawing it from the hinges.  Flaps get the same treatment.  Next up, the stab and elevator get their hinges.  Stay tuned.

Just a couple of pictures of what it looks like so far.

I added some chrome Monokote to the LE to add some bling.

The wing is glued into fuselage.  I insert the wing with the flap horn and then I attach the flaps.  I then use equal thickness balsa scraps to place bewteen the fuselage side and the root end of the flaps.  This positions the TE of the wing.  I then measure out an equal distance from that scrap out toward the wing tip.  In this case it was 26 inches.  I place a mark on each wing TE.  Then using a tape measure and a pin, I align the wing so that both measurements are the same.  I use pins to hold it in position and then use some blocks so that each wing tip is the same distance from the table top.  Spot glue, recheck all dimensions and then glue it in for real both top and bottom.

I then glue in some 1/8 ply reinforcements over the bellcrank post to really beef up that area.  Once those are glued in I fiberglass the center section to the fuselage sides.  I use 3 oz cloth cut about 1/2 to 3/4 wider than the inside of the fuselage and then cut it to length according to the position of the bulkheads.  I lay out the fiberglass on some newspaper and then very lightly hit them with some 3M spray glue.  This allows me to position the cloth and hold it into that position while I apply the epoxy.  I usually wrap the TE portion around the flap horn tubes.  BTW, I use some 1/2 round Plastistrut stuff I got from the local hobby shop for flap tubes.  Works very well.  Tomorrow I install the pushrod and glue on the top and bottom blocks.