Building T-38 Talon from Shumate Plans
 

This is the first plane I have ever made from plans and it is a learning experience.
Original 100% plans (Steve Shumate) calls for 6mm Depron but I only have access to 5mm PP board which is really a great foam board. It does not have paper on the outsides, is very moldable and will not buckle like Depron and the only downside is that it is not stiff enough for wings. But I simply laminate both sides of the wings with copy shop laminate and it is solid as a board and very straight.

Photo shows front fuse finished except for turtle deck, and sanding. Cowel made different than plans called for which they use laminated layers of board and I just decided to mold my cowel. Not great looking but will be in the air.

Took me two weeks to get to this point but now just big pieces left to assemble, the wings and tail are super easy to make.
Tailerons have internal servo to the fuse so will have to cut a hatch to service that.

My model should be much lighter than original 16 oz. and my motor (2108 1400kv)will have more power and be half as heavy as original. Power to weight should be at least two to one.

Shumate plans are very easy to follow and I found an assembly pdf that helped out with details.

Will make a video of my project and maiden.

This has always been my favorite plane, perhaps from the 1972 High Flight that I watched on tv and it just has real presence and they look great in the air. Would love to fly in one but I guess that costs thousands. I did do a flight in a T-6 Harvard in Florida many years ago for $250 and that was unforgettable. I got to do the loops and rolls and we had clouds so it was very 3D. Should post my video of it someday.