I've been cutting pieces and digging in the scrap box again! This is tentative and please feel free to chime in and join the build with your own ideas and Kit you have sat on too long. Will be long and slow for old people....... All jokes are allowed!!!!

Norvel .074
6 Channel with electric retracts
Painted Mono Kote
Cheap

Whoa! My post count is getting high. Maybe no one will notice....

It's good you posted the pic of the plans so we can follow along better =)
The Norvel .074 is a good choice plenty of power with a APC 6x4

Norvel .074 / APC 6x4 - 17,603 rpm / 30% Nitro 20% Castor (1 min 26 sec)

AmpAbuser
Published on Oct 19, 2016

Stock Norvel .074 / APC 6x4 - 17,603 rpm / 30% Nitro 20% Castor
Static: 19oz thrust / .203hp / 151.4w / 67 mph
Condition is new with less than 20 mins total run time.

Had one years ago, was under powered with the radios of the time & Cox TD .051. Your Norvel .074 and modern radio should be a blast!

Nice! I have one in the stack and was thinking of making a fiberglass cowl and top deck. So more folks can build from plans...

Thinks for poppin in people! Hey amp, that thing is roaring! My previous experience with this model has been the .074 pulls this model around very nicely. A Norvel .061 does fine once it gets up to speed but lacks the pull of .074. with a 7' prop sticking out beyond the big cowl of the A series. Feel it was more aerobatic with the .074 and a 7" prop after starting with a .061 with 6' prop. 1/2" more blade each side of the cowl. Just a feeling though. A feeling shredded through a tree!

Running a .074 instead of the little Cox engine on the plans; I've cut new 3/32" balsa doublers, 3/8" longer to move my custom laminated .220" plywood firewall back farther to accommodate the .074. Factory firewall measures .254". Its very heavy.

At this point; I would like to mention the CG on this and other short couple nosed WWII fighters for those that might seek information. Stay light in the rear always. Don't be afraid to use lightening holes. Experimentation is a hobby! Use the thinnest control rods and tubes as possible without compromising rigidity from the servo arm to the control surface actuating arm. Pre run the rod tubes before buttoning up the bottom of your fuselage. Check for binding, friction. Then attach your bottom. Run these at least to the middle of the wing saddle length in case your fuselage servos need to be forward to achieve C of G. Old kits had a lot of overkill in wood selection and hardware used as they had to plan for the possible first kit builder to the Ace pilot. Don't worry about the rudder and elevator servo placement until starting to check balance. If you ran the tubes long into the wing saddle, you have a large window of affecting CG with your fuse servos. A larger engine in this model helps attain C of G. First build pics coming.

Lurking the net; I ordered this canopy as it was very cheap and looked close. Turns out it is close in scale but creased on the front pane and possibly the last one in the USA. Smashed smaller for shipping I guess. A canopy/turtle deck from a USA turbo source would be nice. Will use this battle damaged one best I can.

Taking any suggestions for Electric retracts guys.

Could? Repair it best you can supporting it on the outside with some kind of cobbled together framework . Then fill the insides with Plaster of Paris .
This will give you a Plug to Vacuform a copy from.

Hey Bare, I have a NIB HOB canopy/turtle deck to cast a plug. I don't have a vacuum former. Thanks for the suggestion though! I'll fix it or destroy it trying to fix it.... We'll get to it. Next thing is adding some right thrust and such.

Ok, so I've designated a left and right fuse side and doublers, then marked accordingly. Recommend starting to plan and bevel your fuse side ends at the tail while its clear of any parts. To facilitate some right thrust; I've taken a 1/16' off the left 3/32" doubler. The plan has down thrust but no right thrust that I can see. This as we know helps fight prop torque and a tendency to turn left.

I won't be marking the firewall just yet as it says in the plans. Before any parts are added to the sides I'm using the included template to cut my tail wheel recess out. Please forgive me, I'm going to be doing things a bit different from the instructions and plans to be able to use my scrap, existing materials, and old man brain.

Heres some shots of prepping the fuse sides; tapering at the tail, doublers glued in adding right thrust and moving the firewall back for the .074, template examples and recess for the tail wheel.

Will be using these following adhesives because I still have them on hand and they need to be used.
Elmers wood glue
Thin CA
Medium CA
15 minute epoxy

I'm looking at Electric Retracts from Hobby King and Tower Fly Zone so far. Can't find Towers weight on these, or the height for wing depth compatibility. Please chime in here people?

Here I glued in 1/32 balsa doublers to form the wing crutch instead of the called for 1/32 ply. Two reasons, Lighten the build and I don't have that size of plywood. I'm using weights and straight block items to hold the lamination till the glue sets. Bearing in mind the firewall location has been moved back; adjustment to the doublers have been made to facilitate this and add right thrust.

Once again to reduce weight and use existing materials; used balsa at bulkhead 5 instead of ply. Added a small strip of ply at the bottom of it to supply rigidity. Fuselage is ready for joining now.

Here you can see the small ply strip for rigidity at bulkhead 5 and notice I've pre drilled the wing dowel hole in bulkhead 4. I've started the gluing at 4 and banded the front with the firewall just placed in for a spacer. Do all final inspection for desired shape at this point before final gluing of the sides to the top crutch. Make sure you're happy first! Kinda wish I had some sig-ment or similar to glue the rest. I'm only glued at #5 right now.

Anyone have a suggestion for ELECTRIC RETRACTS?