NOTE: Many have recommended Scotch brand #8959 Extreme Application Packing Tape in place of the GWS-supplied tape.

NOTE: Be sure to clean all surfaces that will be taped or glued with isopropyl alcohol. The foam release agent can prevent glue and tape from properly adhering to the foam.

BUILD NOTE: The Extreme Application Packing Tape is amazing stuff, and only $6 at your local Staples or Office Depot. It is much stronger and adheres much better than the GWS tape, and cuts easily with a sharp hobby knife. To get it evenly on the fin, measure and mark 1" out from either side of the hinge split on each edge and match the tape to the marks when applying.

NOTE: As show in the next image frame, make sure to measure out for the exact outline of the tape/fuse mounting area.

AMENDMENT: Skip the "fixed" page 5 option using only the double tape. Build for removable tail, but do NOT cut the fuse as recommended in the directions.

BUILD NOTE: Make sure to check this measurement from both sides - 8 1/8" was just a bit more than halfway on mine and I had to make a slight adjustment.

I had no 1mm drill bit and could not find one. I assembled my tail the following way:

1. Pre-fit the tail pieces and use a pen to mark locations on the fuse. Using those reference marks, use a gusset taped to the fuse to mark the screw locations of the fins where they are to be mounted. You should definitely internally reinforce your fuse with a 36" length of 5/16"-square balsa, aside from providing strength it provides further "catch" for the fin mount screws.
2. Glue the gussets to the elevator and rudder as shown in the steps below, and re-check the screw locations you marked on the fuse (they should be in the middle of the fuse width.)
3. Using a hobby knife with a new #11 blade, carefully place the blade point at the center of each fuse screw location and slowly and with little pressure twist the knife in a circular motion (I spun it slowly between my fingertips.) The fine tip of the blade will work its way through the aluminum eventually creating a very small hole. If you break the tip, get a new blade.
4. Once the gussets are firmly glued to the fins prepare to mount them.
5. Attachment:
   a. Attach one side of the 2-sided tape to the rudder where it will meet the fuse, and remove the other side's backing.
   b. Insert needles or pins (I used 1/4" "T" pins) through the gusset of the rudder with an inch of so sticking out of the foam side, and line the rudder up with the fuse screw holes. Insert the ends of the pins protruding from the rudder into the fuse screw holes and carefully slide the rudder down the screws until it is firmly attached to the fuse.
   c. Remove the pins and screw in the reinforcing screws.
6. Repeat for the elevator fin.

NOTE: The GWS glue is contact cement, where both sides are coated and allowed to dry before joining. Many have recommended using 30-minute epoxy in place of the GWS glue.

BUILD NOTE: Make a similiar box on each side of the fin, easily done by extending the three lines down the front of the fin and matching them up on the opposite side. You will need the box on the opposite side of the gusset to line up the double-sided tape and the fuselage mount.

BUILD NOTE: Make a similiar box on each side of the fin, easily done by extending the two lines down the sides of the fin and matching them up on the opposite side. You will need the box on the opposite side of the gusset to line up the double-sided tape and the fuselage mount.

NOTE: Due to the difficulty of drilling and screwing the tail fin with the horizontal fin in place, many have recommended holding off on mounting the horizontal fin to the fuse until step 5 & 6 have been completed.

NOTE: The recommended end result is fuselage, double tape, foam fin, epoxy, gusset, screws. You may epoxy the foam to the fuse in place of the double-sided tape, but it makes replacing a damaged fin exceedingly difficult.

BUILD NOTE: A 1mm (#60) drill bit is not easy to find, make sure you buy it in advance. Your local Hobby Store is your best bet.

NOTE: "We recommend drilling the holes for both the rudder and elevator before screwing anything together. If you follow the sequence in the manual, you will find it difficult to drill the side of the fuse for the rudder while the elevator is in place." (Courtesy Vanning)

NOTE: Correct order of placement is (5) rear spreader; (2) rear wing mount; (3) two servo holders; (4) two battery holders; (1) front wing mount.

BUILD NOTE: These part numbers are noted on the parts tree.

NOTE: Many have recommended installing the battery mounts (the two #4 pieces) upside down, reasoning that with the wide varieties of batteries available (including the highly recommended KAN 1050 7-cell) it is better to use the modified upwards-facing prongs for rubberbands than try to fit an odd-sized battery within the prongs.

MAIN WING

NOTE: There are many modifications to the main wing construction, here is an excellent page that illustrates one of the more common modifications, using epoxy in addition to tape for the dihedral tube/rod mounting.

BUILD NOTE: I assembled the main wing a bit differently. I first assembled the dihedral braces with a dab of epoxy to secure the rods into the brace and made sure they were at 12-degrees dihedral (they were almost spot on, close enough that I didn't mess with them.) I loose-fit everything to make sure everything lined up correctly.
I then assembled it in this order:
1. Lightly sanded the wing mating surfaces with 300-grit sandpaper and cleaned with rubbing alcohol.
2. Applied a healthy amount of epoxy in the wing joint and quickly used the LE and TE dihedral braces secured with masking tape to set the dihedral. I quickly wiped off a tiny amount of excess epoxy at each end of the seam, and added a little in the middle to fill in a slight gap.
3. I then used three pieces of masking tape on the center/top of the wing to hold the wing together while the epoxy cured. I placed the wing on a table on the center rib supported by a cigar box under each wing set so that the dihedral was correct for the curing process. Even though I used 6-minute epoxy I let it sit overnight before handling it. I then used a strip of 3M Extreme tape (in place of the GWS tape), and added a matching half-width strip on each side of the center strip to reinforce the wing where the mounting rubber bands will go.
4. I then attached the dihedra braces by placing them in the correct location, placing a small piece of masking tape at each end of the rods to secure them to the wing, and a piece of masking tape under the center of the wing and around but not over the dihedral brace. I first epoxied the brace to the wing, and after it cured secured the rods with 3 "dots" of epoxy spaced evenly out the wing. After everything cured I removed the masking tape and applied the 3M Extreme tape (in place of the GWS tape.)
5. I repeated this procedure for the TE dihedral, but only used two dots of epoxy on each side due to the shorter rod length.
The finished product is a little heavier than the GWS build version, but incredibly strong and firmly a 12-degree dihedral.

NOTE: Most have recommended using epoxy to join the wing halves, and then using the Scotch brand #8959 Extreme Application Packing Tape in place of the GWS-supplied tape. Most also recommend slightly scuffing the mating surfaces with a fine sandpaper before applying the epoxy.

NOTE: Taping the wing halves tightly at this stage will result in a greater dihedral than is created by the dihedral tube and fiberglass dihedral extension rods. Many recommend instead taping/epoxying the leading edge and tailing edge dihedral supports to the wing first, then using a thing scrap piece of balsa or foam, sanded to fit, in combination with epoxy and tape to fill the gap at the wing joint and secure the halves.

NOTE: Many have found the GWS-supplied aluminum dihedral tube to be a weak link in the SS design and, particularly with heavier or more spirited flying, a frequent failure point. Most suggest crafting replacements of the supplied aluminum dihedral pieces from a piece of Brass Tubing (5/32" K&S stock #128). Many also recommend increasing the size of the brass dihedral support tube by an inch (or more) on each side to provide greater strength to the wing and improve the structural support for the wing-mount rubber-bands.

The brass comes in 12" lengths. Cut it into 3" pieces and save a couple for your buddy's plane. I bent them around my thumb. The trick is firm, even pressure. (Courtesy Vanning)

NOTE: As mentioned above (and illustrated in the link) most recommend using both and Scotch brand #8959 Extreme Application Packing Tape in place of the GWS-supplied tape for joining the dihedral/reinforcing rods to the wing.

NOTE: Upon this last step in assembling the wing many have recommended checking the wing for excessive wash-in or wash-out and correcting with thin strips of Scotch brand #8959 Extreme Application Packing Tape running diagonally under the whole length of the wing. See this thread for a discussion of this modification. Many also apply tape to an otherwise "straight" wing for reinforcement and to prevent the wing from losing its shape.

NOTE: Most recommend using epoxy or foam-safe CA glue to more securely join the control horn and backing to the foam.

EPOXY THOSE BUGGERS ON GOOD! (Courtesy Vanning)

NOTE: At this point the directions are incredibly vague on mounting the electronics. The photograph in plate 19 show the end result, which roughly involves mounting your servos with the included screws to the servo mounting plates, attaching your receiver with velcro, and attaching the battery with either rubber bands, Velcro, or both. Until I build and add my own photographs I should simply mention that you should pay particular attention to the mounting and connecting directions that come with your particular brand of electronics and ignore the GWS Electronics-oriented directions in the manual. Note also that receiver antenna placement is also a matter of builder's choice, with many running it under the fuse to the tail or taping it under one side of the main wing. Finally, there are many radio packages available (s/a Futaba's 4YF) that come with the proper servos and receiver, you will need only to add an ESC and at least one plane Battery.

NOTE: Most have recommended using Dubro Mini-EZ Connectors to connect the control rods to the servos (with some recommending mounting them "upside down" so the adjustment is accessible from the bottom of the wing for easy field access.) The Dubro Mini-EZ Connectors are quite inexpensive at under $3 and allow critical fine-tuning and freedom of modification. This thread has a wonderful explanation with illustrative photographs. You will need to fine-tune these adjustments after the Center of Gravity has been achieve.

NOTE: If you choose not to use Dubro Mini-EZ Connectors, remember to hold off actually cutting or Z-bending your control rods to the correct length until you have determined your correct Center of Gravity in step 23.

NOTE: Most recommend using a Sharpie pen to draw indication lines perpendicular to the fuse on the underside of the wing at the 4-1/8" Center of Gravity point. This makes checking the COG with fingertips quite easy.

NOTE: Many have also recommended, once the COG is achieve, marking the location of the various sliding mounting pieces on the fuse with a sharpie and using a dab of thick CA glue on either side to help keep the pieces in place on the fuselage. Most strongly urge NOT actually gluing the pieces to the fuselage however.

NOTE: Once the CoG is achieve you may make your final control rod connections. With your battery not yet connected, remove the prop, turn on your transmitter, make sure ALL electronics are connected, connect battery, and and proceed with the following:

NOW you can make the Zbends (or tighten the EZ Connectors) and cut the wires. If you use the EZ's, then leave the wires 1" long or so and safety-cap them with the extra wheel retainer thingies. This allows future adjustments. Make a note that before Zbending or tightening, be sure the servo horns stick straight out and the rudder & elevator are straight, and the transmitter trims are set to the middle. Then go back to step #20 and #21 and check the throws. Adjust throws by inserting the Zbends into different holes on the control horns. (Courtesy Vanning).

Now its REALLY important to have the builder check his servo direction.
When you move the stick down, the elevator points UP. When you move the stick right, the rudder moves to the right, etc...If necessary, servos can be reversed either with the little switches or scroll-down menus on the transmitter - see your radios instructions for details. (Courtesy Vanning).