Well Paul, I'm scratch building a 701 and I started with the rudder, then the stabilizer and then the elevator. I have both wing skeletons done and I have the top skin clecoed on one wing. I did buy the fuel system kit from Zenith so I won't have to wait on that. I have a pretty good size shop but of course it's full of other things besides airplane stuff. My main purpose in building the wings before the fuselage is simple, space. Even though I have 12 celings in my shop, I have two celing fans and a garage door that would be in the way and the fuselage would block some of the over head light. I could store a fuselage under the lean too beside my shop but it's full too. I may be doing it backwards but since I'm scratch building I figure I can make everything fit.

Bob

Hi Paul,

Like Bob I did the tail pieces first, then the wings, then the fuselage, simply because it's easier to store the smaller pieces. Once the fuselage is built, it takes up a lot of room. Either way works; you either build the fuselage to match the wing spars, or space the wing spars to match the fuselage (on a 701, anyway), depending on which you built first. I'm not sure if it works the same way on other models, though. I built a "wing sling" and stored the wings on it, then when the back half of the fuselage was done, I stored it on top of the wing sling while I built the front half (see attached photo)

Randy

Hey Mike, glad to hear you are still in the build and yeah I think the idea of being able to sit in it and make noises would be cool. But if I do the wings first I might strap them to my arms and flap them about like a bird :)

Thanks for your comments Randy and Robert.

It's nice to sit in the plane and make noises.  Good motivation.  I think the fuselage is probably a little more difficult, but not enough to steer you one way or the other.  When you have a big fuselage sitting in your garage it's easier to keep motivated so that you can regain your space.  My wife wanted it out, so it was a little nudge to keep on pulling rivets. 

Like most, I did the tail feathers 1st, then I did the wings for the storage situation. I ended up keeping all my finished parts in the house, ( my shop is not dirt dobber proof or bird proof). I hung my wings form the ceiling, and just leaned everything else up against the wall in one of the boy's bedroom,(they are grown and flew the coop), moma don't like it to much, but she's gettin used to it. With the parts in the house she helps keep me motivated to hurry up an finish the rest of it so I can move (all that junk) out of her house.

Hi Paul; I'm building a 601XL and just finishing the horizontal stabilizer (rudder is done). I have the fuselage kit in my shop and will attack it next. Like others have noted, I want something to sit in with my headset on making airplane noises, but would also like to 'finish' the tail surfaces and that needs a fuselage to hang them on. My other garage (where my wife's car lives), has a 15' ceiling, so the fueslage will be hanging there while I work on the wings. Happy Building!!

I went with the fuselage before the wings mainly due to the fact that I am scratch building an dont have access to a long enough brake to do the wings or horizontal tail. I can tell you there is a lot more work involved in the fuselage than all the other parts combined (wireing, fuel lines, control cables, rods, linkage, panel, seats) it seams like it never stops but you sure do get a lot out of it. I know that when I get to the wings that will go by much quicker.  Well back to building.

Paul

I find some of the construction techniques used in the Zenith a little unusual for aircraft. Not wrong or bad, just different. That creates a bit of a learning curve. Thus, I'd lean towards building the simplest things first, and progressing towards the more complex.

I'd say the fuselage is the most complex, followed by the wings, the elevator, then the rudder. Thus, I'd build them in the reverse of that order, unless you are totally comfortable with aircraft and sheet metal work. That is, start with the rudder, then the elevator, then the wings, then the fuselage. Mind you, the world won't end if they're built in some other sequence, but it may be easier to learn in that order.

That's my 25 cents worth, reminding everyone as always that 25 cents won't but what it once did.

Paul,

I built the wings first due to space in the garage. you still need the 12 x4 table on which you build the wings and with a fuselage in there, it really cuts down on your space. I was then  able to store the wings in the house in an unused bedroom and use the table to build and square the fuselage. That is what worked for me anyway.  Tom