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Builder's notes:

• Build and keep two or three pairs of sawhorses around. I had all four wing panels at various stages of construction after awhile - moving from one to another as one set of operations was completed and I had to wait for the epoxy to set up - and it was useful to have two panels up on sawhorses at once and another on the work table.

• Be careful when moving the wing panels onto and off of the sawhorses, to not catch the top or bottom of the wing ribs where they cross the spars. Once the wings are fabric covered, staple scrap carpet pieces over the top of each sawhorse to provide cushioning and protection to the fabric from the bare wood. Staple only to the sides of the cross piece and not on top where they might catch the fabric.

• The wings, until they are covered and painted, are very vulnerable to damage. The spars are sturdy, of course, but the exposed wing ribs, while strong in the dimension for which they are designed to accept force - from top and bottom - are particularly unsuited for sideways forces. When they are at this stage, mostly complete and capable of being transported, they should be stored vertically out of harms way. The simplest method is a pair of double-post stanchions made from 2x4's, each of which have a carpet strip draped in a "U" shape between its posts, one stanchion at each end of the wing panel, with the leading edge resting in the carpet strip. A sturdier, and safer alternative is to build a vertical, free-standing crate for each wing panel with inside smooth panelling. The top is panelled as well to protect from falling objects or leaky roofs. The wing panels are slid into the crates leading edge down, using a "shoe" made from a piece of scrap styrofoam. When all the way in the crate, a second foam shoe is placed just under the near end of the leading edge to hold the leading edge away from the floor of the crate. I used such crates and these, combined with careful and aware handling & transport of the panels during all phases of construction, meant no damage occurred during the many months that the panels were merely structure, and none after the wings were covered and painted.

• Consider building a single-wing aircraft instead of a biplane! I'm convinced that the work involved goes up geometrically with the number of wings. Imagine building a triplane! If you want the look and feel of an older aircraft, and one that even feels a bit like a biplane, consider a parasol wing design such as the Pietenpol Air Camper.