Thanks for all the input. I have decided to go with the hoop pine which I sourced at Mathews Timber. They brought out a pack of 100 No. 1 Clears from which I selected 4 pieces of 8" x 1" x 17'. The cost was less than $3 per foot!
Today I have been ripping them into lengths and then using my favorite tool at the moment - the Ryobi Thicknesser, to plane them to the correct size. T-88 should be arriving from AS&S next week. In the mean time I will begin to plot the fuselage plans onto the workbench. Building has begun! -- Darren Crompton AUSTRALIA