A great start... and I'm following as you progress as it's a kit I've often considered doing myself. Here's a tip you may find useful. I use painters tape quite a bit. It's great for securely holding things like curved wood strips in place till the glue sets, and unlike elastic bands, there's no "give" to it. It will hold on tight. In some cases you can also use those black paper binding clips. Some brands are known as "bulldog clips". They have their uses, but be cautious with them as they can put too much pressure on the wood and leave indentations behind. My way of dealing with that is to use scrap plank material and use it as a sacrificial barrier between the wood I'm clamping and the metal clips. That way everything holds really tight, but the indentations are absorbed by the scrap wood material and the model itself is left unharmed.
Welcome to the group, and I'll repeat myself by saying that you're off to a great start. Well done!
