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  #1  
Old 02-16-2009, 06:02 PM
Andre Kerstens's Avatar
Andre Kerstens Andre Kerstens is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Delaware, USA
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Default 770 side skin fitting problem

My aft and center fuse pieces were mated together today (yeah!), but a good start of the day has turned into bad side skin fitting problems. No matter if I start cleco'ing from the front or from the back, the skin doesn't line up with the rivet holes by sometimes up to 3/4 of an inch. Pushing/pulling on the tail doesn't bring anything as well. Has anyone else had such a tough time with the 770 skins as well? Anything I should try? I'll call Vans tomorrow as today they are closed.

Have a look at the pics on my builders website to see what I mean (you have to scroll down a bit for the side skin fitting problem).

Thanks!
Andre
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  #2  
Old 02-16-2009, 06:40 PM
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rvbuilder2002 rvbuilder2002 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Kerstens View Post
My aft and center fuse pieces were mated together today (yeah!), but a good start of the day has turned into bad side skin fitting problems. No matter if I start cleco'ing from the front or from the back, the skin doesn't line up with the rivet holes by sometimes up to 3/4 of an inch. Pushing/pulling on the tail doesn't bring anything as well. Has anyone else had such a tough time with the 770 skins as well? Anything I should try? I'll call Vans tomorrow as today they are closed.

Have a look at the pics on my builders website to see what I mean (you have to scroll down a bit for the side skin fitting problem).

Thanks!
Andre
Andre,
Do you by chance already have the fwd lower longerons drilled to the center section and the lower firewall weldments?
If so, it is forcing the firewall to be at the wrong vertical position. The F-770 side skins should be what establishes the vertical position of the firewall. You need to cleco the skins to the center section and then let the firewall move so that it aligns with the skins.
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  #3  
Old 02-16-2009, 06:46 PM
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Andre Kerstens Andre Kerstens is offline
 
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Hi Scott,
no, the firewall has not been mounted/drilled yet. To have as much flexibility as possible I also removed the bagage skins and all the cleco's that hold the bagage ribs to the 706 bulkhead. Didn't help :-( I have no idea what's going on here, as it seems most people just cleco these on without problems.
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  #4  
Old 02-16-2009, 06:56 PM
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RVRC RVRC is offline
 
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Andre,

Try moving the back of the aft section up and down versus forward and backward. If I recall correctly and maybe I don't, ( I am getting older) seems we had the same issue. Make sure you have the double row where the two parts join lined up.
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  #5  
Old 02-16-2009, 07:15 PM
Mark7986 Mark7986 is offline
 
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Location: Fairmont MN
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Default Same Problem

I thought I was looking at the post I was getting ready to write tonight. I was mating my RV7 fuselage also today. My side skins look exactly like yours. I guess we should have a conference call with Vans.

Mark
Fairmont, MN
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  #6  
Old 02-16-2009, 07:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RVRC View Post
Andre,

Try moving the back of the aft section up and down versus forward and backward. If I recall correctly and maybe I don't, ( I am getting older) seems we had the same issue. Make sure you have the double row where the two parts join lined up.

What Robert said... raising the tailcone just behind the 706 bulkhead should line things up better for you.
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  #7  
Old 02-16-2009, 07:27 PM
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Jamie Aust Jamie Aust is offline
 
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Location: Brisbane Australia
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Red face

Its must be something in the air, as I just put my 7A side skins on only about 4 hours ago. I started around the wing spar cutout, nice and easy. When I got to the aft section, I had the same fault. I had to move my sawhorses around. I had to lower the Tail so that the holes would move FWD toward the side skin. I dont think Vans will be able to help other than advise you to move things fwd/aft or up/down.

I just went out and had a look at the longeron to firewall gap. Mine go past the rivet hole on your webpage and stop 16/32 from the end edge on the side skin end/firewall.

Did you do the ADD 1" to tape measure thing and forgot to ADD it at the end, as IT looks to be about 1" short. I would call Vans on the longeron problem.
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Last edited by Jamie Aust : 02-16-2009 at 07:37 PM.
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  #8  
Old 02-16-2009, 07:57 PM
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Andre Kerstens Andre Kerstens is offline
 
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Wow, that is kind of amazing Maybe the first who gets Vans on the phone can let the other know what they said... think we have ended up with side skins from a bad batch?

Andre

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark7986 View Post
I thought I was looking at the post I was getting ready to write tonight. I was mating my RV7 fuselage also today. My side skins look exactly like yours. I guess we should have a conference call with Vans.

Mark
Fairmont, MN
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  #9  
Old 02-16-2009, 07:59 PM
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Andre Kerstens Andre Kerstens is offline
 
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Location: Delaware, USA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cln1owner View Post
What Robert said... raising the tailcone just behind the 706 bulkhead should line things up better for you.
Tried raising it up, down, left, right, forwards and backwards. All didn't help, but I'll continue working on it tomorrow.

Thanks! Andre
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  #10  
Old 02-16-2009, 08:03 PM
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Andre Kerstens Andre Kerstens is offline
 
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I wonder if the longerons will move forward 1/2 inch more when I get those holes to line up. I don't understand how they could end up to short as I re-measured before bending the left longeron this afternoon and they are exactly the length Vans specifies on the plans (173 7/16 I believe). Wish now that I hadn't cut them yet I guess. Let's see what Vans says.

Thx, Andre

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamie Aust View Post
Its must be something in the air, as I just put my 7A side skins on only about 4 hours ago. I started around the wing spar cutout, nice and easy. When I got to the aft section, I had the same fault. I had to move my sawhorses around. I had to lower the Tail so that the holes would move FWD toward the side skin. I dont think Vans will be able to help other than advise you to move things fwd/aft or up/down.

I just went out and had a look at the longeron to firewall gap. Mine go past the rivet hole on your webpage and stop 16/32 from the end edge on the side skin end/firewall.

Did you do the ADD 1" to tape measure thing and forgot to ADD it at the end, as IT looks to be about 1" short. I would call Vans on the longeron problem.
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