RV-7 #74023

[rockwoodrv9]

Looking good Miles. It is never too late to be pounding rivets. (my wife better not read this!)

[longranger]

Originally Posted by rockwoodrv9

Looking good Miles. It is never too late to be pounding rivets. (my wife better not read this!)

Thanks Rock,
I'd say that too if I didn't live on 0.2 acres with neighbors...

[terrykohler]

Miles:
Looking good. I'm counting on a ride sometime in the near future. Daughter #1 finished her tour in the Far East and is now based at San Diego Naval Hospital (her husband is based at Pendelton). I was hoping to make an RV trip out there this past summer, but have pushed that to next year. Keep posting your progress. Hope we can reconnect in the not too distant future.
Terry

[longranger]

Originally Posted by terrykohler

... Hope we can reconnect in the not too distant future.
Terry

Hi Terry. Thanks for the kind words on the tank. I did spend a bit of time removing the little strings of proseal that I fear (probably unwarranted...) would turn loose from the unscuffed aluminum and go downstream.

Karen just bought our tickets to Michigan for Christmas. We'll be there 9-10 days. Hopefully I'll have time to get up to Ponitac for breakfast one morning. You're welcome out this way any time.

[longranger]

Tonight I installed a fuel return fitting in the access cover for the right tank and sealed the cover to the inboard rib. As I did on the left tank, I used torx plus screws to secure the cover to the rib, hopefully being easier to remove than phillips screws should the need arrive. Once the sealant cures, the tank will be ready for testing.

This was actually my second try at installing the return fitting and cover. Two days ago, I installed the fitting with the long section and thick washer on the inside, but I'd drilled the hole too close to the edge by 1/8", and the cover wouldn't go on the rib - which I discovered AFTER applying sealant to the cover and rib. A small amount of purple language later, it occurred to me that I could just turn the fitting around and put the washer on the outside. Somehow in the process of reinstalling the fitting I managed to cross-thread the bulkhead nut between the two sets of threads on the fitting. Did I mention I didn't have a spare? Now all the neighbors know it's been a VERY long time since I've been to Sunday School... Anyway, I finally recovered my composure enough to clean up the mess and order a new fitting and nut from Spruce. I get one day delivery from Corona using UPS ground so the parts were waiting for me tonight when I got home from work:

All parts cleaned and ready for installation. I had fit and installed the pickup tube before I installed the baffle to make sure it ends up in the right place. As with the left tank, those are torx plus screws in case the cover ever needs to come off...


If this leaks, I'll eat my VAF hat.


The finished product:

[longranger]

Today marks the one year since I broke out the vixen file and broke the edges of theHS-603PP horizontal stabilizer rear spar reinforcement bars for what someday will be RV-7 N904KM. Tomorrow is the first anniversary of setting the first rivet. 218 log entries, 5757 rivets, and nearly 660 hours later, I?ll have a set of wings very close to quick build stage as soon as I can bribe a bucking partner to help me final rivet the top skins on the right wing:



I thought I could have the fuselage started by now, but I do realize that it?s a journey, not a race, and it?ll be done when it?s done (finished? complete?)



In other news, last week when I was assembling the ailerons for final drilling, I noticed about a half hole diameter misalignment in the skin holes on one side of one of the outboard aft rib on the left aileron. I?ve always been told that if holes in pre-punched parts don?t line up, you?ve done something wrong. For the life of me I couldn?t figure out what it could have been. I swapped the rib with the identical part from the right aileron and had the same problem. The rib that miss-fit the left aileron skin fit the right one just fine. When I forced the clecos into the holes, the trailing edge turned up slightly:



This is what it SHOULD look like:


Careful measurement showed the aft rib rivet holes on one side of the left aileron skin to be between 1/32 and 3/64? closer to the traiIing edge than the other side. I sent photos and a description of the problem to Vans support, and Ken S. said it was most likely the aileron skin mis-bent in production. A new skin is on the way, but I still have to repeat the stiffener fab and installation and closing the bend to catch up. Before I do that, I?ll be measuring the rib rivet holes in all four corners.

[JonJay]

Good catch Miles. Some may not have questioned it and moved on.
One of the issues with the prepunched kits is occasionaly there is a mistake. In the past, the mistakes where usually really obvious, not like a slight shift of a prepunched hole.
It is important to lay up all the work and double check as you have done. If it doesn't look right, start questioning it.

[riseric]

Originally Posted by longranger

4.5 hours later:

Hi Miles,

Your progress is really looking good and is inspiring to me!!

I have a small question though when looking at your above picture. I'm working on the tank brackets and stumbling for no reason on the platenuts.

On my spar, I have platenut holes only for the most inbound bracket holes (seen here):


All the other bracket holes on the spar have no platenut holes:


If I look at your tank brackets, I notice that there's no platenut holes on the inbound one and platenut holes on the others.

So, if I'm correct, that tells me that platenuts are installed on the spar ONLY for the most inbound bracket. And platenuts are installed on the other brackets, correct? No drilling of new holes in the spar then ???

Just wanting to make sure before doing some stupid stuff on the spar...

Thanks !!!

[longranger]

Originally Posted by riseric

Hi Miles,

Your progress is really looking good and is inspiring to me!!

I have a small question though when looking at your above picture. I'm working on the tank brackets and stumbling for no reason on the platenuts.

On my spar, I have platenut holes only for the most inbound bracket holes ...

All the other bracket holes on the spar have no platenut holes: ...

If I look at your tank brackets, I notice that there's no platenut holes on the inbound one and platenut holes on the others.

So, if I'm correct, that tells me that platenuts are installed on the spar ONLY for the most inbound bracket. And platenuts are installed on the other brackets, correct? No drilling of new holes in the spar then ???

Just wanting to make sure before doing some stupid stuff on the spar...

Thanks !!!

Eric, that's absolutely correct. Platenuts for the inboard bracket are attached to the spar web, and platenuts for the other six brackets are attached to the brackets. With the leading edge and the tank installed on the spar, the inboard bracket is the only one accessible from the front. The bolts for the other six brackets are accessed from the aft side of the spar through the inspection holes in the bottom main skins.

PS: Thanks for the kind words. There have been many others that were/are inspirations to me; glad to be able to pay a little back.

[tkatc]

Nice Calander!!!