Removable flooring, how many nutplates?

[Rick6a]

The latest in a series of reasons why I'm glad I installed nutplates on the floor. Yesterday, I thought to address that gaping hole surrounding the passenger's joystick. I fabbed up a piece of aluminum to cover the hole and mount an eyeball vent at the same time. Two nutplate holes previously installed to make the floors removable sure came in handy. The cover...along with just about everything else is removable.

[Tall_Order]

Just curious how others have handled the fwd part of the rear floors(directly under the aft flange of the rear pax footwells). The way I read the plans, the platenut screws hold only the aft lip of the footwells down, with all the other layers(floor,spacer,crossmember,platenut) being riveted together. If one ever decides to remove the floor for servicing, then all these quite long platenut rivets would have to be drilled out.

If I drop the platenut rivet heads down one layer(to terminate between the aft floor and the spacer directly below), then the rear floor will have a 3/32 blank hole on either side of the platenut screws, but the footwell lip would cover these.

Curious what others have done here.

[PhatRV]

If you guys plan to install the many nutplates on the floor, use the floating nutplates because they will save you a lot of time in the off chance the screw holes aren't exactly aligned. The floating nutplate weight a fly more than the standard version but since you are installing almost 100 of them, you are adding weight anyway.

[rv8ch]

Originally Posted by Tall_Order

Just curious how others have handled the fwd part of the rear floors(directly under the aft flange of the rear pax footwells). The way I read the plans, the platenut screws hold only the aft lip of the footwells down, with all the other layers(floor,spacer,crossmember,platenut) being riveted together. If one ever decides to remove the floor for servicing, then all these quite long platenut rivets would have to be drilled out.

If I drop the platenut rivet heads down one layer(to terminate between the aft floor and the spacer directly below), then the rear floor will have a 3/32 blank hole on either side of the platenut screws, but the footwell lip would cover these.

Curious what others have done here.

I have an older kit, so didn't have this specific issue. Much advice in this thread is good - floating nutplates, don't install a nutplate in every hole - about every other hole will be fine, and feel free to cut the floor panels into more pieces to make them more manageable. I'd also recommend using Torx screws since they are so much easier to put in and out without stripping them.

Yes it will take a day to install all these nutplates, but when you are removing the floor for the 5th time you'll be happy you have screws and not rivets.

[Don Patrick]

Just finished counting the nutplates and the locations for the K1000-8 and the K2000-8. I understand some folks countersunk and dimpled the floors (I did) and others just used the rounded #8 screw for the floor and passed on the countersunk screws. To each their own.

Here's the break down:

Total K1000-8 = 78
Total K2000-8 = 13

and 4 rivnuts for #8 screws.

Starting with the F815C-L-1, you need 12 K1000 nutplates and 4 K2000 nutplates. On either side of the F-806A-L-1 where it meets the F815C-L-1 , I put the K2000-8 nutplates. Where the F-805-L-1 meets the F815C-L-1 I also put a K2000 there. You need one more next to the rounded out portion for the flap pushrod,which goes toward the front of the aircraft.

Repeat that for the F815C-R-1

The F-813-L-1 takes 7 K1000-8 and 1 K2000-8. The K2000-8 is placed in the last hole towards the front of the aircraft.

Repeat for the F-813-R-1.

The F814B-L-1 has 11 K1000-8. Repeat for the F814B-R-1.

The F-806B-1 rear spar bulkhead assembly has a total of 11 K1000-8 nutplates and 2 K2000-8 ones. The K2000's go out on the very ends of the F-806B-1 where the gussets are.

The last place is the F-807A-L-1 and the F-807A-R-1. Looking towards the prop, the two far left holes on the F-807A-L-1 I used two Rivnuts. Where the F-814 meets the F-807, use a K2000. The other two holes in the F-807A-L-1 are K1000-8s. The F-807A-R-1 are all K1000-8s, except for the two outermost holes, where I used rivnuts.

I also attached photos of the diagrams that should help. There is also a comment on the flap block nutplate...I messed up...with this, you shouldn't have to drill out the wrong nutplate.

Send me your email and I can forward you pictures for the above.

Don