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Watch out for forward floor stiffener orientation

Draker

Well Known Member
Here's a reminder to builders working on the forward fuselage. Don't make the mistake I did. This isn't really a gotcha because the plans are very clear:

When building the floor stiffeners, carefully examine drawing 23. For the inboard stiffeners, F-772B-R goes on the right side and F-772B-L goes on the left side. Makes sense. But for the outboard stiffeners, they must be reversed! F-772B-R outboard stiffener goes on the left side and F-772B-L outboard stiffener goes on the right side. If you aren't careful, it will not be obvious that you reversed them because the parts are similar and fit both ways. Later, you will go to fit the cover plates in the cabin and you will encounter this:

IMG_1777-L.jpg


I'm confirming with Vans whether it would be acceptable to add a second notch to the cover plates instead of drilling out the stiffeners and re-constructing them, but best not to make the mistake in the first place.

If you've still got the canoe flipped over, remember to double check the orientation of those stiffeners before you rivet!
 
Yip, I did that, but caught it before the skin went on, still a pain to remove those angles....
 
Yea, after sleeping on it I think it would be better to bite the bullet and remove/swap the stiffeners. I'm pretty sure when I drilled them, they were oriented correctly, so the holes should line up exactly. Access is still great without any cabin innards done. I was thinking I'd have to find a partner to rivet them back on but instead if I rest the fuselage on a couple of sturdy 2x6s and a back rivet plate, I bet I could back rivet those solo. I'll noodle on this today some more and see what I decide to do.
 
Stiffeners

Yep. Had to drill mine out too. Seems like they fit just fine flip/flopped.
You also have a floor cover that has to go betwee them so you do have to switch them.
 
My quickbuild fuselage had these stiffenes installed wrong. Van?s either gave me replacement covers notched to match my fuselage or they gave me covers that without notches and I cut them. Classic Aero Design also make the stuff that goes underneath the forward carpet match my stiffers.

Regards,
 
Mine are backwards too. Just had to tell Classic Aero to change the carpets a little. Vans told me not it's not a problem if they are backwards.
 
Here's a reminder to builders working on the forward fuselage. Don't make the mistake I did. This isn't really a gotcha because the plans are very clear:

When building the floor stiffeners, carefully examine drawing 23. For the inboard stiffeners, F-772B-R goes on the right side and F-772B-L goes on the left side. Makes sense. But for the outboard stiffeners, they must be reversed! F-772B-R outboard stiffener goes on the left side and F-772B-L outboard stiffener goes on the right side. If you aren't careful, it will not be obvious that you reversed them because the parts are similar and fit both ways. Later, you will go to fit the cover plates in the cabin and you will encounter this:

IMG_1777-L.jpg


I'm confirming with Vans whether it would be acceptable to add a second notch to the cover plates instead of drilling out the stiffeners and re-constructing them, but best not to make the mistake in the first place.

If you've still got the canoe flipped over, remember to double check the orientation of those stiffeners before you rivet!

Here is where Van's could just change the part # from L&R to A&B and eliminate the problem.
 
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