Van's Air Force
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Time to complete empennage kit?
- Thread starter papalima
- Start date
"Search" will turn up a lot of info. Here is one thread:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=78060&highlight=Build+Hours+RV-12
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=78060&highlight=Build+Hours+RV-12
joedallas
Well Known Member
Take your time
Take your time go slow until you understand the way vans instructions work, read ahead twice.
And one thing I find helpful is to check the flanges of all the ribs are at the same plane of the installed skins, this will help in preventing oil canning.
You can do this by laying a flat aluminum yard stick across the ribs before installing the skins, adjust the flanges for best fit.
My view
Joe D
Take your time go slow until you understand the way vans instructions work, read ahead twice.
And one thing I find helpful is to check the flanges of all the ribs are at the same plane of the installed skins, this will help in preventing oil canning.
You can do this by laying a flat aluminum yard stick across the ribs before installing the skins, adjust the flanges for best fit.
My view
Joe D
Gagarin737
Well Known Member
Kom op Pascal, hak de knop door! ;-)
MacPara
Well Known Member
A look back into the early days of my blog revealed that I needed 184 hours to complete the empennage kit including interior priming.
http://torstensrv-12.blogspot.com/2010/08/tail-cone-finished.html
That means that before yo really fully understand what you got yourself into you will be running out of parts if you didn't already order the next kit!
http://torstensrv-12.blogspot.com/2010/08/tail-cone-finished.html
That means that before yo really fully understand what you got yourself into you will be running out of parts if you didn't already order the next kit!
cactusman
Well Known Member
2-3 months emp kit (wash/scotchbright/SEM Self etching primer on interior ribs and mating surfaces)
3-4 months wings (same)
1 year - fuse/finish and some avionics
2-3 months engine and remaining avionics
2-3 months all the final stuff (PAP, etc)
2 years total for me from start to pink slip - another 6 mos to a year for all the extras it seems (paint, tweaking, etc)
I got all the options, inc a wife and 3 kids, worked in the garage mostly. Probably have the equivalent of a part time job....although some would dispute that....
RFSchaller
Well Known Member
I think the answer depends on experience level, shop space and tool inventory. For example, working with pneumatic rivet pullers and squeezers goes light years faster than manual pullers and squeezers.
RFSchaller
Well Known Member
I think the answer depends on experience level, shop space and tool inventory. For example, working with pneumatic rivet pullers and squeezers goes light years faster than manual pullers and squeezers.
PilotBrent
Well Known Member
Pneumatic rivet puller
Curious if anyone has ever completed an RV-12 build without using a pneumatic puller. 12,000 rivets with a hand rivet tool seems like cruel and unusual punishment!
Curious if anyone has ever completed an RV-12 build without using a pneumatic puller. 12,000 rivets with a hand rivet tool seems like cruel and unusual punishment!
engineerofsorts
Well Known Member
Maybe someone...
Somebody named Popeye...had a noticeable affect on his lower arms.
Somebody named Popeye...had a noticeable affect on his lower arms.
joedallas
Well Known Member
Puller and squeezer are faster
Haven't completed one, however only the left wing skins left to install.
I have a pneumatic rivet puller and squeezer and only used them when I can't get the hand puller to fit in to a tight spot.
I like going slow and making sure that the rivets are installed the best that I can.
The pneumatic puller and squeezer are faster but also easer to make a mistake.
I am in no hurry to finish, I enjoy the building and designing process.
My View
Joe D
Haven't completed one, however only the left wing skins left to install.
I have a pneumatic rivet puller and squeezer and only used them when I can't get the hand puller to fit in to a tight spot.
I like going slow and making sure that the rivets are installed the best that I can.
The pneumatic puller and squeezer are faster but also easer to make a mistake.
I am in no hurry to finish, I enjoy the building and designing process.
My View
Joe D
Last edited:
Bill_H
Well Known Member
Hand pulling - even carefully - will often result in a BANG and rebound on the rivet. Might hit the skin. Its not that controllable. A pneumatic puller (SET WITH LOW PRESSURE like 40psi, not 90) will pull nice and smooth and easily controllable when applying pressure before pulling the trigger. It's the way to go.
Brendan03801
Member
My brother and I have been using a hand squeezer. We have a pneumatic squeezer but have not yet bought a compressor. (Turns out compressors that can spray Stewart Systems primer well are big and expensive.) Anyway, we discovered that a piece of plastic cut off a storage bin or trash can, with about a 6 mm circle cut out, is very helpful for preventing accidental dings caused by the rivet squeezer. Put the rivet in the hole, cover with the plastic so the pin comes through the cut out, and squeeze. When the rivet pops, and the squeezer bounces, it will bounce on the plastic, spreading the force of the impact. No ding.
Builder #120893
Empennage partly completed
Wing kit delivered and inventoried
N603NH reserved
Builder #120893
Empennage partly completed
Wing kit delivered and inventoried
N603NH reserved
joedallas
Well Known Member
This will become automatic
This can happen until you learn how to squeeze a rivet.
Insert the rivet then press down on the rivet and start the squeeze, at the point that the rivet stem is about to break ( this you will learn ) release the down pressure( the squeezer will apply the down pressure ) and apply a up pressure to clear the parts, when the stem breaks the down pressure is gone and the up pressure remains. This will become automatic.
The Bank is being caused by your down pressure ( not the puller )
This works and I can say that I only had that problem on the first few rivets that I pulled on the aluminum soffits on my house and shop.
I like pulling rivets by hand.
My View
Joe Dallas
This can happen until you learn how to squeeze a rivet.
Insert the rivet then press down on the rivet and start the squeeze, at the point that the rivet stem is about to break ( this you will learn ) release the down pressure( the squeezer will apply the down pressure ) and apply a up pressure to clear the parts, when the stem breaks the down pressure is gone and the up pressure remains. This will become automatic.
The Bank is being caused by your down pressure ( not the puller )
This works and I can say that I only had that problem on the first few rivets that I pulled on the aluminum soffits on my house and shop.
I like pulling rivets by hand.
My View
Joe Dallas
Last edited:
madmaveric
Well Known Member
First time builder here, I am priming everything, using joining compound and working in a small space so lots of time moving things around (like having to put everything away each time I paint).
I've done as much of the Empennage as I can now (can't fit anything together yet due to space) and so far it has been around 10 minutes 44 seconds ... at x1000 speed that is.
https://youtu.be/fY7wxtn4m_U
I'm not sure what that works out to as there were a couple of days missed but I guess close to a couple hundred hours.
This last week I've been looking into painting, I'd really like to paint it myself in sections as I go and have painted before (over 20 years ago )
Lots of time wasted on this though as so far I've had no luck with it. The primer and base coat is ok, but the lacquer is not going on any good at all no matter what I try, I may have to give up on the painting at this rate and I've run out of scrap to practice on, any more practice will mean lots of sanding first.
A lot of time is learning rather than building at first. My advice is don't log hours and just enjoy the process.
I've done as much of the Empennage as I can now (can't fit anything together yet due to space) and so far it has been around 10 minutes 44 seconds ... at x1000 speed that is.
https://youtu.be/fY7wxtn4m_U
I'm not sure what that works out to as there were a couple of days missed but I guess close to a couple hundred hours.
This last week I've been looking into painting, I'd really like to paint it myself in sections as I go and have painted before (over 20 years ago
) Lots of time wasted on this though as so far I've had no luck with it. The primer and base coat is ok, but the lacquer is not going on any good at all no matter what I try, I may have to give up on the painting at this rate and I've run out of scrap to practice on, any more practice will mean lots of sanding first.
A lot of time is learning rather than building at first. My advice is don't log hours and just enjoy the process.
