Assembling HS

[prkaye]

I'm at the stage of assembling the HS. This is where I'm not sure what to do. I want to get it to the point where I need to do just enough so that the inspector can come next year and do his "pre-covering" inspection. So the skins can be riveted at most on one side (i.e. top or bottom) of the HS. The problem is that the instructions don't have you incrementally close-up the HS as you go... i.e. you rivet the front spar to the skin (both sides) then the ribs, and then the rear spar sub-assembly. My fear is to either rivet just enough so that I block off-access to critical spots for final riveting after inspection. Should I just leave the skin clecoed for now and do very little assembly until after inspection?

[scard]

Fully assemble up to installing the rear spar. Don't install the rear spar if you want easy inspection.

[rv8bldr]

Hi Phil

As long as you can pry up the edge of a skin and look inside to see the rivet heads/nuts/bolts/etc, or can insert a mirror to see them, then you will be OK. Just try it as you go along.

On the -8, there were no lightening holes in the forward, inboard rib of the HS, so I left them out unitl after the inspection.
Cheers

[cnpeters]

Must you have any access that is not designed (eg an access plate)? Most websites that I have reviewed show full completion of all sub-assemblies. IF any of the DAR's could chime in, I was under the assumption that the inspection involves a completed aircraft, with any access plates removed where possible, but no requirement to leave structural skins open/incomplete.

[prkaye]

I believe here in Canada there is a requirement for "pre-covering" inspection of wings and stabilizers. Not sure about control surfaces.

[RV_7A]

Generally people have their work inspected along the way by an EAA Technical Counselor. There are no specific areas that are required to be inspected. They are there to give advice and share knowledge and basically let you know if your work is acceptable. If you want to have the inside of your HS inspected, that?s your choice. If your riveting looks perfect on the outside and you did poorly on the inside and moved on, well why would you hide it. Want to die? Nah.... It also helps the DAR feel better about his inspection if you have had multiple signoffs by an EAA TC along the way.

-Jeff

[rv8bldr]

Originally Posted by RV_7A

Generally people have their work inspected along the way by an EAA Technical Counselor. There are no specific areas that are required to be inspected. They are there to give advice and share knowledge and basically let you know if your work is acceptable. If you want to have the inside of your HS inspected, that?s your choice. If your riveting looks perfect on the outside and you did poorly on the inside and moved on, well why would you hide it. Want to die? Nah.... It also helps the DAR feel better about his inspection if you have had multiple signoffs by an EAA TC along the way.

-Jeff

Hi Jeff

That isn't the way it is in Canada. We must have "pre-cover" inspections where the inspector (in essence, on behalf of Transport Canada, through the Recreational Aircraft Association of Canada) has to be able to inspect every nut, bolt, rivet, cotter pin, etc. This means that before you close up any structure (including control surfaces) they need to be inspected.

Now, some may think this is onerous, but a friend of mine used to be one of these inspectors. Many times he has found issues inside structures that were critical, and had to be fixed for safety of flight.

On the RV, you only really need one pre-cover inspection: get your tail and wings ready and have them inspected. The fuselage is open enough that the inspector can look at everything during the final (before flight) inspection.

It is essentially the same as having an anally retentive Tech Counselor, but it is enforced by Transport Canada.

Hope this helps,

Cheers

[RV_7A]

Sorry... I didn't notice the poster was located in Canada...

next....

[prkaye]

lol, in the message immediately above yours I said "I believe here in Canada ..."

[rv8eh]

Phil, I'm just beginning to go through this now on my project. Old guys (flying a few years ago) might still have been inspected by Transport Canada. Now, there is the "minister's designate- recreational aircraft". A few years ago there was still a transition process, I'm told.

Here's where I'm leaving it for empennage sub-assembly inspection:

-I've got the HS nose ribs riveted in, and the tip ribs cleco'd.
-HS skeleton riveted, but not in the skin.
-HS rear spar, stiffeners and hing brackets riveted/bolted, but not in the skin
-VS ribs and front spar riveted, and to the skin (left a few rivets toward rear of VS skin to make it easier to insert the rear spar.
- rudder stiffeners riveted
- elevator stiffeners riveted
- trim tab incomplete (if I get done before I get inspected, great)

I'm to be talking to my inspector in the next few days; if there is anything major to change here, I'll post it.

At www.md-ra.com. "pre-cover" and "sub-assembly" inspections are clearly defined.

I recommend that you call the md-ra office in Hamilton, if you haven't already, and discuss the inspection requirements; as well speak to someone who has finished very recently. I had a lot of hassles attempting to talk to my inspector, as I hadn't been "assigned" yet.

If you haven't filed a letter of intent, you need to ($35, online). A small set of helpful documents arrived after I filed my letter of intent. I believe that thes are all now available online at md-ra.com

After discussions with local (and not-so-local)canadian builders, of kit aircraft, I decided that I wanted early communication with my "assigned inspector"; I've paid my $180 for a "sub-assembly" inspection on the HS, VS, rudder and elevators. The inspector is not assigned until your first inspection request.

I'll still need a pre-cover inspection prior to final assembly of the aircraft, but the sub-assembly inspections are used toward the pre-cover.

The inspector can demand to see every rivet and joint, and may do so. I'm building an 8A, and there are places that (only a few) rivets would be forever covered. There's a horror story about a guy near here (Sask) that got to remove some skins :-( in order to expose hidden rivets on his RV (wings, I think).

With the risk involved in making assumptions about what the inspector may or may not want, I decided that $180 CDN was not much to pay in order to settle the issue for me early with my assigned inspector.

With the amount of money I seem to have committed to alumatherapy, I didn't think I should hold out on some early inspections for my peace of mind.

I need to spend many times that just on flowers to survive the building process :-)

-howard
RV-8A,
emp awaiting inspection,
slo-wing kit on order.