Joining fuselage sections right-side-up?

sbalmos · #1 10-14-2014, 08:36 PM

I'm doing some mental mapping as I read ahead in the build instructions, and looking at (what to me looks like) the precarious balancing of the tailcone upside-down on sawhorses. Has anyone considered building their fuselage right-side-up, so the tailcone, center section, etc is being supported completely spanwise by the already-installed bottom skins? I would think this would be some preferable, rather than trying to figure out a balancing act of placing the center bulkhead legs, seatback bulkhead, etc on various sawhorses.

Is there any particular structural reason why I couldn't do this, besides the joy of eventually posting a picture of the canoe-rolling party?

Is there some induced sag from weight that fitting things upside-down removes?

Thanks!

sahrens · #2 10-15-2014, 06:20 AM

When you join the center section and the tail section you will be placing them on top of the longerons keeping the aircraft level. The bottom of the aircraft is not straight, it angles up towards the tail. You could build a jig to keep everything straight at the longerons, but it might be more work than it is worth.

Here is a photo of mine

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Having the aircraft upside down allows you to insert the longerons, keep everything straight, get the skins on and rivet it. This will build a stronger structure to be able to roll it over.

bret · #3 10-15-2014, 08:18 AM

I have a funny vid on my build site doing this step. alone.....

RV7ator · #4 10-15-2014, 08:18 AM

Assemble them right side up all the time. There will be height differential to deal with, and joining the pieces is a bit trickier than using level longerons spanning horses. But riveting is soooo much easier. Final strength is not an issue and it all self-jigs.

John Siebold

pilot2512 · #5 10-15-2014, 08:51 AM

That's the way I did it after watching the George Orndorff videos. Worked out great. Just had to raise the front quite a bit.

longranger · #6 10-15-2014, 05:56 PM

Right side up works just fine. I watched the Orndorff videos before I read the manual and thought that was how it was suppossed to be done. The tailcone is light enough that it will come off of one of the two sawhorses (depending on which way it has to go) when you cleco the bottom skins together at the F-706 bulkhead and add the side skins and/or longerons.

Also, being right side up, you can rivet the sides solo, then roll it up on a side and have a helper buck the rivets across the bottom, and both of you get to stand up.

sbalmos · #7 10-16-2014, 07:22 AM

Bret, I laughed my head off at that video. Thanks for that! That's exactly the position I'm in, trying wield that beastly center section around alone. Except in a cramped condo one-car garage.

Miles and others, also thanks. At least I know it's been done, and isn't really that onerous. I'm still debating on whether to do it. Actually, I've already done it before. Here's a pic below of me fitting things right-side-up after I finished the center section, without the longerons, just so I could take one of those "it's starting to look like something!" pics. The center section and tailcone fit together fine that way. Even the side skins were fine, albeit mostly unattached at that point.