C

ctbecker

Well Known Member
I'm building an 8A (Slo build) and am having a @#)($* of a time getting the floor panels in. Is there some kind of trick?

Charlie Becker
 
Just alot of patience

Charlie

I think alot of patience is required. I also had to file a notch in the rib (verticle on each side of fuselage) that the rear floor pieces slid under (sorry, don't remember number). Thought about using all nutplates and making panels smaller, but I am 6'3" and the thought of drilling all those extra nutplates was not appealing to me. I don't think I will have much need to be removing them much. The front floor panels are a different stoy, but I did not have any problems taking them in or out.

After reading what I just typed, I am not sure I helped much. :)

Happy riveting.
 
spliting floor panels....

This weekend I'm planning on priming and riveting the angles to the floor panels. Was planning to show pictures on how I split the panels. Just forward of the "L" portion of the left floor panel (approx 1/4 in) I split the floor (right side also). This makes the floors very easy to install. Also had to notch the outboard foward rear floors to clear the interference with F-805 and 805gpp gusset. The plan for me is to make the entire footwell bay removable (includes the forward portion of the rear floors) all the way back to just shy of the 806 bulkhead. More nut plates I know. A doulbler is used were the rear floors were split with nut plates attaching the forward section and rivets the rear. I split the floors using a sheer, but a cutoff wheel and a die grinder would work too. Another thing, I lean my fuselage on its side on the sawhorses (support by rolled up towels and clamps). Makes for a lot less bending over. Just sit there on a stool and drill away.
 
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Triming required

Charlie, the floor panels just don't fit perfectly. I had to do a bit of trimming. There was a lot of fitting, measuring and figuring out where to trim to get a good fit. I also installed nutplates for the floor pieces so I made a better fit than required.

BTW, I wish I had though of Chino Tom's idea of laying the fuse on it's side. Installing the floor with nutplates was a back-breaking exercise. Luckily, short and young :)
 
I have a quakenbush :D just drill the screw hole as you woud and then I get the quakenbush. It drills the 2 nut plate holes and countersinks them to depth in one operation. I then use cherry G29 and put in pull nut plate rivets! Done
 
Two more things

1. I like the idea of using pop rivets to install platenuts. Is there any specific reason they have to be cherry. Since the entire reason for the rivet is only to hold the platenut in place and to resist twisting while installing a screw/bolt it would seem that any (cheap) flush pop rivet would suffice?

2. Somewhere recently I saw some modifications to a floor system that allowed for permanent installation of the flaps and removal of the floor, but I cant find it. HELP.
 
It is true that the rivet on y holds the nutpalte in place while the screw is being installed but you don't want a weak rivet that may break and cause the nutplate to rotate.

I would suggest Cherry CCR264CVS-3-x (where x is the grip length in 1/16"). These are designed for nutplates, and have the same head as an AN426AD3 rivet.

Places like Wicks has them in various lengths.
 
ctbecker said:
1. I like the idea of using pop rivets to install platenuts. Is there any specific reason they have to be cherry. Since the entire reason for the rivet is only to hold the platenut in place and to resist twisting while installing a screw/bolt it would seem that any (cheap) flush pop rivet would suffice?

2. Somewhere recently I saw some modifications to a floor system that allowed for permanent installation of the flaps and removal of the floor, but I cant find it. HELP.
Click to expand...


Ceap fasteners = trouble and the cherry's are the same rivets i used to put nut plates in the floor of boeings, I really ove them
 
I scraping the aluminum floor and using the same floor as a comercial airliners fibreglass sandwiched honeycomb with boeing washers for the screw heads, insulation bonded to the bottom
 
image of split floors

Charlie,
Here is the image of my split floors. As I indicated before, much easier to get in and out.

builderslog05521nq.jpg
 
Where do you get that stuff?

Broken-wrench said:
I scraping the aluminum floor and using the same floor as a comercial airliners fibreglass sandwiched honeycomb with boeing washers for the screw heads, insulation bonded to the bottom
Click to expand...

Where did you get this stuff?
 
Cut 'em

ctbecker said:
I'm building an 8A (Slo build) and am having a @#)($* of a time getting the floor panels in. Is there some kind of trick?
Click to expand...
The trick is to cut them. I did it one way:

http://www.rv8.ch/images/articles/20040226212441467_1.JPG

http://www.rv8.ch/article.php?story=20040226212441467

and after I did it I saw Charlie Kuss's method. Much nicer. He cuts them left - right just a few inches forward of where the flaps attach. I hope he comes in here and posts a picture.

I think the way Chino Tom did is is also very slick. I think with a combination of the two, you'll be in great shape.
 
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