cjensen

cjensen

Well Known Member
The last time I posted a thread about counting rivets, I had just surpassed 10k. The other day, I passed 14,000! That rivet is somewhere in this picture...

4-22-08-004w.jpg


Seems like I remember people and/or Van's saying that there is somewhere around 14,000 rivets used in the two seaters, typically, but were "not sure".

I doubt I have enough riveting left to do to make 15,000 (I'm currently sitting at a nice even 14,150), so "somewhere around 14,000" seems to be correct at this point. I may get close to 15,000...my next update will be the final count, or passing the next thousand...;)

:cool:
 
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Hey Chad,

I talked to someone who counted the rivets in a -10. They came up with 25,335 total.. :)
 
rivets, holes, deburrs

14,000 rivets, Chad. Well then, that means we must have drilled 14,000 holes, and deburred at least 56,000 times (at least two aluminum parts, both sides). Probably dimpled about 25,000 or so.

Setting the rivets was not what took the longest for us.

Thanks for keeping count, Chad.
 
I bet a 9 is a few more.... the wings are longer so there should be more rivets along the spars. I think it has the same number of ribs though, so overall it's probably a small difference (like 1-200?)

Anyone with a -9 rivet count?
 
Interesting you brought that up Dave...I haven't come across anyone counting rivets in a 9, but you reminded me of something that I forgot about...the wing spar rivets are not in my count because they came from Van's assembled. I bet that adds 5-600 or more...I need to find a spar to count the rivets as they come from Van's to be accurate for a final rivet count, comparted to my number of rivets set count.

:D
 
That is interesting - you mean the really big (3/16??) rivets that hold the wing spar assembly together? There are some in the center fuse section also.
 
Those are the ones I'm talking about. I haven't counted the center section rivets either. Those I can get to...my wings are closed up.
 
Way to go Chad! My elbow hurts from all the nails I have been pounding in the last five years...... I think it's time to change to plane building.....

David
 
I read the news today oh boy
Fourteen thousand rivets in an RV 7 plane
And though the rivets were rather small
He had to count them all
Now they know how many rivets it takes to build Jensen's plane
 
rv9builder said:
Do you count the rivets you have to drill out and replace? That should add a few to my project! :D
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Yep! I keep a separate count for that as well...I know...:eek:

14,150 in the airframe as it sits today, with a total of 14,353 rivets used...203 drilled out. ;)
 
cjensen said:
14,150 in the airframe as it sits today, with a total of 14,353 rivets used...203 drilled out. ;)
Click to expand...

Would you still have that webpage for those statistics as well? I didn't find it with quick search to your site...

PS. Any plans quitting the counting? You still have change to do it... :D
 
I won't turn that offer down Matt! All my local building buds have their wings covered...

A BIG THANK YOU!

:cool::cool:
 
cjensen said:
Those are the ones I'm talking about. I haven't counted the center section rivets either. Those I can get to...my wings are closed up.
Click to expand...

We're counting rivets on my 7A, and are just finishing the left wing, so I can count the rivets on a spar for you tomorrow (and thanks for reminding me to include them!).
 
Chad-

I pointed your...ah...obsession out to my wife this morning. You've been dubbed "Rainman" Add it to the list of approved nicknames! :D

Joe

BTW, Personally I find it pretty cool that you've taken the time to do it. I had one of the first Captains I flew with tell me to keep track of all the passengers I carried (total number, not by name :))...wish I would have listened to him.:eek:
 
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jferraro16 said:
Chad-

I pointed your...ah...obsession out to my wife this morning. You've been dubbed "Rainman" Add it to the list of approved nicknames! :D
Click to expand...

I am a good driver, but I don't get my underwear at Kmart...:D

jferraro16 said:
BTW, Personally I find it pretty cool that you've taken the time to do it. I had one of the first Captains I flew with tell me to keep track of all the passengers I carried...wish I would have listened to him.:eek:
Click to expand...

Along those same lines, I started taking pictures of all the airplanes I've flown over the last 9 years...I have a "picture log" with the date and reason I flew them for the first time. I had to track down a couple of them that I missed, but I got 'em all now, and I ALWAYS have my camera with me to snap a shot of whatever I happen to get some stick time in...44 types, and almost 70 different airplanes at this point!:cool:
 
Sorry for the delayed response, Chad. I counted 156 rivets per spar for a total of 312 additional rivets. These rivets are the big ones they set for you at Van's. I did not count the rivets in the center section.
 
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