Aft Top Skins - When to rivet

[sglynn]

I'm finishing the fuselage and about to start the Finishing Kit (Canopy) and wondering if I should rivet my aft top skins on yet. I've left them off to this point for access and later doing wiring and mounting electronic stuff it would probably be good to have them off. But maybe not. When do you suggest finally riveting on the two aft top skins of the 7A?

Now that I think about it, when did you rivet the forward top fuselage ribs, sub-panel and skin in place? I still have those clecoed. Should I rivet them before doing the canopy, or way later from now when I get ready to do wiring?

thanks for your insights.

 

[gabbiesrv7a]

good question, im at the same point u are. looking forward to folks weighing in. Keep on keepin on

 

[twsurveyor]

When to Rivet?

I'm finishing the fuselage and about to start the Finishing Kit (Canopy) and wondering if I should rivet my aft top skins on yet. I've left them off to this point for access and later doing wiring and mounting electronic stuff it would probably be good to have them off. But maybe not. When do you suggest finally riveting on the two aft top skins of the 7A?

Now that I think about it, when did you rivet the forward top fuselage ribs, sub-panel and skin in place? I still have those clecoed. Should I rivet them before doing the canopy, or way later from now when I get ready to do wiring?

thanks for your insights.

"Rule of thumb" is: "Don't rivet anything until you have to"!

The aft top skins should not be riveted until the canopy is finished (ready for final installation) and any aft wireing and/or auto pilot servos etc. are installed.

The forward top skin should not be riveted until the panel is finished.

IMHO

 

[Charles in SC]

Maybe I jumped the gun on mine but I could not figure out how to put the rear slider track on until I had the front rear skin in place. Mine is a slider, a tip up may be different. By the way remember to put the shoulder strap cables in first. Dont ask me how I know.
Good luck!

 

[Brantel]

Wait till you absolutely have to do it....

Remember to get all the wires you need finished back there first...

Don't forget the rudder cables and put them in the correct direction (yep been there)....

Make sure you put those pesky adel clamps on the tube that the rudder cables slides thru....

If your putting your magnometer back there...Mount it...

Static system????

Strobe PS?

ELT?

Antennas?

Autopilot servo bracket?

OAT probe wiring?

Yeah...those seat belt cable anchors...(yep I forgot to bolt em in first)

Elevator pushrod, bellcrank, etc.

Vac out all the FOD left over from building....

 

[[email protected]]

can't wait on everything for everything...

there are many ways to approach the sequences towards the end. whatever you commit to with rivets limits some access but it does help to promote a focus for finishing an area, locks the structure, and allows you to better anticipate future access for maintenance and inspection. while it might be easier to access the tailcone for stringing wire, mounting the autopilot, static lines, etc., they all can be completed without much of an issue with the top skins in place.

some pre-planning to get the static ports installed, prepare the elt mount and the autopilot servo bracket as soon as you can will make the actual install much easier.

don't be afraid of moving forward... you can't wait on completing every thing for every other thing to be completed...

 

[Brantel]

Now that I think about it, when did you rivet the forward top fuselage ribs, sub-panel and skin in place? I still have those clecoed. Should I rivet them before doing the canopy, or way later from now when I get ready to do wiring?

The structure....rivet that sooner rather than later. Waiting only makes it harder to do.

The front skin... Wait till the last minute...If your doing a Tipup, it makes it way easier to do all the wiring and stuff.

If your doing a slider, your gonna have to do it before doing the windscreen. Just a fact of life with the slider. But do as much of your panel and wiring as you can before....


I did a tip up and the last two skins I riveted on were the aft top skin and the front top skin. The front top skin was done a few days before my inspection......

 

[Rupester]

I'm with Brantel ...

... holding off on the fore and aft top skins until the last thing. I've already had about six instances where I breathed a sigh of relief for not riveting them before this.

 

[Jim P]

I ended up riveting the aft top aft skin just after the airplane went on the gear and didn't recall having any access issues with anything that far aft. I waited on the forward top aft skin until the airplane was just about ready to go to the airport as I did need access for magnatometer, static lines, etc.

On my tipper, we riveted the forward top skin aft of the cowl right before the inspection, as I remember, it was almost the last thing I did due to access for all things electronic. This seemed to work well for me, but as others have said, don't rivet until you have to.