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Best time to attach fuselage side skins & tail cone?

J

John-G

Well Known Member
Think I?ve read a few times here that it is not a bad idea to hold off attachment of the fuselage side skins and tail cone until the fuselage fuel, wiring and controls have been installed. I already skipped ahead and installed the fuel system plumbing. Also plan to hold off attachment of the tail cone until Van?s serves up the AHRS stiffener hardware to the hungry RV-12 fleet in the hopes instillation of the stiffener(s) will be as painless as possible on the body.

That being said, is the bulk of the fuselage wiring included in the finishing kit or the instrument kit?
At what point should the side skins be installed if not installed per section 23?
What has seemed to work out the best for those of you who have built out of sequence?

Your thoughts and suggestions appreciated.
 
I only attached the tail cone after I had done the fuselage wiring, hung the engine, fitted the cowl and drilled the flaperon torque tubes.
 
ifixf15 said:
So Basically, right before paint :)
Click to expand...

Oh, there was still a very long list of `to-do' items to get through before I got to that point, although I did speak to the painter yesterday. Guess that means I must be getting near done. :)
 
I had the cockpit area done with the fuel tank in place and the landing gear and engine installed before I put on the tail cone. It makes life much easier. Also leave the forward side skins off until you are done with the cockpit. I bought all the airframe kits at once so I knew I could get everything installed with good access. That includes the auto pilot, so the servos went in when I built the cockpit area.
 
The bulk of the wiring comes in the finishing kit. Leaving the tail one off until late in the build makes sense,but In my opinion, leaving the side skins off will provide no particular advantage. The fuse can easily be rolled onto its side for access. Running the fuel lines before the side skins is a bit easier, but even that is not hugely simplified. The return line bulkhead fitting is the main exception. Make sure that is installed, and correctly oriented, preferable before the belly skin goes on. You'll be glad you did later on, trust me:)
Hope this helps.
Regards
Dave Hastwell
120485
 
I built according to the plans. In fact, I installed the tail feathers once I had the cone married to the fuselage and NEVER had to remove them.

I also installed the gear legs early so I could get it on the wheels. This required me to build a dolly to hold the empennage level (tail heavy). Now the drawback was probably installing the wiring, but I didn't find it to be too difficult. I'm not small nor flexible and I still managed okay.

IMO, there might be some marginal benefit to delaying the tailcone attachment, but I liked looking at the airplane as it came together and it helped me to remain motivated.

My way is just one way, and maybe not even the best way but it worked.
 
f1rocket said:
I built according to the plans. In fact, I installed the tail feathers once I had the cone married to the fuselage and NEVER had to remove them.

I also installed the gear legs early so I could get it on the wheels. This required me to build a dolly to hold the empennage level (tail heavy). Now the drawback was probably installing the wiring, but I didn't find it to be too difficult. I'm not small nor flexible and I still managed okay.

IMO, there might be some marginal benefit to delaying the tailcone attachment, but I liked looking at the airplane as it came together and it helped me to remain motivated.

My way is just one way, and maybe not even the best way but it worked.
Click to expand...

Ditto....to the build as per Van's plans. I did however fabricate a rotisory of sorts to allow for rotating the fuse/tailcone to any angle. This allowed for working sitting on a low roll around chair.
 
Thanks

At this point in time, I have overgrown available room in the shop, so mating of the tail cone is not a possibility. I need to move to the hangar soon but can?t in good conscience ask friends to help move to the hangar with the temperatures here being what they are.

Will just have to keep plugging away at fuselage assembly until a good weather window presents itself (perhaps spring thaw the way it is looking) and help is available.

Thanks all for the replies, they will help with moving forward with the project in spite of the weather.
 
Initially I left the tail off because of the length of my garage, after I built on a longer garage, I still left it off as long as possible, and am glad I did, attaching it is a simple one man job quickly finished. If I build another one (and I suspect I will), I will also leave the landing gear and engine off until last, and turn the fuselage up on its side to do wiring etc. I still have not attached the rear window metal pieces, that helps the access too.
 
One of the things I like about this website is the variety of ways we builders solve the same problem. Like they say: there is more than one way to skin a cat!
 
Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow!

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm building EAB, so I'm not exactly following the directions, exactly. Anyway, here's a few suggestions from my experience...your mileage may vary:
1. Clecoe, do not rivet the side skins as long as you can avoid it. You'll remove them, trust me.
2. Put the basic fuselage on its side (on strong sawhorses) for plumbing, wiring, control system, and every little dinky thing you can think of while you can get at it easily.
3. Roll it back upright to do the rollover structure, canopy, and everything else you can do before putting it on the gear.
4. Put it on the gear after considering that from now on you'll have to haul yourself into the 'pit to do almost anything.
5. Hang the engine and install the avionics late in the game.
6. Build the tank after the last and final mandatory SB/revision is published. ...this may be never.
7. Put the tail cone and tail feathers on before the first flight. Don't forget the wings.
 
gossend said:
In the interest of full disclosure, I'm building EAB, so I'm not exactly following the directions, exactly. Anyway, here's a few suggestions from my experience...your mileage may vary:
1. Clecoe, do not rivet the side skins as long as you can avoid it. You'll remove them, trust me.
2. Put the basic fuselage on its side (on strong sawhorses) for plumbing, wiring, control system, and every little dinky thing you can think of while you can get at it easily.
3. Roll it back upright to do the rollover structure, canopy, and everything else you can do before putting it on the gear.
4. Put it on the gear after considering that from now on you'll have to haul yourself into the 'pit to do almost anything.
5. Hang the engine and install the avionics late in the game.
6. Build the tank after the last and final mandatory SB/revision is published. ...this may be never.
7. Put the tail cone and tail feathers on before the first flight. Don't forget the wings.
Click to expand...

All great advice. Esp No. 6.

I have a 9' work table with carpet that I put the center section on the side, with the unattached tail cone (no emp) tilted/angled behind it to help route wires, etc.

The side skins don't matter as much if you can have it on its side while you work on all wiring and controls, etc. Gets a little crazy but with a little research and reading ahead you get a good feel for what not to do when….just keep track of it all with good notes in your plans as you go.

Bottom line is that you will assemble and disassemble stuff several times.

Might as well get used to it.
 
Keep track of your omissions!

A nice trick some one suggested that worked for me: I sign and date 'completed' in the top margin of each instruction page. If I skip a page, even a single step, I flag the page with one of those "sign here" translucent stickies that always show up on signature pages in legal docs. Buy several (cheap) little dispensers at any office supply. If I skip a whole section (like building the **** tank), I just capture that section with a paper clip.
The idea is not just to make sure nothing's left out, but serves as a quick flip-thru check...to make sure you're not about to 'rivet yourself into a corner', as they say :)
 
What? No snippy comeback?

I thought that would have gotten a rise out of at least somebody!:confused:
 
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