3 per side not drilled through
Hi,
So, I just checked. I have three rivets on each side that were installed at the QB factory that I allowed to be covered by the top skin without drilling through and re-riveting. They are one each at the top of each row holding the gear towers on, and one at the top of the row holding the front flange of the 804 bulkhead.
My judgment was that there are plenty of rivets holding the top skin on already to get good shear carry-over, and no need to disturb these three that are doing good structural work holding important bulkheads to the top longeron, and don't need to tie in the upper skin right at that point. Since my top skin was not pre-punched for the row attaching to the top longeron, I just didn't drill those.
Also, there are about eight rivets in that row that are difficult/impossible to buck because the tails are inside the gear tower or inside the 804 box. (I already closed out the 804 box) so many of us use cherry max rivets in those spots.
hope that helps. I don't remember if there was a fourth factory rivet that I did drill out or not....can't tell now.