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Last rivet

kens_cockpit

kens_cockpit

Well Known Member
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last rivet.jpg
Tonight I installed the last rivet on my RV8. It is the forward most rivet on the nutplate for the screw through the retaining tab on the hinge pin on the bottom cowl.

I'm thinking of requiring passengers to identify the last rivet for me before their first flight. That will be difficult because I will tidy up the glass around the retaining tab to make a nice finish on the little slot. So the last rivet will be invisible from the exterior.

Of course I am realistic enough to realise that it is likely this will not be the last rivet. This is probably only the first last last rivet. How many more will there be?

My software engineer son Jason says there will be 2 more last rivets.
My building buddy Cameron says there will be 6 more last rivets.
I estimate there will be 10 more last rivets.
My wife says there will be a lot more last rivets - too many to count!
The authoritative Chat GPT says "as a guess" there will be 10-20 and optimistically adds "...hopefully none are missing!"
It also said I was very meticulous. I hope the CASA authorised person who will issue the special certificate of airworthiness agrees.

Anyway. The first last rivet is a historic moment . It seems appropriate that I made the logbook entry for the first last rivet today 4th September 2024, 21 years and 2 days after I ordered the information kit and preview plans. Makes this baby an adult.

How many last rivets did you have? What was your first last rivet? What was your last last rivet?
 
There will always be "one more last rivet" !!!
I thought mine was on the wheel pants, done 6 months after first flight.
To my surprise, I see that 2 years AFTER first flight, (thanks to removing the front floor because of installing aileron pushrod boots) during the annual inspection, I entered in the builder's log 6 "missing" rivets on the fuselage...
Not critical, they were 3 missing on each of the seat ramp supports, (F-814E-L+R) attaching to the inboard seat ribs (F-814-A L+R) :eek:
Then, along the way there's always "improvements and mods" possibly implying extra rivets...
I'm at 15160... for now...
 
I had a ceremonial 'last row' of rivets. Completing the airplane happened to be about the same time as my kid's 8th grade graduation, and an IAC contest and a city Airport day celebration. All good reasons for a hangar party with important family and friends present. Much earlier in the build I had taped off a portion of a row with the idea being the people who supported the project physically, mentally, financially, would each have 1 of the 'final rivets' to pull. Turned out to be one of my favorite memories from the project.
 
N8DAV8R said:
I had a ceremonial 'last row' of rivets. Completing the airplane happened to be about the same time as my kid's 8th grade graduation, and an IAC contest and a city Airport day celebration. All good reasons for a hangar party with important family and friends present. Much earlier in the build I had taped off a portion of a row with the idea being the people who supported the project physically, mentally, financially, would each have 1 of the 'final rivets' to pull. Turned out to be one of my favorite memories from the project.
Click to expand...
I love that idea. Well done.
 
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