Quickbuild fuselage foot pegs - please help.

[JackinMichigan]

Hello,

Can't seem to figure out how to post photos, so please bear with me.

My father and I got our RV-10 as a quickbuild, which means the forward half of the fuselage was, in essence, complete. It came with an iron bar going the complete width of the fuselage for the foot peg mounts, and we both simply assumed this was a permanent part of the airplane. Today, as we were trying to fit the elevator push rods, we found that this bar made this installation impossible. After reviewing the fuselage build instructions (in a chapter we never looked at, as it was included in the quickbuild) we found that this bar is NOT part of the airplane, and must be removed and replaced with the provided foot peg weldments that end just short of the center tunnel. The bar isn't mentioned anywhere, in fact.

The problem is this: in order to install these foot pegs we will have to match drill and thru-bolt them into the mounting sleeves, which are located under the baggage area floor pans. These floor pans have already been completely riveted in (and have for some time). I count about 250 rivets that will need to be drilled out to remove these floor pans.

If there was a warning in the instructions cautioning quickbuilders about this pitfall I must have missed it. I can't be the only one that's run into this. Do I seriously need to drill out all these rivets?

Thank you,
Dave

 

[aerhed]

You can cut an access panel in the floor and you will be able to get back in again if the steps ever loosen.

 

[blahphish]

I agree with Dave. A lot of people put an access panel in right above where the steps slide in anyways and that should give you enough access to do the job.

 

[douglassmt]

Maybe not

I put access panels in my floor as well, but I'm not sure that will solve his problem. The access panel allows you to access the single bolt holding the steps in place, but it won't allow you to install the plastic pieces that the steps anchor in on the first or second rib inboard (don't have plans in front of me). Even with the small access port I put in I remember thinking it would be a PITA to get to the top and bottom of the bolt to remove it.

I'm thinking he will need to remove at least as many rivets in the floor to peel it back and install the plastic anchor blocks and the outboard anchor bolt.

 

[rocketman1988]

The plastic supports were already installed in my quick build kit...

 

[douglassmt]

That's good

The plastic supports were already installed in my quick build kit...

Oh, well then, it might be possible to cut a hole to install the steps and the bolt. Just order the access panels and the backup frame and cut the holes based on the template. It would be worth a try before pulling up the floor skins and, you'll probably want to have the access panels anyway.

 

[BobTurner]

Read all instructions

My QB clearly said it was up to me to read thru all the plans, and determine what had and had not been done by the guys in the Phillipines. I found some holes not drilled to size, etc.

 

[rocketman1988]

Yes. I also verified and inspected EVERY step in the plans for my QB fuselage and wings. I found multiple things that needed to be completed...

 

[Aiki_Aviator]

Hole in floor

I installed a hole in the floor to ensure I could install at a later date:

http://www.kitlog.com/photos/project_1932/thumb/FP05012013A0000D.jpg

It was kept quite small, however, I made up a spanner that fit underneath to make sure I could install or un-install the bolt.

 

[bwestfall]

access panel hole and bolt direction

I installed access panels in my SB kit but I also changed the bolt that goes through the step tube from vertical to horizontal which makes it somewhat easier to remove/install the nut and bolt.