Riveting forward top skin RV-9A slider, When?

[cleve_thompson]

I have finally finished wiring and plumbing my panel on my RV 9A with sliding canopy and have installed my engine mount for an O320. I am ready to remove my panel and rivet the forward deck next.
My question is: "When do I rivet the forward top skin. Does it get riveted in before installing the windshield brace and the canopy rail?"
I have already installed it once and reamed it before removing it to temporarily install the panel for wiring.

Thanks,

 

[pierre smith]

Yes

Mornin' Doc,
Be sure to fit your windshield brace and frame to the airplane first. Then you install the forward skin temporarily, marking the brace position from underneath, removing the skin and make the cutout for the brace. You might also want to install the roller channels and place the canopy frame in position relative to the windshield brace and check for correct fit of the slider frame in relation to the windshield frame. We had to bend our frame some and even then had to have washer spacers under the windshield to get it to match the canopy later.

You mention removing the panel and then rivetting the forward skin. On my -6, the panel is rivetted to the forward skin. Are you making a removable panel?

You also mmention having an engine mount for an 0-320. Is the engine attached and completely wired? If not, wait.

Regards,

 

[Steve]

I'm just about at the same point. I plan on:
1. installing the engine and it's cables and wires.
2. temp installing the top fwd skin (again).
3. fitting the windshield.
4. riveting the middle row on the top skin.
5. installing the windshield brace.
6. working outward riveting the top skin.
7. install air vents and tubing.

Steve Fabiszak

 

[bsacks05]

Cleve,
As long as you are sure you have done every thing you can without the skin on then you are ready to install it. I installed mine kind of prematurally, then spent alot of time on my back wiring the panel in. You should be ok since I believe your panel already has the wiring harnessses ready to go and your work under it should be minimal.
Be sure to give Claude plenty of pillows while he is inside bucking the rivets!

 

[AlexPeterson]

Best advice is to absolutely not rivet anything until you can't go further without doing so (good advice for any part of the plane). The only thing remaining should be final attachment of the windscreen and fairing.

 

[cleve_thompson]

Thanks guys for info on timing forward skin riveting

Thank you all for the information! I have all the instrument wiring done except for the engine monitoring wires which are through the firewall, Bruce. I have checked everything out several times and all seem things seem to work.

Pierre, my engine mount is on but not my engine. The bottom skin and hinges are riveted to the firewall and I plan to rivet the hinges on the top to the firewall and skin before mounting the engine. Does this sound OK? You asked about my panel being removable. On the nine, it is held in place to the forward deck structures with nut plates so it can be removed but with some difficulty. All my wiring join my panel harness with plugs that can be re-attached when I put the panel back in if this old man can bend enough to get over the spar box and under the panel

After reading all your posts, I think that I will rivet the forward deck structures together, put the skin on with clecoes and then fit the wind screen (roll bar brace) and the roll bar. When all this seems to fit, then I plan to rivet the forward skin. Does this sound OK? Steve, I think that this is what you plan or have done. THANKS!

Boy! I wish that there was an expert close by who could lead me through this. I read with relish in today's posts that making the BIG CUT was no big thing. I hope that I can say that AFTER my big cut!

Again, thanks, guys!

 

[pierre smith]

Camloks

Hi Cleve,
There will be wiring runs from the mags to the mag switch, wire runs from the alternator to the buss bar and grounds that need to be run from the mag switch as well, all of this dependent on an engine in place. My simplest advice is this: Don't rivet the top forward skin on until you're ready to run the engine for the first time. It can be done in an afternoon anyway.

One other worthwhile suggestion......don't use the hinges along the top of your cowl. Use a piece of .062 aluminum cut with zig-zags every four inches and use camlock fasteners. The hinge pins will stick up in the middle of the cowl and can be difficult to push arouns the curved sides of the top cowl. Spruce sells camlocks and space every 4" is plenty. Here's what they'll look like later. BTW, the zig-zag strip I mentioned, is rivetted to the firewall and the forward skin at the same time...three pieces held together by the same rivets.

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Call me if you need more details,

Regards,