Riveting nose gear leg fairing

[Plummit]

I've had smoking rivets on the nose gear leg fairing since I bought my plane. While doing an oil change today I noticed that the seam had opened up in the back due to a couple of failed rivets.

Tonight I got into section 48 and learned that the recommended rivets are AN426AD3-3.5, not the pulled rivets that attach my hinge. The fairing seems a bit thin to counter-sink for the rivets, and I'm thinking that using a squeezer is out of the question, and I need to use a rivet gun with bucking bar.

Can anyone relay their experience riveting the hinge?

thanks

-Marc

 

[rocketman1988]

Almost there...

In section 48-9 it says to use a hand squeezer and not to set the rivets fully to prevent cracking the fairing...

Not sure I would use a rivet gun and bar...

 

[paul330]

This all depends on what rivets were used previously.

If 3/32" were used then I am not surprised they worked loose as these are really only good for holding on nutplates. If MK319s were used, then you are not going to be able to use AD3s as they are 7/64". I think I would be inclined to drill out the holes to 1/8" and use LP3s - provided there is enough clearance on the back side.

Incidentally, I used some very light-weight cloth and laid up a couple of layers of fiberglass over the top of the rivets for just the reason you mentioned - very thin material to work with. Took a lot of work to fill and blend but - hey - after the doors and canopy.........

 

[rzbill]

I assume the RV 10 gear fairings are similar to other RVs.

I used NAS1097AD3 "small head" rivets to install the hinge onto the fiberglass of my RV7A.

This allowed countersinking to fit the rivet head without the countersink breaking through the fiberglass thickness.

 

[Auburntsts]

A squeezer with standard AN426 rivets, as per the plans, works just fine to attach the hinge.

 

[Plummit]

I will get into the repair later today. I am concerned that if I have to go larger on the rivet size, there won't be enough material left to countersink.

When I first saw that they were pulled rivets I thought easy-peazy, I can do that. Since I didn't build the plane I guess there is no time like the present to learn how to rivet! I'll first repair what I have then if I don't like the result I'll order new parts. Thanks for the suggestions!

-Marc

 

[Auburntsts]

Helpful hint-- place the fairing gently in a padded vice to hold it or get a helper to hold it while you rivet. This will make it easier to keep the factory head of the rivet seated in the countersink as you squeeze it to form the shop head. Otherwise the rivet can move as you squeeze it resulting in a bad rivet. You're not picking the easiest part to learn on but you can do it.

 

[Plummit]

So I looked at the fairing more closely and it appears that the pulled rivets are repairs. There are still some small rivets (probably the stock counter sunk rivets) but many have been replaced with the pulled rivets. I'll probably order a replacement fairing and hinge but I'm going to repair this one for now.

I didn't take note on which rivets were smoking but I have no problem replacing them all. Obviously they will be oversize. The pulled rivets appear to be 1/8 inch. I'll try to get a pic.

~Marc