RV-12 "Red" LCP Parts Replacement Done

[mbell]

I just finished replacing all the "red" (replacement recommended) LCP parts in my RV-12iS build. My stabilator spars were LCP so that meant a complete disassembly. Fortunately most of the rivets are pulled and they are super easy to drill out. It took only a few days to reduce my completed stabilator to parts and reassemble it. I didn't have to replace any parts from drill-out damage. I couldn't determine for sure if my trim system parts were LCP or not so I replaced them too. The trim tabs and the brackets that hold the trim motor were easy. For me the biggest challenge was the F-1211D brackets on the tailcone aft bulkhead. Six of the rivets are solid. There's no way to get a squeezer in the small hole in the aft bulkhead. I could get my hand and a bucking bar in there but after trying one rivet in an awkward blind position I just drilled out about 40 pulled rivets from the top skin and rolled that back to get perfect access for bucking. That would be a major job with the tail surfaces installed, so hopefully Van's comes up with a blind rivet fix instead. The bottom line is if you have LCP stabilator spars it's really not that huge a job to replace them.