RV-7 tail spring mount attachment

[roadrunner20]

I'm just buttoning up the bottom tail rear fuselage skin where I've attached the tail spring mount. The plans don't show leaving an access hole to enable you to remove the tail spring bolt without removing the skin. Have others added a hole with a plug to enable the tail spring removal? Seems like a no-brainer

 

[Sam Staton]

Tail wheel mount bolt

My -6 has an access hole in the bottom for the nut attachment. I'm not at all sure how you would install the nut without it.

 

[mannanj]

I'm just buttoning up the bottom tail rear fuselage skin where I've attached the tail spring mount. The plans don't show leaving an access hole to enable you to remove the tail spring bolt without removing the skin. Have others added a hole with a plug to enable the tail spring removal? Seems like a no-brainer

That's what I did on my -8. I cut the hole, then I added a couple of hours labor by installing a flush skin patch with nut plates and flush screws instead of just a plug.

Since your skin is already in place (I think), you wont have room to make the patch. So just cut the hole, use the plug and get by with less labor.

 

[Lars]

Seems to me that the hole for the bolt is called out in the plans somewhere. It might be on the drawing that shows all the fuselage skins laid out flat (obviously I don't have my copy of the plans handy). Otherwise probably on the drawing that shows the clearance "notch" required for the tail spring mount.

 

[RV7ator]

The plans point out a pre-punched hole that you open for wrench clearance. Your 7/16 socket diameter will determine the hole size; open it a bit more for any offset/angularity issues. You must cut away most of the aft bulkhead's bottom middle tab since your hole will eat into it's rivet, but no big deal. Lop the tab off entirely and size the hole to accept a Home Depot chrome snap plug.

John Siebold

 

[roadrunner20]

I didn't see it in the plans and was looking at the fuselage rivet callout diagram. The plans called out the panel cutouts for the tail mount. Maybe I missed the hole callout. Mannan, you were correct. I had a "oh *sheeet**" moment when I had riveted & closed up the rear panel with no way of attaching the tail spring bolt. A nice cutout with a Lowe's plug, will work fine.

Thanks all.
Removing the panel & re-riveting was tedious & I didn't want to do it again.

Update. There was a pilot hole located under the mount drill hole, I thought that was a fuselage drainage hole.
I was able to open it up to enable access to the nut. Process complete.