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RV-7 Construction Log
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Date:  10-3-2012
Number of Hours:  2.10
Manual Reference:  
Brief Description:  Right Fuel Tank

I started out the evening by deburring the holes and edges of the z-brackets I drilled yesterday, then machine countersunk the rivet holes on the six of them that get nutplates. I then scrubbed them with Dawn and scotchbrite, dried them off, and primed them with Duplicolor self-etching primer. Tomorrow after the primer cures a bit, I'll rivet on the nutplates.

While the primer on one side of the z-brackets was drying, I started clecoing the tank ribs to the skin. I used my usual tank/leading edge rib to skin process:

1) Cleco the forward top hole of each rib from the inside. This is the only way I can see the holes in both the rib and the skin at the same time.

2) Put the skin in the cradle to compress it closer to the ribs.

3) Finish the top side of all ribs by clecoing every other hole from the nose toward the spar. I complete the middle rib first, then each one toward the ends.

4) Cleco the bottom side starting from the spar and working forward, clecoing every hole until about 2/3 of the way down, then "leapfrogging" every other cleco toward the nose, ending up with every other hole clecoed. The first few clecos on the bottom don't align well, but gradually pop into place as I work my way down. On this side, I also complete the middle rib first then work toward the ends.

5) Move the top forward cleco to the outside, so it can be moved during the drillng/reaming process.

The time between photos 1 and 2 is only a bit over 45 minutes, including priming the second side of the z-brackets (foreground of photo 2).
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Step one: cleco top forward hole from the inside.

Step one: cleco top forward hole from the inside.

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45 minutes later: Done!

45 minutes later: Done!

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