KitLog pro

Powered By Kitlog Pro v2.0

RV-7 Construction Log
' style=
Date:  11-23-2014
Number of Hours:  5.60
Manual Reference:  p. 8-10
Brief Description:  Started Forward Side Skin Riveting.

Today I FINALLY got started on riveting the forward side skins. The fuselage now has a permanent "inside"!

I started today by tweaking the aft few inches of the F-776 center bottom skin to make it lay better along the transition across the aft end of the curve of the F-770 forward side skin and the forward edge of the F-778 aft bottom skin.

I then measured the twist of the fuselage at several fuselage bulkheads including the firewall, the F-711, and several bulkheads in between. Just like last time, I measured about 0.5 degrees clockwise twist of the firewall relative to the F-711. I was hoping that clecoing in the F-772 forward bottom skin would correct at least some of that twist but it didn't. The manual says that twist can be removed after riveting the side skins, but I wanted to get the fuselage as straight as I could before riveting. I was able to untwist the fuselage and hold it in that state by clamping the aft deck in place (photo 1). I overshot by about 0.2 to 0.3 degrees on the first try, but got all bulkheads within 0.1 degrees of each other on the second try. l sharpie-marked the top of the longerons along the edges of the aft deck to see if anything moves as time goes by.

I then took the rivet sizes and lengths from Dwg 28, and wrote them on the side of the fuselage. Following the riveting order called out in the manual, I started by riveting both side skins to the F-704 bulkhead, then riveted them to the main longerons back to, but not including the F-705 bulkhead. From that point aft to the F-709, the main longerons will remain unriveted until the aft and rear top skins are installed (except for the 6 "keeper" rivets along each side of the aft fuselage).

I had a little extra time, so I riveted the left side skin to the F-705, F-722, and F-724 aft fuselage bulkheads in the baggage compartment area (photo 2).

Rivets Today: 185
Rivets Total: 10599
' style=

Removed 0.5 degree twist from fuselage and clamped the aft deck in place.

Removed 0.5 degree twist from fuselage and clamped the aft deck in place.

' style=

Riveted left side skin from the F-704 bulkhead back to but not including the F-706 bulkhead.

Riveted left side skin from the F-704 bulkhead back to but not including the F-706 bulkhead.

' style=

Riveted the right side skin to the F-704 bulkhead and main longeron back to the F-705 bulkhead.

Riveted the right side skin to the F-704 bulkhead and main longeron back to the F-705 bulkhead.

' style=










Copyright © 2001-2024 Matronics. All Rights Reserved.