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RV-7 Construction Log
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Date: 9-20-2012
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Number of Hours: 2.80
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Left Wing Leading Edge and Tank
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I got a shipment from ACS today, a 10 ft piece of PVC tubing (cheaper than at HD!) and some MSP-43 and -44 rivets for attaching the leading edge.
I tried to clamp the clear tubing on the vent line elbow threads to make a manometer, but couldn't get a seal. There was enough of the balloon mouthpiece left on the adapter tube that the tube was a relatively snug fit, but this still leaked slightly, so I mixed up a small dollop of sealant, spread it on the remnants of the balloon and slipped the the clear tubing over that (Photo 1). I'll let it cure for a couple of days and run a manometer leak test.
I spent the rest of the evening blind riveting the leading edge ribs to the spar. It seemed that every rib took a slightly different technique, but I finally got through it. I was able to get the the outboard three ribs (MSP-43 rivets) from the inside, my thinking being pushing down on the rivet puller would hold the rib in place. It seemd to work OK (Photo 2). I tried the inboard ribs from the inside, but couldn't get good enough grip on the puller to set the monel rivets. I did get one rivet set from the inside, but just BARELY (Photo 3). The rest of the rivets on the inboard three ribs (MSP-44 rivets) I set from the aft side of the spar, holding the rib flush against the spar with my tungsten bucking bar in one hand and starting the rivet pull with the other.
I've read that the stainless bodies of MSP rivets can cause dissimilar corrosion with aluminum, but I've never actually seen stainless to be a problem on my C-170 cowl and fairing screws for the last thirty years. Just in case, I applied a layer of sealant (left over from the manometer tube) over each rivet body before inserting it.
Rivets Today: 30
Rivets Total: 3714
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PVC tubing sealed to vent line adapter for a manometer test in a couple of days.
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POP rivet puller in place for the third rib inboard. Note completed rivets on second rib.
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Reaching in the stall warning access hole for the inboard leading edge rivet.
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