26/04/2019 - Rivetting angles to top skin - 4h

Some time to do some more rivetting.

As I was alone, I decided to rivet some simple things. The strips and angles that attach the instrument panel with 8R8 screws to nutplates in the angles are excellent candidates for this as they can be back rivetted using a backing plate and the back rivet set. Here's some pictures of the completed work.

Things didn't really go all that smooth. I have to play with rivet sizes as the primer adds some thickness and the longer rivet size is often too long and the smaller one too short.
That lead to the fact I had to drill out couple of rivets and on one of them even had to use an oops rivet. (see left rivet in image below)

Next up was the center rib for the top fuselage F7108-A FWD fuselage rib, F7108-B angle and F7109 reinforcement plate. The junction of these 3 parts will hold the weldment that supports the roll bar under the canopy.

Clamped the structure in the vise and rivetted using the pneumatic squeezer all the rivets that could be squeezed.

I left the three center ones open as this is where the F7108-C angle gets added to connect and reinforce the F7105-A center sub panel to the center rib.

Also rivetted the F7108-B angle to the F7108-A fwd center fuselage rib.

Pay close attention on the last rivet hole on the forward side.

You have to rivet a washer in between the angle and the rib in order to create some spacing between the angle and the rib for the forward 2 AN3 holes.

This is where the WD-643 roll bar brace (delivered in finish kit) will slide between rib and angle.

I looked for some time through my inventory of hardware but could not find any AN960-6 washers. Probably it's delivered with the finish kit so I'm leaving this open for now.

 


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