The forward fuselage runs from the front spar carrythrough to the firewall. This is probably the most fun section so far. Once the firewall is mounted the plane really begins to take shape. There's still lots of work to do, but the end of the majority of the metal-working is in sight.
Total Construction Time: 96 hours
June 9, 2007 (3 hours)
This morning Gary Specketer, my technical counselor, stopped by to see my progress. He's currently building an RV-10. We talked about a lot of things, including my engine, electrical, lights, wiring, antennas, etc.
After Gary left I got to work on hanging the firewall. This is one area where Van's really suggests you take your time and double-check that it's positioned just right. I used a lot of clamps to get the firewall positioned and the longeron angles oriented properly with the weldments they get riveted to. Once that was done I drilled away.
June 10, 2007 (7 hours)
I started by drawing a centerline on the F-713 auxiliary longerons, filing the aft end to butt tight to the F-704 bulkhead, clamping in position and drilling to the side skins and engine mount brackets. Next I decided to fabricate all the parts shown on page 23 and are needed to finish up the forward fuselage. The F-904L attach strips are easy, just cut to length and you're done. The F-719B angle clips are small, but relatively easy as well. The F-695 forward fuselage gussets just need 19 holes drilled in each. The remaining parts are a little more work. The F-684 gussets need some trimming, drilling and bending, which takes a while to get just right. Lots of measuring needed to get it all right. The F-917 lower longerons require that you cut away about a 4" length of one of the flanges. Getting it flush with the other flange is a lot of work. I positioned the fence on my bandsaw with a gap just slightly more than the flange thickness to cut it very close to flush. Then I used a file and a sanding block to get it smooth. The rest of the angles with this kind of cut were already done by Van's, and I'd wished they'd done these two as well.
After dinner it was quiet around the house so I popped back out and fabricated four more parts, which I think are the last ones needed for the forward fuselage. The two F-996B spacers are simple, all you do is cut to length and drill a hole. The two F-996C reinforcing angles are really strange. Basically both both flanges at each end get cut at a different angle, plus five holes of two different sizes to drill. The strange way Van's plans dimensioned everything makes it easy to screw up. I think I made them correct, but after I drilled the 3/16" diameter holes I noticed in the instructions that you're supposed to leave them #30 for now. I don't think this will cause any problems.
June 13, 2007 (2 hours)
I've spent a little time over the last few days thinking about my electrical distribution system. In addition to a primary 60 amp alternator, I also plan to have a backup 20 amp alternator that powers an endurance bus (E-Bus). I've been considering using the Z-13/20 architecture from Bob Nuckolls book, The AeroElectric Connection, but with an added avionics master switch. The backup alternator would have enough output to power all of my avionics, including GPS, EFIS, ADI, autopilot, etc. on the E-Bus. This largely would make an alternator failure a non-event.
This evening my older son, Aaron, came out and helped me drill the F-917 longerons in place, along with the two little clips at the firewall end. I also filed a little off the back ends of the lower longerons to get them to fit, then added a little twist to get them to match the skin curvature just right. After that I marked where the four bolt holes get drilled at the firewall end and promptly mis-drilled them all. Not sure where I went wrong, I center punched the holes, then drilled them with my drill press, but they all were about 1/32" left or right of center. On top of this, I also had some light cut marks from my band saw across the remaining flange at the aft end where you need to cut the one flange away. As I feel that this connection is pretty critical I decided I'm going to order some new ones. I know I'm being way overly cautious, but I'll just consider it an opportunity to order some other stuff from Van's to 'save shipping'.
June 16, 2007 (2 hours)
Seeing as I'm waiting on parts before I can finish up the forward fuselage, I'm finishing up various other tasks. I cut out the oblong holes in the bottom forward skin for the landing gear mounts, plus the brake line holes right near them. I also finally went back and drilled the outboard seat rib holes along the bottom center skin as well as the outboard baggage ribs holes along the side skins.
June 17, 2007 (1 hour)
Today I match drilled the side skin to the outer seat ribs, and the F-704 and F-705 bulkheads. I also drilled various holes in the side skins, forward bottom skin and seat ribs for grommets and other stuff.
June 18, 2007 (3 hours)
In the morning before work I fitted and matched drilled the baggage sidewall ribs and covers. In the evening Aaron helped me drill the forward floor stiffeners.
June 20, 2007 (1 hour)
Drilled the floor stiffeners to the two cover plate brackets on the front of the spar carry through, the four little straps that connect the longerons to the F-904 vertical angles, and also the tip of my right index finger (ouch!).
June 22, 2007 (1 hour)
Spent about an hour messing around with the steps. I needed to enlarge the hole in the side skins to allow for the weld fillet. Then I spent time bending the plate to match the skin curvature. There's no way to get a tight fit at the bottom so pro-seal is going to need to fill some of the gap.
June 23, 2007 (1 hour)
Drilled the rivet holes in the step mounting plates. My replacement parts arrived today, so tomorrow I should be able to finish up the rest of the forward fuselage drilling, then take it all back apart for deburring, dimpling and priming.
June 24, 2007 (9 hours)
Started this morning by fabricating and drilling the bolt holes in the new lower longerons. Took lots of time getting these ones just right, which I did. Next I remade new F-684 gussets which sit right in the lower corners at the firewall because I didn't have enough edge distance where I had filed too much. The new ones came out much better, although I'm a little tight on edge distance at another spot. I'll probably just add an extra rivet there. Next I fluted the small bulkheads on either side of the forward fuselage and cleco'ed and match drilled them in place. After that I added the gear attach web plates on each side. It took a bit of minor filing of the flange to get them to sit tight against the auxilliary longeron. Next I match drilled all the rest of the rivet holes in the forward fuselage. After dinner I test fit the fuel tank attachment angle I had fabricated a while ago and decided to make new ones, in part because I drilled the holes out to 3/16" per the plans, then later read in the instructions to only drill to #30 initially. Of course, I mis-cut the first replacement one, but the next two came out just right. Doesn't seem like I got a lot done today for all the time I spent, but I'm being extra slow and careful and it's still good progress.
June 25, 2007 (1 hour)
Added the spacer strip for the tank attachment angle and drilled the bolt, screw and rivet holes. This took quite a while because I did it somewhat out of order and getting the spacer, which is sandwiched between the side skin and the gear attach web plate, positioned just right is a challenge. Basically I had to get it positioned without the inner web plate in place, drill, then put it all back together and then drill through the plate and skin. Still have the opposite side to do.
June 26, 2007 (2 hours)
In the morning before work I drilled the opposite side fuel tank attachment parts. In the evening I spent time reviewing how the rudder pedals are installed. In the picture you can see the support brackets with the rudder assemblies temporarily clamped in place.
June 27, 2007 (2 hours)
I have a long list of little tasks I need to complete before I take everything apart, including match drilling some parts, drilling a few holes here and there for various reasons, and other stuff. I match drilled the forward bottom skins along the side skins, added a couple of extra rivet holes at the lower front firewall/engine mount bracket per Van's suggestion due to an edge distance issue, and completed a couple of other tasks.
June 28, 2007 (2 hours)
Still working on this list. Drilled the holes in the gear attach web for the fuel lines and fuel vent lines, plus another hole thru the webs and the forward bulkhead for some fitting later. Also finally got around to crawling under the baggage section and match drilled some of the parts back there.
The set of 5-point Hooker Harnesses I bought from another builder arrived. These are going to be great in my plane.
June 29, 2007 (1 hour)
This morning I drilled the holes in the forward skin stiffener angles for the rudder pedal assembly blocks. I made three sets of holes at 1" spacings to allow me to position the rudder pedal assembly at a few different locations. Rather than drill through the blocks and then through the angles, instead I took a 4" length of 3/4" angle and drilled holes at the right spacing. Then by removing the angles from the fuselage and clamping my jig in the three different locations I was able to quite accurately drill these sets of holes.
June 30, 2007 (3 hours)
In the morning I went to the VAF-MN Wing meeting. It's always fun to see all the flying RV's to keep the motivation high.
I finished up most of my laundry list today. This included drilling the holes in the rudder assembly support blocks and the rivet holes for the center support bracket to the firewall angle. I took the side skins off, then was finally able to get to those four little straps from the side baggage ribs to the bulkheads. Then I took the remainder apart in prep for final prepping and priming.
July 1, 2007 (6 hours)
Spent lots of time deburring and dimpling most of the various parts in prep for priming.
July 2, 2007 (8 hours)
Finished up all the edge and rivet hole deburring and dimpled a few of the parts.
July 3, 2007 (7 hours)
Deburred all but 12 of the approximately 440 holes in the two longerons, then the tip of my countersink bit broke. Also dimpled both side skins, the rear side skins along the longerons, the F-906 bulkhead, the rear bottom skin at the F-906 bulkhead, the forward bottom skin, and the the firewall flanges. Pete Howell is a hero for letting me borrow his pneumatic squeezer!
July 4, 2007 (6 hours)
Finished the last of the deburring, dimpling and miscellaneous other stuff.
July 5, 2007 (4 hours)
Spent the morning getting rid of some of the minor scratches in the longerons and a few other parts. I decided I'm going to shoot AFS primer/sealer on all the aluminum angle and other non-Alclad parts, so I cleaned and sprayed all those parts. For the interior Alclad stuff I decided I'm just going to use the Sherwin Williams GBP 988 rattle can primer.
July 6, 2007 (5 hours)
Used scotchbrite pads on the rest of the interior parts, then cleaned with Dawn and sprayed with the SW 988 primer. All set to begin reassembly and final riveting.
July 7, 2007 (4 hours)
Riveted the F-704H plates to the inside of the skins, the gear attach webs to the F-702 bulkheads, the F-684 brackets and F-709 angle and clip to the firewall angles, the outer seat ribs to the F-705 bulkhead, plus a few various nutplates here and there. Next I clecoed the side skins back in place in prep for riveting the skins.
Bob Collins stopped by to drop off some coolers I'm hauling out to Oshkosh for the RV BBQ. It's always great talking with other RV builders. With temps in the 90's today he's got a perfect day to make the 'big cut' on his RV-7A canopy. It's warm enough that he could probably use a butter knife.
July 8, 2007 (3 hours)
Installed and torqued the four AN3 bolts on each side that join the lower longeron to the firewall mount. Later Tracy helped me rivet the bottom and side skins to the seat ribs.
July 9, 2007 (1 hour)
I had noticed that the side skins take a little inward jog just in front of the F-704 bulkhead right at the side stiffener. Spent a little time in the morning trying to see if there's a way to smooth out this area. This included making a beveled shim that fits between the stiffener angle and the skin, but this only moved the bump around a little. I also cut out the gear socket opening in the bottom flange of the spar carry-though members.
It was a perfect evening, CAVU conditions with temps in the low 80's and 4 knot winds. The club's 172 was free so Aaron and I took a fun evening flight, with him doing most of the flying.
July 10, 2007 (2 hours)
Tracy helped me get more riveting done, this time the side skins to the F-704, F-705 and F-706 bulkheads. I also did a few other miscellaneous tasks.
July 11, 2007 (1 hour)
Today I did most of the skin to longeron rivets using my hand squeezer.
July 13, 2007 (1 hour)
Worked on a few miscellaneous rivets here and there.
July 14, 2007 (5 hours)
Tracy and I did a lot of riveting today, finishing up the side skins and the center to aft fuselage rivets.
July 15, 2007 (2 hours)
Today Tracy and I finished up the bottom skin rivets from the F-704 bulkhead to the firewall. NEXT WE ROLLED THE CANOE!!! It's great to be at this point, now it's really starting to look like a plane. By coincidence, today also marks the 1000 hour point since I started.
