Riveted the nut plates to the inboard rib and skin. Machine countersunk the screw holes.
Match drilled the aileron bracket to the outboard rib and rear spar, deburred, and riveted in place.
Top wing skins completed!
| Today’s Time (hours): | 1.0 |
| Wing Time (hours): | 87.0 |
| Total Time (hours): | 298.0 |
Riveted the nut plates that will be used to attach the wing attach point fairings. I was able to squeeze all the rivets.
Machine countersunk the corresponding #8 screw holes to fit a dimpled skin.
Clecoed and match drilled the outboard aileron bracket. Then deburred everything and clecoed back in place.
It was a bit too ate in the evening for riveting so that will have to wait until tomorrow. If Remy can buck a few more rivets with me, I should be able to get the stiffeners riveted in and the left wing top skins will be complete!
| Today’s Time (hours): | 1.0 |
| Wing Time (hours): | 81.5 |
| Total Time (hours): | 292.5 |
Match drilled the J channel to the spar.
Machine countersunk the nutplate attach holes.
Riveted in the nutplates
Countersunk the screw holes.
Machine countersunk all the skin attach holes.
Riveted in the nutplates at the tip end of the spar.
Riveted the doubler to the spar and installed the tank attach nutplates.
Final drilled, deburred, scuffed and primed the aileron bell crank brackets
Installed and torqued the aileron bell crank brackets.
Right spar done!
| Today’s Time (hours): | 4.5 |
| Wing Time (hours): | 21.5 |
| Total Time (hours): | 232.5 |
Riveted the spar to the doubler with the 5 AN470 rivets using the squeezer. Then shot the tank attach nutplates using the gun.
Final drilled and deburred the left aileron brackets.
Scuffed and primed the aileron brackets with rattle can.
Installed and torqued the aileron brackets to the spar.
Put up the left spar and moved the right spar to the bench. Hopefully I’ll get that one knocked out tomorrow.
| Today’s Time (hours): | 1.0 |
| Wing Time (hours): | 17.0 |
| Total Time (hours): | 228.0 |
Countersunk the tank attach screw holes.
Installed the inspection plate nut plates and countersunk the screw holes.
Countersunk all the skin attach holes.
Installed the snap bushings and the the four nutplates at the tip end of the spar.
| Today’s Time (hours): | 2.0 |
| Wing Time (hours): | 16.0 |
| Total Time (hours): | 227.0 |
Final drilled #40 all the nut plate rivet holes.
Machine countersunk the nut plate rivet holes
Riveted the nut plates.
Lots of nut plates.
so. many. nut plates.
| Today’s Time (hours): | 2.0 |
| Wing Time (hours): | 14.0 |
| Total Time (hours): | 225.0 |
Last night I put a layer of glass over the foam in the VS tip.
This morning, I trimmed and sanded the edges.
I filled with a thick mixture of glass micro bubbles and epoxy resin.
I set aside the VS tip to cure and got started attaching the bottom rudder fairing. I measured and marked the fairing and match drilled #40 and clecoed in place.
I used a nut plate, a #6 screw and a rivet as a drill jig.
I dimpled all the nut plate attach holes with the squeezer. I needed the close quarters dimple dies for the aft-most holes.
I dimpled the nut plates.
I machine countersunk the rudder horn bracket. It’s too thick to dimple.
I riveted the nut plates in place. I made the aft-most hole too close to the aft edge of the attach strip. So I cut one ear off of the nut plate.
I machine countersunk the fiberglass for #6 screws.
Everything went together just fine.
I disassembled and started work on the doubler for the tail light. I centered and taped it in place. I drilled the #30 holes and clecoed. I ordered a #43 drill and a 4 40 tap from amazon for the other two holes.
| Today’s Time (hours): | 3.0 |
| Empennage Time (hours): | 209.5 |
| Total Time (hours): | 209.5 |
The nut plates and new static line that I ordered from Van’s showed up today. I installed the static line.
Riveted the nut plates in place.
Riveted the aft stiffeners.
Countersunk the upper cover plate attach holes.
Installed the left cover plate. The other one is on it’s way from Van’s. I bought some stainless screws to install the cover plates.
I riveted the aft deck in place.
| Today’s Time (hours): | 3.0 |
| Empennage Time (hours): | 180.0 |
| Total Time (hours): | 180.0 |
Finished riveting the side skins! Remy came down and bucked that last row that I couldn’t reach solo.
Ran the rudder cables, wiring harness, and ELT antenna cable.
Remy helped rivet the rudder stops.
Installed the rudder cable guide blocks.
Installed the nut plates along the longerons. I didn’t rivet the nut plates for the cover plates because I decided to use countersunk screws and needed to order the correct nut plates from Van’s.
I installed the static ports. Here’s one from the outside.
…and from the inside. The static ports are actually pop rivets. I set the rivets and then used the broken off part of the mandrel to drive out the part that remained in the rivet. I drilled a 1/4″ hole in a piece of scrap wood and used it as a backing block and tapped the mandrel out with a small hammer.
After I took this picture, I added a fillet of silicone around the tube and fitting per the instructions.
While preparing to install the static system, I wasn’t paying attention to the instructions and cut the polypropylene tubing instead of the clear tubing. So I ordered a replacement from Van’s along with my nut plates.
| Today’s Time (hours): | 8.0 |
| Empennage Time (hours): | 170.0 |
| Total Time (hours): | 170.0 |
Ron's RV-14A Build Log 