Picked and inspected all four parts.
Used the alignment template thing-a-mabob to locate and match drill the holes from the crank to the torque tubes.
I primed the inside of the tubes with SEM. I’ll let them dry tonight and install everything tomorrow.
| Today’s Time (hours): | 1.0 |
| Fuselage Time (hours): | 171.0 |
| Total Time (hours): | 625.5 |
Dimpled the bulkheads and riveted the nut plates to them.
Joined up the front and back and clecoed together. Starting to look very airplane-like.
I neglected to chamfer the top aft edges of the seatbelt lugs when I did the fabrication. So did that and Machine countersunk them. Then shot them with some rattle can primer and stuck them in the vise to dry.
| Today’s Time (hours): | 2.0 |
| Fuselage Time (hours): | 131.0 |
| Total Time (hours): | 585.5 |
The rest of my avionics order showed up this morning. I also received the GMU 22 mounting kit from Van’s. Apparently they don’t make one for the GMU 11 (which is what I bought). So I took a chance and ordered the one for the GMU 22 thinking I could cannibalize it and create something for the GMU 11. As it turns out, all I needed to do was to match drill four holes to the base of the GMU 11. So I drilled the holes, cut the top half of the mount per the plans, deburred and primed everything, riveted it together, and screwed on the GMU 11. Bayum!
Remy helped me rivet the inboard bottom skin to the right wing. It was challenging to reach the rivets along the aft spar. Remy and I took turns bucking and shooting. Nonetheless, tomorrow will definitely be an Advil day. I clecoed the outboard skin in place. That can be tomorrow’s challenge.
| Today’s Time (hours): | 3.0 |
| Wing Time (hours): | 270.0 |
| Total Time (hours): | 422.0 |
Did some flying with Jared today in his RV-14A. Awesome day dancing around some scattered clouds and some fun aerobatics. Thanks for the great flight today, Jared! The aerobatic training is definitely paying off. Sorry no pics. I was having too much fun!
Meanwhile back at the airplane factory…
Received the replacement parts from vans and did the little bit of fabrication necessary to prepare the doublers and attach brackets.
Deburred and primed the new parts with SEM rattle can primer. Riveted the attach brackets to the hinge.
Riveted the hinge and doublers to the right rear spar.
The mistake cost me $45 in parts and an hour and a half of build time.
Got my new 3/8″ reamer from McMaster Carr. Used it in the drill press to precisely size the rear spar attach holes. The twisted flutes cut like butter.
Clecoed the rear spars to the wing ribs. Ready to rivet tomorrow.
| Today’s Time (hours): | 2.0 |
| Wing Time (hours): | 67.0 |
| Total Time (hours): | 278.0 |
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 |
I final drilled all the holes to #30, dimpled them, machine countersunk the holes in the fiberglass, and blind riveted the tip to the VS. I detached the rudder from the VS and put the VS aside. Won’t be needing it again for a long time.
I marked the rudder bottom fairing and cut the hole for the tail light with the Dremel tool.
Used the sanding drum on the Dremel to finish up the hole.
I primed the outside of the doubler with SEM rattle can primer.
I mixed up some flox and used it to adhere the doubler to the rudder fairing.
I blind riveted it in place. I’ll clean it up with sand paper once it has cured.
| Today’s Time (hours): | 1.5 |
| Empennage Time (hours): | 211.0 |
| Total Time (hours): | 211.0 |
Ron's RV-14A Build Log 