Construction progress and builder's log for my Van's RV-7 project N769WB
I put a final coat of primer on the push / pull tubes then did a few small items including attaching the rod end bearings to the small tubes and riveting the pitot tube support on.
I got just over 70 hours of work done on the RV-7 this month.
I drilled and riveted the threaded end pieces for all the wing push / pull tubes. The drill press came in handy for this. Also handy was a v shaped jig I bought for drilling tubes.
I also primed the outside of the bigger tubes that go from the fuselage out to the bellcrank. (The smaller tubes that connect to the aileron are powder coated steel.)
The RV-7 uses push / pull tubes for the ailerons and elevators. I took my time getting the tubes for the left and right wings precisely cut to length. After that I primed the inside of the tubes.
I got the left wing cradle finished. Britt helped me move the wing into the cradle.
I also got the aileron bell cranks for the left and right wing ready. This just involved some finishing / cleaning on the bell crank to make everything move smoothly.
I dimpled all the holes in the tank and joint strip for #8 screws, installed the many nut plates on the joint strip then installed the tank. The tank was installed in a temporary fashion with just enough screws and bolts for verifying the fit. (The tank has to be removed to fit the wing to the fuselage.)
I also made a lot of progress starting the cradle that will hold the wing for the rest of its assembly and storage.
Today involved a lot of hole drilling. I re-attached the tank and opened up the joint strip screw holes to final size. Then I took the tanks off and used my #8 nut plate jig to drill the rivet holes for the approximately 30 nut plates on the joint strip. Then I countersinked all the rivet holes.
I also prepped the holes on the z brackets for their nut plates. After deburring all the various holes I installed the nut plates on the tank z brackets.
Getting the fuel tank fitted involved several rounds of temporarily attaching and removing the tank. Then I drilled the pilot holes for the screws in the joint plate. The object was to get a smooth transition between the tank and the other skins n the wing. I initially had some "pillowing" of the skin around the leading edge joint plate (which appears to be a common occurrence).
I ended up eventually adding additional screws to the joint plate to hold the skin more snug to the joint plate. This is one of the options used by other builders.
I also drilled the holes in the tank brackets for the 3/16 bolts that hold the tanks to the spar.
As usual the it took a little longer than I thought but I got the left flap all finished. Now I can start getting the fuel tank mounted...
I made some v jigs to hold the flap and then started riveting the ribs to the bottom skin.
I then got the top skin riveted to the bottom skin and ribs.
Although Van's claims this is the easiest control surface it is still very involved and has some tricky riveting.
I finished all the prep work on the left flap parts. I spent about an hour countersinking the bottom of the flap spar to accommodate the flush rivets and the hinge. After that I dimpled all parts then cleaned and primed.
No photos today.
I made a lot of progress on the left flap today. I spent some time working out how to retain the flap hinge pins. I now have the flap side of the hinge and retainer all ready. I also fabricated the reinforcement bracket that ties into the flap actuator. Finally all parts have been deburred. Just a few more steps before priming.
Vans' claims that the flaps are the easiest control surface to build but they seem very involved so far.
I'm sure the right flap will go much faster.
I got the skins, ribs, spar and hinge for the flap drilled.
The highlight of the day was the arrival of my fuel tanks from Evan's Aviation. They arrived via UPS in two sturdy crates. Both tanks were packed very well and had no damage what so ever from shipping.
I set the left tank in place on the wing and it looks great. There is a fair amount of fitting and drilling to be done but I think it will go fast.
The right tank will stay in the crate until the right wing is ready for it.
Made some shims required for the flap skins and did some match drilling. Not photos today.
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