09 JUL 14: Wing Kit Arrives!!!

I haven’t posted in a while, but the wing kit arrived!

I probably won’t get much done the rest of this month.  I’m finishing odds and ends with some of the empennage pieces, plus I’ve been messing with the RV-7A getting ready for Oshkosh!!  I can’t wait to go.  Last year was my first year and it was awesome!!  I’m leaving Friday the 25th and staying until the following Friday.  Like last year, I’ll be camping in the Homebuilt Camping Area – mostly all other RVers.  Hope to have a good blog post when I return.  I’ve had a pretty good build pace – been averaging 80ish hours/month.  July will be much lower, but it is worth it for a week of decompression at Oshkosh.

12 JUL 14: Page 10-23 step 2: 2 hours

My friend Larry came over this morning and helped me finish up the tail cone riveting.  Larry is a local RV-10 builder.  He is a few years ahead of me.  It’s great to have his knowledge and experience to lean on as I progress through this journey.  No pics.

14 JUL 14: Page 13-2 steps 1-2: 2.5 hours

Clecoed the W-1006E-L main spar web extension to the W-SPAR ASSY-L spar assembly using four W-1006F spar splice plates.  Final drilled the spar splice plates to the spar assembly and web extension using a #30 drill:

Marked the splice plates so as to note their orientation:

15 JUL 14: Page 9-16 step 3: 1.25 hours

Decided to redo my elevator trim tabs – one is good, the other not so good.  I’m going to redo both to see how they turn out.  Marked the inside for pro-sealing the foam ribs and final drilled the holes – no pics.

17 JUL 14: Page 9-16 step 3: 1.25 hours

Deburred all the holes and edges of the elevator trim tabs – no pics.

18 JUL 14: Page 13-2 step 3: 1.25 hours

Deburred and primed the W-1006F spar splice plates and the W-1006E-L/R main spar web extensions – no pics.

19 JUL 14: Page 10-23 steps 3-5: 1.75 hours

Attached the F-635 elevator bellcrank to the two F-1037A bellcrank angles.  Bolted the two F-1037A bellcrank angles to the F-1035 battery/bellcrank mount:

Attached the F-1035 battery/bellcrank mount to the F-1037B & C bellcrank rib angles:

30 JUN 14: Page 10-21 steps 1-3: 5.8 hours

Riveted the nutplates to the bellcrank rib angles:

Riveted the bellcrank rib angles to the bellcrank ribs:

 Finished the evening by dimpling the F-1075 aft top skin:

04 JUL 14: Page 10-23 steps 2, page 10-21 steps 4-5, page 10-22 steps 2-3: 7.5 hours

Back riveted the j-channels to the F-1075 aft top skin.  Accidentally riveted two holes that were supposed to be left open to accept a nut plate for the empennage fairing.  I already had the skin (with j-channels riveted) attached to the tailcone and didn’t want to take it all apart.  I carefully drilled off the heads, then drilled through the entire rivet.  This has to be done with extreme care, and a very small bit, to stay in the rivet and not drill into the hole.  If done correctly, this is the result:

Then, using a punch, it is very easy to remove the shop head by hand and not affect the thin metal of the j-channel – as opposed to trying to hammer it out:

Spent the rest of the session riveting the aft part of the tail cone / aft deck.  I was able to squeeze a lot of the rivets, but had to buck a few as well.  All in all it went fairly smoothly – no rivets to drill out:

05 JUL 14: Finished up tail cone: 1.75 hours

Finished up what could be done solo on the tail cone.  The rest will require a partner to help buck.  Next weekend a fellow RV-10 builder will stop by and help me finish up the riveting.  My wings are due on Wednesday, so this is pretty good timing.  With the tail pretty much done, it was time to clean and organize the shop to make room for the wings!