Carl & Rafael's RV 14A Builders Site
  • Home
  • Aiken Airport KAIK
  • Previous Builds
  • Carl's RV 7A
  • Rafael's RV 12
  • About the RV 14
    • RV 14A Specifications
    • RV 14A Performance
  • Work Shop
  • Empennage
    • Kit Delivery
    • Vertical Stabilizer - Sec. 1 thru 6
    • Rudder - Sec. 7
    • Stabilizer - Sec. 8
    • Elevator - Sec. 9
    • Rear Fuselage - Sec. 10 thru 12
  • Wings
    • Kit Delivery
    • Spars - Sec. 13
    • Main Wing Parts - Sec. 14
    • Ribs - Sec. 14
    • Wing Assembly - Sec. 14 Thru 17
    • Fuel Tanks - Sec. 18
    • Bottom Wing Skins - Sec. 20
    • Flaps - Sec. 21
    • Ailerons - Sec. 22
    • Aileron Control System - Sec. 23
    • Wing Tips - Sec. 24
    • Aileron Trim - Optional
  • Fuselage
    • Kit Delivery
    • Mid Fuse Bulkheads - Sec. 25
    • Mid Fuse Lower Structure - Sec. 26
    • Firewall - Sec. 27
    • Fwd Fuse Lower Structure - Sec. 28
    • Fwd Mid Fuse Side Structure - Sec. 29
    • Aft Fuselage Attach - Sec. 30
    • Fuel System - Sec. 31
    • Baggage Area - Sec. 32
    • Interior Painting - End Sec. 32
    • Rudder and Brake Systems - Sec. 33
    • Flap Actuation System - Sec. 34
    • Upper Fwd Fuselage - Sec. 35
    • Aileron & Elevator Systems - Sec. 36
    • Roll Over Structure - Sec. 37
  • Finishing Kit
    • Finishing Kit Delivery
    • Canopy and Window - Sec. 38
    • Seat-backs - Sec. 39
    • Landing Gear and Engine Mount - Sec. 40A
    • Wing Attachment - Sec. 41
    • Miscellanea - Sec. 42
    • Engine & Propeller Delivery
    • Engine Installation - Sec. 43
    • Spinner & Propeller - Sec. 44
    • Cowling - Sec. 45
    • Tricycle Gear Legs & Fairings - Sec. 46A
  • Firewall Forward
    • Engine Specifications
    • Cowl Baffle - Sec. 47
    • Exhaust System - Sec 48
    • Fuel & Oil Systems - Sec. 49
    • Control Cables - Sec. 50
    • Firewall Forward Misc. - Sec. 51
  • Panel & Instrumentation
    • Panel
    • Wiring & Equipment
    • Sensors
    • Avionics
    • Landing Lights - OP52
  • Move to KAIK & Final Ass'y
    • Empennage Installation
    • Wing Installation
    • Odds and Ends
  • Fiberglass & Body work
  • Weight & Balance
  • FAA Inspection & First Flight
  • Phase I & Changes
  • Interiors
  • Paint Design & Painting
    • Scheme Designers
    • Glo Custom
  • RV Builders Forum
  • RV 14 Builder Sites
  • Builder's Location
  • Closing Thoughts
  • Picture Page

Forward Mid Fuselage Side Structure - Section 29

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These are the drag fittings right out of the kit, real quality abounds in the kit parts.
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This is where you slide the seat section over the front section and start the process of joining the them together
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This view is from the front fuselage section after joining it to the seat / baggage section.
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The upper and lower drag fittings after priming being clecoed for match drilling
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Overview shot of the two sections being joined together soon to be tipped onto the side for riveting
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Me, getting ready to match drill the upper drag fitting
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Clamped and clecoed in place per the instructions being prepped for match drilling drag fitting
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Here is the match drilling process of the drag fitting, I drilled the first hole with a 90 degree block and clecoed. Then I use the cleco's as a guide to keep the 6" drill perpendicular to the fitting.
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Another shot of drilling the drag fittings
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Two 3/8" bolts in place holding the bottom drag fitting tightly in place for match drilling
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This is the landing gear mount bolted in place with the bottom drag fitting, they will come out to rivet the bottom skin to the drag fitting, spars, bulkheads, and overlapping skins
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The fuselage bottom is now on it's side so we can rivet with good access and view. This works out well since the spar bolted the to the fixture is at the center of gravity. We clamped it to the bench and started riveting.
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Bottom drag fitting after bolting and riveting, this area is very strong as it should be since this is where the wings and landing gear attach
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This is a good view of the all the rivets in this area, The large button head rivets are 5/32" Cherry CR's, the only rivets on the bottom that are not flush, and require a strong and to pull.
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A close up of the fixture for holding the fuselage vertical for bottom riveting. The dimensions are in the plans except for the base plate. We used a 3/4" x 24" x 12' piece of ply and screwed with (4) 3 1/2" screws
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Gear mount with brake line fitting installed, note the rivets are installed below the landing gear mount. It has to come out to finish the riveting.
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Bottom assembly has been turned to finish riveting the other half where the cleco's are.
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We installed the longerons and side skins today with some difficulty. I found the top one need a little more twist and by starting at the 4 corners of the skin we got better alignment and the cleco's while snug went into any hole we tried.
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Nice big roomy interior and stout construction shows here.
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Trimming and installing the hinges for the cowl was more difficult then I though they needed to be. I did get some movement of the shim during the process on the first hinge and change the process from the plans slightly for the second one. I started with the hole shown in the plans and used side clamps every 3" or so to keep the hinge shim line in place and located behind the skin hole. This worked well.
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Next step is pulling the skins and getting them dimpled for final assembly
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Checking holes, dimples, alignment before priming the inside of the side skins
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A little different view
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Inside view before priming skins to insure fit
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Rafael was busy making parts while I took a week trip to Florida, he is getting even next month
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Taping off the area where the NASA duct glues to the side skin with Pro-Seal
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This is the plastic vent/duct that glues to the skin
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Side skin after priming with AZKO, this primer is the best! easy to spray, tough as nails and impervious to fluids, nut said.
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Side skin after removing the tape for the vent
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Side skins in place after priming
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The fuselage is starting to come together, inside view before all the side framing is attached
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We are starting some of the behind the panel framework
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More parts getting primed
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We turned the fuselage upside down on saw horses to rivet the side skins
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There a lot of rivets in these side skins
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This has been my home for the last few days, bucking the rivets is the fuselage sides
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This little adjustable stool keeps me at the right height for bucking. This is working out very well with good access to almost all of the the side rivets
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Lighting in the upside down fuselage
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With a light inside this is the view I have for bucking.
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Here we put the fuselage on the side to get better access to some bottom riveting
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We put in the seat brace and gusset for riveting
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This is the seat gusset riveted in place and the roll over citing bolted and torqued in place
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Bottom motor mount looks strange with some AN rivets and some Cherry rivets, but this is the way it is supposed to be. The Cherry rivets are stronger in shear and add strength to the assembly
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We upgraded the air outlet vents to the aluminum version to the tune of $125 each, as Van's says in the catalog, expensive but worth it. The I had to cut the corner off them. Good thing I have steady hands!!
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This is where the air vents go, but we did not ProSeal them in place yet. I will do this after we paint the inside.
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