Fuselage

March 13, 2006

Finally started riveting the side skins on the fuselage. Rich Meske, proprietor of Aircraft Extras, assisted with the riveting. Rich climbed under to buck the rivets Completed most of the left side and half of the right side.

March 14 - June 4, 2006

Well, took a two month hiatus (lack of a riveting partner) and a one month vacation away from the project. You can check out some RV flying pics from my vacation on Maui.

June 5, 2006

Dave Gamble, RV-6 owner, pilot and A&P student, came to my rescue to help finish riveting the fuselage. Dave was a quick study on bucking, since he had recently finished a sheet metal class at A&P school. We finished the side skins on the left side and got most of the right side to the F-706B bulkhead completed.

June 8, 12, 2006

Riveted the double row of rivets at the intersection of the aft bottom fuselage skin, center section skin and F-706B bulkhead. Also riveted the skins to the lower curve of the F-706B bulkhead. They came out better than expected.

June 14, 19, 2006

Riveted the floor stiffeners to the forward bottom skin and the skin to the bottom firewall angle. Also riveted the two rivets aft of the rear spar. RV-6 builder and pilot Daryl Green loaned me a 6" long flush rivet set that he fabricated while building his RV-6, so that I could reach these two rivets on each side. Daryl is the man of a thousand tools, many of which he fabricated himself.

June 21, 24, 2006

Finished up some pesky riveting inside the fuselage where the baggage ribs attach to the F-706B bulkhead. (Sorry, no pics) Ended up using some cherrymax rivets for the two ribs along the elevator pushrod tunnel. Just couldn't get in there to shoot OR buck. Touched up the primer in a few places in the same area as well where I banged it up with the rivet gun and bucking bar.

Also started construction on a couple of stands to support the fuselage once it's turned over. I made them out of 2 x 6 lumber. The metal sawhorses would probably have worked, but I thought they would be a little too high and not quite as sturdy. By making the aft one a little higher, the fuse should sit pretty level sitting on them as well as putting them at a comfortable working height. Should also be a little easier to climb in and out of.

June 27, 2006

Finished up work on the fuselage stands. Added gussets to the corners and carpeted the surfaces that will contact the fuselage skins. Ready to roll the fuselage over.

June 28, 2006

Today is a milestone day. The "canoe has been rolled over" as they say. The fuselage is now sitting upright. Thanks to Dave Gamble, Rich Meske and Daryl Green for their assistance. With any luck and my piloting skills, this is the last time the fuselage will be seen upside down!

(L) A view of the inside. The gray primer (PPG Concept) will be topcoated, the white primer (AFS Primer/sealer will remain as is. (R) I had to finish up the last few rivets up to the aft end of the longerons at the rear of the fuselage.  Time to get busy on the interior.