Aft Fuselage

SB 18-09-17  ( 2 hrs )

My wife Nancy did great job w/ rivet gun under fuselage while I bucked from inside.  I laid down a layer of empty 2 Liter soda bottles, then bags stuffed full of plastic bags (both rescued from recycling).  And a couple pillows helped avoid crushing the elevator bellcrank / pushrod. Once in position it wasn't too bad...but due to my height, getting into and out of position from baggage area was challenging.   After we completed bottom rivets, I match drilled & deburred the four  #30 holes.  Used rivet gun & bucking bar to complete attachment to bulkhead.  Whew, glad that's done !

After riveting, showing notes for rivet lengths.

Layers of 2 L soda bottles & bags of plastic bags
 made "nest" to lay on while reaching way aft

Looks good!  It seems to stiffen skin significantly, bridging
before and after bulkhead as well as directly to bulkhead.

ta - dah !   glad this is done

Aft Fuselage

SB 18-09-17  ( 2 hrs )

Started Service Bulletin SB 18-09-17 "Cracking of F01478 Aft Fuselage - Forward Bottom Skins".  Examples of cracks discovered are here and here.    Deburred, dimpled, machine c'sunk and primed all pieces in "kit" I received Oct 10, 2018.  On bottom of Fuse, drilled out 10 rivets (all without extra drama...Yay!)  Cleco'd exterior plate in place.  Next step requires crawling inside Aft Fuselage ...aaarrggghhh!  I know it can be done...here's example.  My wife will use the rivet gun from beneath Fuselage.  I've remembered to brace the tail, so it won't suddenly become a tail dragger. 😜

page 1 of  good instructions w/ great dwgs

deburred, dimpled & machine c'sunk....primed next

6 rivets removed center area, plus 2 LH & 2 RH   J-stiffeners

yellow marks highlight missing rivets.
You can see shop head ends still on fuselage bottom

Diamond shaped "skin doubler" in place on bottom surface

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Aft Fuselage ( 2 hrs )

Prepared fuselage for Nancy to lay inside for the final rivets at the Top Skin.   We used empty 2 liter soda bottles as air bladders to support large cushions.  Worked great - no problems with center Battery Angle & Bellcrank Rib Assembly.   What a trooper - she helped buck all the rivets from inside in one session !   Yahoo !  done with Aft Fuselage build.

 

 

Installed access plates - optional version w/ flush screws.

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Aft Fuselage ( 1.5 hrs )

Finished 9 rivets along longeron for RH Top Side Skin with Nancy's help bucking from inside.  Started Sect 10-32 - last page for Aft Fuse build !  Cleco'd in Top Skin, then removed to increase the "break" along rearmost portion where side skins have tightest radii.  Used hand seamer, per Van's notes.  Better, but LH Side Skin has slight waviness due to dimpling that can't be corrected under the Top Skin.  Not much, but more "break" wouldn't eliminate either.   So...  it'll fly great anyway.   Since Nancy was helping install cleco's, we went ahead and inserted 100%, although probably not necessary.

Riveted rearmost area using my long reach...including some at next bulkhead.   Next, need to lower assembly to floor and prepare for Nancy to back rivet from inside.  Oooh - boy !

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Aft Fuselage ( 1.5 hrs )

Dimpled RH Top Side Skin, then mounted to Aft Fuse via cleco's.   Ready to rivet !

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Aft Fuselage ( 1 hrs )

Again my wife helped me during riveting of LH Top Side Skin onto Aft Fuselage along longeron - she used tungsten bucking bar inside while I used flush set in rivet gun.  Turned out great.   Beautiful weather, so we quit to go ride our Harley (about 78 degrees, low humidity...unusually "mild" for this time of year)

Staged this pic, because she was on other side holding bucking bar actually.

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Aft Fuselage (3.5 hrs )

Prepared LH Top Side Skin by rolling edges (ie putting slight break along edge), then deburring edges and all holes.   Dimpled #30 and #40 holes ( a few exceptions ).   Decided to work through attaching LH side before starting on RH side - mostly to preserve space on shop tables.

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Aft Fuselage ( 3 hrs )

Scuffed, Cleaned w/ Acetone, and Primed with 7220.  Then back riveted 3 pieces onto Top Skin.  At the Upper Aft Fuse Rib, req'd using offset "universal" (I don't have an offset back rivet tool) in rivet gun to reach shop ends.   Worked great - w/o bending rib to access.   Onto Sect 10-30  LH and RH Top Side Skins.   Getting close to completing the Aft Fuse build...

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Aft Fuselage ( 3 hrs )

Flying in the morning, building an airplane in the afternoon - it's a good life !  Started Sect 10-29 Assembly.  Deburred all edges and holes, then dimpled per instructions all 4 pieces.   Fit up is good, so ready to scuff, acetone clean and prime next.

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Aft Fuselage  (3 hrs )

Finished Sect 10-27 via bucking those rivets that I couldn't use Main Squeeze on.   Several sizes on Fig 2 diagram by Van's were too short ! vs 'checking gauge'...so substituted next size ( -8 vs -7, -5 vs -4, and even -6 vs -4 spec'd).  Surprised not just a 0.5 off, but whole length.  These were in locations with additional layers that perhaps designers/engineers didn't account for.   It's always good idea to check lengths throughout build, as other builders have noted.  So...if you are building, check with gauge tool vs reliance only on dwg call outs.  

Several rivet locations with "protruding ears" nearby (mounting tail assemblies eventually) required offset extension in rivet gun.  These required much higher pressure adj. at gun since lots of impact energy seems to be lost due to offset.  

Hooray !  Mounted Vert Stabilizer per Sect 10-28.   Drilled (2) #12 size holes through stab spar into rearmost bulkhead.   Disassembled and re-stored V.S. for later section fit up after top skins are completed on Fuse.

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Aft Fuselage ( 1 hr )

Riveting Aft Deck - using Main Squeeze, I can reach majority rivets.   Discovered 2 rivets on each side of F01411D Angle needs to be  -8 long, not specified -7 at Fig 2 on Sect 10-27 (additional layer due to longeron C channel at this location - see sticky note in pic)

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Aft Fuselage ( 4 hrs )

Cont'd Sect 10-27 at Step 5 & 6:  Match drilled 2 angles, then deburred all holes.  Primed all pieces for Aft Deck assembly.  Started rivets Step 7 - significant variety of sizes and types in one area needing numerous tool set-ups.   Challenging to determine best approach, but trial and error is working,  combined w/ prior experience on what works well, etc.   All these pieces and rivets are critical since this is where Horiz Stab and Vert Stab attach...lots of loading !

 Also jumped ahead to Sect 10-32 to build the rear Access Cover Plates.  Deburred all edges and holes, then used #6 screw size dimple dies to create recess for flush machine screws per the Optional arrangement.  I "broke" the edges with the roller tool to insure Plates lay tight to fuselage skins.  Glad I chose the Optional, even though under HS, it's "slicker" with flush screw heads.

Already mounted once with machine screws...forgot to take pic.

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Aft Fuselage (2.5 hrs )

Determined needed about 4" more of C1037 and C1036 wires toward front...so entire W00057 Aft Fuse Harness had to have tie wraps removed, re-adjusted position about 5 inches, and re-installed.   Sect 10-25 doesn't provide length of C409P connector/hharness portion at rear.  But while working on Aft Deck installation, determined I had excess length at rear (Sect 10-27 Fig 3).  Other antenna and harness directions clearly show critical length of free ends on installation pages.  So would've been helpful on 10-25 !   Required about 1 hr to re-do.

C1036 & 37 were 4 inches short of bulkhead

Corrected...taped to front of bulkhead

Sect 10-27 cont'd with dimpling and fit up of Aft Deck pieces.  Discovered missed dimpling across top of F0140C bulkhead - but fortunately easily done w/ Main Squeezer (whew).  Re-primed the 8 holes.  Cleco'd and Final Drilled all holes.  I'll prime after Match Drilling the 2 angle reinforcements.

fit is good !

ready to match drill 2 angles

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Aft Fuselage ( 2.5 hrs )

In between parade and fireworks, I was able to fit in couple hours in shop.   Finished Static Air Kit by installing fittings between Port and tubing (now that bonds had fully cured).

Wiring routed, Air Kit installed

Cleaveland Static Air Kit installed.  

Then Sect 10-27:  deburred three pieces for Aft Deck.  Scuffed since I was already covered in dust, so I'm ready to dimple, etc next.

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Aft Fuselage ( 5 hrs )

Riveted Rudder Guides into Side Skins w/ specified blind rivets (thin washers critical to withstand loading against nylon blocks).

Inside view after blind rivets

Installed Static Lines - replaced Van's provided with Cleaveland's Upgrade Kit .  Bonded in the 2 Static Source Ports using J-B Weld epoxy (needs to cure 4-6  hrs, w/ full strength in 15 hrs) after cleaning surfaces with acetone.

Outside view of Port (one each side)

Routed tubing using 4" tie wraps - loose to later attach fittings to Ports, etc.  Moved on to Sect 10-23: Installed UAT Antenna Cable.   Sect 10-24: Installed ELT Antenna Cable,   Finished details in Sect 10-25 (prior routing done prior Skins added LH side) for Aft Fuselage Harness.  And finished details in Sect 10-26 for "Phone" Cable.

I will be calling Van's tech support to determine why wires C1036 and C1037 are each about 6 inches short of bulkhead F01406B.  Can't see how I've misrouted, etc.  Everything else fits A-OK and is neatly tie wrapped at designated locations, protecting from rubbing on edges, etc.

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Aft Fuselage ( 1 hr)

Sect 10-21:   Installed 3 sizes of snap bushings in various locations...some for rudder cable, others for antenna, etc   Then routed the Rudder Cables.    Needed to machine C'sink the "nylon" blocks to fit #30 size dimples on Side Skin.   Ran out of time to rivet these in place...

View inside aft fuselage showing cable guides.

Nancy's ready to go flying !

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Aft Fuselage ( 1 hr )

Finished Sect 10-19 (finally...a lengthy page with essentially one step...riveting).   Nancy's help was significant for LH Side joint to Bottom.  I was again underneath on a chaise lounge chair brought in from pool area, while she held the titanium bucking bar from top/inside.  Next, Sect 10-21 for installing rudder cables.

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Aft Fuselage (2 hrs )

Sect 10-20 - Finished 8 nutplates on RH Access Plate opening.  Added the 12 nutplates along top - rear fuselage (for retention of fiberglass around Horiz Stab later ).  Step 4 completed with 2 Angle Stiffeners in rearmost portion of fuselage along Side Skins.   Small space...so one on each side was hard to reach.   After Nancy helps with last rivets along LH side at joint to Bottom Skin, ready to move to rudder cable install, etc.

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Aft Fuselage (2.5 hrs )

Jumped ahead to Sect 10-20 to rivet on the Rudder Stops (LH & RH sides).  Challenging access - but perseverance won out.    Since I've chosen the Optional access plate mounting using flush screws...next task is to Machine C'sunk top 2 nutplate locations each side (longeron is too thick to dimple, so instructions are to simply C'S now).  Then riveted on all 8 nutplates on RH side.  Ready to enjoy another beautiful day with mild temps around 77 deg with low humidity  - time to ride the Harley, then fly R/C this evening (essentially no wind today !)

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Aft Fuselage  ( 1.5 hrs )

After flying our club's C172 to Rochelle and back this am for breakfast (beautiful cooler weather around 75 deg), Nancy helped me rivet along the RH  Side Skin to Bottom Skin joint.  I layed underneath on chaise lounge chair using the flush set in rivet gun, while she used the titanium bucking bar from above.    Worked really well...again, tight overlap with no waviness between rivets.