Brief Description: Front Deck and Instrument Panel
Today I started assembling the front deck structure. Following the instructions, I first riveted the brace plate and angle stiffener to the centre rib. To quote the instructions
"Twist the F-7105A subpanel and fit the F-7108 rib through the centre of it...the guy who designed it swears it is possible. Cleco the rib to the firewall"
Two things wrong with this.....First; the word "twist" should be replaced with "severely distort to the point of damage". Yes, it is possible, just very, very difficult.
Second; you cannot cleco the rib to the firewall because neither have any holes predrilled. The centre rib can only be clecoed to the firewall after the top skin has been clecoed in place. Several builders made comment on this.
Anyway, once I got the rib assembly threaded into the subpanel (first picture below) then the rest went together quite easily. My second picture shows the ribs and subpanel clecoed together. The third picture shows with the skin and instrument panel also clecoed in place.
This looks really cool. Might have to print out my avionics design and stick it on to see how it looks.
It was extremely difficult threading the centre rib into the mid section bulkhead
Ribs and mid section bulkhead all clecoed together
Front deck skin and instrument panel clecoed in place
