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Dave's RV-7A Builder's Log
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Date:  8-15-2010
Number of Hours:  4.00
Manual Reference:  
Brief Description:  Baggage compartment construction

On this next phase of the project there are lots of instructions to read through and understand thoroughly. The baggage area has a number of covers and bulkheads that are permanently fastened into the fuselage and forgetting to do one or two important steps could possibly leave you with no option but to drill something out in order to gain access. I hate drilling things out.

I first spent some time trying to figure out why I had never riveted the baggage floor ribs to the F-706 bulkhead. It was probably because the builder's manual never tells you when to do this step. Also, there is quite a bit of structure all coming together at the bulkhead where the elevator bellcrank attaches, and some of this can't be riveted until everything else is in place. I finally decided to rivet the ribs to the bulkhead, but as the picture shows, I don't have easy access to the bottom rivets, nor do I have easy access to the inner two ribs. I decided that once I got the aft baggage bulkheads fitted and drilled, I would take the top skins off and rivet everything then.

Moving on, I fitted and drilled the F-750 and F-747 side and floor covers and then spent the rest of the time fabricating the upper bulkhead and then drilling both corrugated bulkheads to each other and to the F-706 bulkhead. The F-652 bulkhead required cutting an 8 1/2" radius in order to fit within the fuselage, and then cutting notches to allow the shoullder harness assembly to pass through. Lots of measuring, cutting, fitting and drilling.

Enough for today, the next session will involve disassembling the parts for dimpling, priming and riveting.
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Can't quite get to these rivets that join the baggage ribs and the F-706 bulkheads

Can't quite get to these rivets that join the baggage ribs and the F-706 bulkheads

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One way to make an 8 1/2

One way to make an 8 1/2" radius curve

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The F-652 and F-751 baggage bulkheads in place

The F-652 and F-751 baggage bulkheads in place

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