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Dave's RV-7A Builder's Log
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Date: 4-8-2007
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Number of Hours: 5.50
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Aileron and flap prep
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Lots of progress today. I started by setting up a makeshift paint booth in the garage. The temperatures had dropped into the low 20s overnight, so I decided to take advantage of the warmer (comparatively) garage for priming the parts. After setting up the painting area, I set about the less than exciting task of sanding all parts with a ScotchBrite pad. I elected to prime everything but the aileron and flap ribs, so this required about an hour's worth of sanding time. Following this, I took everything into the house and washed the parts thoroughly. After laying the parts out to dry, I fabricated four aileron reinforcement plates out of .040 alclad--quick work with the bandsaw and ScotchBrite wheel. These were also sanded and cleaned and set aside for priming.
When everything was dry, I went over the parts with laquer thinner and started to mix up the primer. While I love the VariPrime that I've been using all along, I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I run out. At over $100 for a gallon of primer, it's hard to say I won't just start using the self-etching primer from the auto parts store...not sure the VariPrime is that much better. Decisions. On to the priming...this went about as expected. I still tend to put too much primer on the surfaces, and when I hung the long pieces up to dry, I got some runs. Good thing these parts will be forever lost to view!
After taking a break to let everything dry, I returned and began riveting the aileron brackets. These require some careful plans study because the riveting callout is not intuitive. Seems there are several areas of possible interference with the aileron brackets and push rods, so we have to install AN-426 flushhead rivets in a couple of places--this requires countersinking and I've learned to read the plans at least twice before doing any cutting! The brackets went together without a hitch using the hand squeezer. I find that even riveting with 1/8" rivets (much harder to hand rivet than 5/32"), the hand squeezer is MUCH faster to adjust
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Aileron stiffeners primed and ready for riveting
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Right wing inboard aileron bracket in place
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Right wing outboard aileron bracket in position for riveting
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