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Dave's RV-7A Builder's Log
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Date:  5-25-2015
Number of Hours:  4.00
Manual Reference:  
Brief Description:  Forward center section assembly

When I left the hangar yesterday, I was trying to figure out how to get three rivets set in order to finish getting the subpanels installed. I came to the conclusion that it was probably possible with a riveting partner who could buck while I carefully shot the rivets with an offset, but in the end, I decided to simply drill the holes to #19 and install three AN525 screws on each side. My logic (usually suspect, but in this case reasonably sound) was that I had already set a couple of substandard rivets and wasn’t willing to take the chance on setting more since they would be almost impossible to drill out. The AN525 screw is structural, and therefore, it made sense to simply install them and move on.

With that task complete, I finished riveting the side subpanels in place, and then started working on the center section. When I initially was test fitting the avionics stack in the panel, it was necessary to cut access to allow the GNS 400 (now GTN 625) to fit. When the GTN tray was installed in the panel, it rested on the raw edge of the cutout, and therefore it seemed to need a little reinforcement. This was confirmed by AC 43-1, which discusses methods for supporting avionics stacks when mounted in the panel. With that, I fabricated a simple bracket that would reinforce the cutout while providing support for the aft portion of the GTN rack.

The last thing I did was to permanently install the center forward fuselage rib. The firewall arrives pre-punched with five holes on each side for the right and left ribs, but none in the center. Since there is a rivet attaching the reinforcing angle to the firewall angle, I assumed that was all that was required. More careful plans study showed that for the sliding canopy, that flange is riveted to the firewall (the tip-up canopy uses a different rib altogether and since the firewall is common to both, it is sent unpunched). I knew that I would never be able to dimple the firewall and get a flush set on it, so I simply used AN470 rivets and called it done.
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Screws in lieu of rivets

Screws in lieu of rivets

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GTN tray support angle installed

GTN tray support angle installed

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Everything fits so far...

Everything fits so far...

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