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Dave's RV-7A Builder's Log
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Date: 2-2-2008
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Number of Hours: 9.50
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Aft fuselage preparation
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Today was one of those days that helps you appreciate the advantages of a quick build kit...nine and a half hours of deburring, dimpling, edge prep, priming and just a little bit of riveting. I started the session by warming up the garage to get it ready to prime the stiffeners. I've been using some Mar Hyde gray self-etching primer, which I think I'll use more often as I go along. No mixing, no spray guns, no clean up....I have to keep reminding myself how much this project is costing...a little extra on spray can primer isn't going to hurt too much more! After the requisite edge prep, deburring, and dimpling, the priming was easy and the parts came out great.
Next came the skins...after stripping the blue plastic off of the rivet lines on the bottom skin,I then used a vixen file on the edges, deburred all holes, and finally, used the c-frame dimpler to dimple the skin. I followed this same process on both side skins...this, by the way, took forever. Deburring holes has to be one of the most boring things I've ever done! After knocking the skins out, I dimpled all of the bulkheads and then riveted the aft tailcone skin to the two aftmost bulkheads. I could reach some of the rivets with the squeezer, but I fired up the compressor and shot the rest. I had to drill one out, and a couple got a double dose of scrutiny as I wasn't thrilled with the results, but after double checking, they were fine, so I let them stay. That was it for the day...tomorrow (or whenever I get to it next), the bottom skins will be riveted to the bulkheads and then the side skins will go on.
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Aft fuselage skin dimpling
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Stiffeners in place after priming
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F-711 and F-712 bulkheads riveted in place
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