I drove down to Van’s today to pick up a finish kit for a builder deployed to Afghanistan; it was a nice 5 hour round trip, a local RV-7 builder rode along to keep me company and more important help unload the crate. This whole deal is a testament of the modern age. He is deployed to a war zone but he was able to order his kit, pay for it and make arrangements with me to pick it up. Actually I knew he might do this before he deployed in June, I told him I would be happy to make the trip to pick it up.
When I did get home I tried to rivet some of the longeron rivets of the top skin, these are just a little tough to reach on my own, and I definitely need a rivet buddy for this work.
Not being able to rivet I pulled out the baggage door that I started months ago. You want the top skin on before you do the final install. The final bit has you taping and strapping the door in place then you crawl underneath and set as many of the rivets as you can. This will hold the door in the shape that is needed, then you rivet the rest after you take the door back off. My fit is very close; I need a little pressure on the sharpest point of the curve and at the hinge point.
I plan to use an idea from another RV-8 builder. You put some ProSeal on the door ribs cleco in on then strap it in place. Once the ProSeal sets up you can remove the door and do the riveting and it will hold its shape, this saves the hassle of trying to rivet while lying upside down in the plane.
The firewall side of the baggage opening is very floppy. I need to devise a way to hold the firewall portion in place; it has nothing holding it in until the cowl hinge is installed.
