Brief Description: Installing the backing angle to the new panel
I finally got around to drilling out the rivets that hold the backing angle along the top forward edge of my Van's supplied instument panel blank. When I ordered my panel from Stark Avionics, I had them build the panel from their own CAD-cut blank. It didn't come with the support angle, but it did have the pre-drilled rivet holes for AN426AD-3 rivets...flush rivets.
Since the panel is already painted, and since I don't want to mar that paint with a counter-sink tool, I decided to drill those holes out to #30 and install AN470AD-4 dome-top rivets. I sorted through my rivets and picked out a bunch with the same allow color.
The result gives a nice WWII exposed rivet look that I think will look good in the cockpit.
