Brief Description: Leading edge rib flange rivet to spar.
Time to rivet the leading edge to the main spar. You start by riveting the leading edge rib flange to the wing main spar web. I used Cherry Max Pulled rivets for all this. I've read logs where near disaster was saved by using pulled rivets instead of poorly driven solid rivets. Vans OK's it and they say using the softer weaker LP4'3 are OK. The Cherry Max rivets are as strong as the solid rivet so I thought it was a good compromize.
I ordered the following rivets from Aircraft Spruce.
10 CR3213-4-3, for the most outboard rib. 20 CR3213-4-2, for the next 2 ribs. 30 CR3213-4-4, for the 3 most inboard ribs.
These guys are hard to pull. I had to grind down my cheap Harbor Freight puller a great deal. I used a combination of the bench grinder and belt sander.
I put the manufactured head on the main spar trailing edge web on all the ribs except the most inboard rib.
These guys are hard to pull. The rivets break twice, not once like other pulled rivets. The first soft break happens at the end of the first full pull. Then, open the handle untill you hear and feel 2 clicks. push the tool and finish the pull with the handles almost closed. Having them almost closed on the second final pull gives you much more leverage.
I used tape on the tool and on the rib web to protect it durring the pull.
I've goot 2 rivets where the rivet broke off pre mature leaving the rivet shaft protruding out the rivet. I just used a cut off wheel and cut it off. No way am I going to try to drill out one of these suckers.
So, I like the rivets and will buy a bunch more and will use them in cases where I don't think I can get a sound solid bucked rivet.
