Dec 10, 2022     Replaced right wing connector       Category: Wings

I repeated the left wing wire ID process on the right wing, removed all of the AMP connectors and installed a new blue AMP connector box. I didn't label the wires, instead I made marks on the wire to indicate what pin # on the connector each pin goes in. The KIA has the actual wire number. I couldn't remount the connector, though because I need the MS35206-218 screws, which I've ordered from Van's. Van's says it's taking more than a week now to fill orders. Should've ordered from Aircraft Spruce.

BTW, the #1 wire (ground) pulled out of the pin when I was removing it. Bad crimp. Good thing I did all this. I had to order new pins from -- you guessed it -- Van's.

All that (sort of) done, I turned attention to the service bulletin to replace the Molex connector on the HIC module (SB-00058). I didn't do much because the kerosene heater was overwhelming with fume so I removed the ECU (which is step one), saved the hardware (taped it to the ECU), and will continue the work tomorrow, perhaps.

  Nov 22, 2022     Let's wait some more! - (.3 hour) Category: Wings

I found out today that -- surprise - the fix kit for the Van's Service bulletin on the HIC connector is now back-ordered. I love Van's but this is getting ridiculous. At least when things were bad last year they produced video updates describing what they're doing to cure their supply problems. But on has not been produced since April.

But Van's also has a quality control issue. In the absence of anything else to do, I decided to finish up the Angle of Attack kit installation in the wing, the last step of which calls for making a 2 inch long aluminum tube that connects the wing to the fuselage, allowing the AOA pressure to go up to the Garmin instruments.

One was in the retrofit kit. Wrong sized tube.

So ordered another one. $4 plus the usual handling. The website says it's in stock. We'll see.

  Nov 02, 2022     More AOA work - (.3 hour) Category: Wings

I only had a few minutes at the hangar. I was picking up some tools I needed to work on some things at the EAA Chapter 54 clubhouse in Lake Elmo where I've just started a term as the "housing coordinator", an odd name for "janitor."

I looked around for the parts in the AOA kit and, yep, there they were right on the workbench. The discovery came just as I read that Van's has shipped $12 worth of the parts I'd just found. Just great! THAT order you fill right away but two single-lug platenuts are a bridge to far?

Anyway it turns out one of those parts -- a drill template ($3.50 at Van's!) - isn't needed as the hole is already drilled in the root rib (and every other rib) for the Angle of Attack. By the way, the instructions say to enlarge the hole using a step drill to 15/32" with nary an idea that there is NO 15/32" spot on a step drill. I'm sure the extra 1/32" won't be a problem.

A hard plastic piece needs to be cut and the soft plastic tubing is inserted into it 3/8". Then RTV is placed around the connection to seal it. So I did that.

Then I went to Lake Elmo

  Oct 31, 2022     More odds and ends - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

A week later and there's still no indication Van's is sending out my order that included four one-lug platenutes (they really have never really recovered from the disastrous problems of last year) and I need them to continue with the end of the avionics installation, so I ordered them from Aircraft Spruce, which I should have done in the first place.

In the meantime, the long #1 screwdriver showed up so I finished tightening the backplates on the transponder shell. But I can do no more for the moment.

So I did a little more on the AOA installation and decided to just route the tubing along the J channel to the second root rib and squirted RTV in a couple of rib passthroughs to prevent too much chafing. I still don't know if I'll be able to fly this plane but there's no way I'm going to fly it enough for it to be a problem for me. Someone else? I doubt it.

But I can't find any of the rest of the installation kit which includes the drill template for the ribs. Where that's disappeared to I have no idea. I ordered a couple of the items from Van's because I can't help wasting my time.

So now I'm turning my attention to FINALLY getting the two wing wiring connectors replaced. I have a bunch of keys to try to remove those pins but none seem to be working. So I'm going to study how those pins are inserted to see if I can figure it out.

So in other words, I didn't get squat done today.

  Oct 26, 2022     AOA Retrofit - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

SteinAir sent me the hardware necessary to install the connectors on the backs of the COM radio and transponder so I installed those. I had to order a long #1 tip screwdriver to finish the transponder though. I also made minor modifications to the wiring route so that wires aren't resting on the cooling fan. I added the GPS and XM Radio antenna and then I started on the AOA retrofit which is kinda rinky dink.

I drilled a hole in the wing and installed a rivet and then drove the mandrel out (mandrel broke on the first attempt but thy send two. Then I added plastic tubing and made a godawful mess with RTV trying to seal it in place. Not sure how to route the line going inboard. The instructions aren't very good and a drill template isn't to scale.

  Nov 06, 2019     Attached wings - (3 hours)       Category: Wings

For the last few weeks, I've been cleaning out the hangar to allow room to attach the wings to the RV-12iS. Got rid of a lot of stuff and the question has been can the RV-12 and the camper co-exist in the same hangar. It appears they can.

John Wanamaker helped with today's task, which was accomplished in fits and starts . We started with the left wing and found I had to trim about 1/16 " off the bottom wing skins, and then I had to file the stubs to allow the holes to line up, which they eventually did. I used a rubber mallet as the "convincer.The right wing went on a little quicker since we knew what needed to be trimmed and filed away. The right skin needed to lose a little more than the left skin did - up to a little more than 1/8" in some spots. The stubs needed to be filed too.

I used a deburring wheel and file to smooth out the skin edge and got it OK for fitting. But I'm planning on doing a straighter job of filing at some point.

Here's a tip: When you're feeling around the holes with your index finger to get a feel for how the spars and things are lining up, don't tell your partner to pull on the wing before removing your finger from the hole, which now becomes a guillotine.

Afterwards, we measured everything again and determined that the camper and RV-12 can fit together, and the camper might even be able to be next to the plane, instead of at the front of the T-hangar, which works fine for winter storage, but not so much with the frequent movement during camping rental season.

  Aug 11, 2017     Finished work on left flaperon - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

The replacement outboard nose skin for the left flaperon arrived. I didn't like the elongated holes in the original one, which probably would've been fine but what the heck. So riveted that in place.Shot some anti-corrosion gunk on the counterbalance pipe first. Sticky stuff.

I drilled off the inboard bracket because I didn't like those rivets and decided to replace the bracket too because of elongated holes -- the spar beneath isn't bad. Also sacrificed a rib while drilling the skin rivets out for access. Ordered new rib and bracket.

But the new fuselage design for the new RV-12 iS won't be here until October or November so no rush, I guess.

I think I'll star on that outboard lighting on both wings.

  Aug 10, 2017     Completed right flaperon - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings

Finished the forward skins. Looking back, I didn't like my idea of how to drill the holes in the stainless. They still came out a bit off.

  Aug 09, 2017     Flaperon skin riveting - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings

Riveted ribs etc to right flaperon

  Aug 08, 2017     Riveted ribs etc to right flaperon - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings

Riveted the ribs and brackets and deburred the forward skins. Then clecoed on the aft skins. As usual, everything fit fine.

  Aug 07, 2017     Prep work on the right flaperon - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings

Primed the right flaperon spar and pivot brackets. Deburred and primed the inside of the trailing edge skins. Still need to the nose skin. Also deburred the 10 ribs.

  Aug 05, 2017     Started work on right flaperon - (3 hours)       Category: Wings

Second verse, same as the first. I did try something new to try to prevent enlarging holes in the outboard nose skin when drilling the counterbalance pipe. I drilled to a #40, then removed everything and used the drill press to #30 in the pipe, then clecoed the skin back on and final drilled through the skin as #30. It was better than the left side (I ordered a new skin solely because I didn't like the enlarged holes. The outboard holes are still enlarged but I'll live with it.

  Aug 04, 2017     Riveted skin to flaperon substructure - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings

Didn't have to ream a single hole. Everything fit perfectly. I only did the aft skins because I'm waiting for a replacement outboard nose skin.

  Aug 03, 2017     Riveted ribs on flaperon - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings

Deburred the skins and primed the interior.Riveted on the inboard bracket. Don't like the fact the manufactured head sits on the radius of the bracket but it was the only way to get the squeezer to fit on properly. Riveted on the 10 ribs

  Aug 02, 2017     Flaperon work - (1.5 hours) Category: Wings

Rivetedt the bracket onto one of the circular things. Match drilled the stainless steel pipe. I didn't like how I did it. I should have just made a pilot mark and then used the drill press. The holes in the .016 are elongated. I'm ordering a new skin. It's only $25.

Riveted th doubler/bracket to a rib assembly . Did other stuff too.

  Jul 31, 2017     Started on left flaperon - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings

I dug out the flaperon spar and deburred it, then did the same with two outboard ribs that hold the counterbalance pipe, clecoed, then wrapped the skin on and drilled two holes in the pipe.

Removed, spun the pipe 180 degrees and riveted the ribs.

Then I sprayed primer inside the pipe and swirled it around and left it for the night.

  Jul 30, 2017     Completed right wing - (5 hours)       Category: Wings

I went out last evening and did the bends of the tabs for the wing trip closeout bottom piece and everything fit great.

So this morning I finished riveting all of that, then added the trailing edge closeout. While doing that, I noticed I did the left wing training edge wrong by folding the edge OVER top sking. Nope.

Drilled all the rivets out and repositioned and reriveted.

Brad Benson was just arriving home from Oshkosh overhead so I scooted over to ask him to help move the wing into the sling

Then cleaned up the hangar and will start work on the flaperons.

  Jul 29, 2017     Right wing closeout - (4.5 hours)       Category: Wings

Bent the handle and riveted to the spar, Riveted the rear rib on than riveted on the aft and forward wing tip skins. I added the outboard aft rib and then fluted the forward compound curved rib and riveted.

Then I cut out the template for the nav/recognition light access hole and made the cut and smoothed it all down.

Tomorrow I'll bend the tabls

  Jul 26, 2017     Riveted wing root doubler - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

What it says

  Jul 25, 2017     Started on wing root doubler - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

Finished up the riveted of the middle skin then fit the wing root doubler and clecoed, then riveted the forward portion

  Jul 24, 2017     Fit the top middle skin - (2 hours) Category: Wings

No major problems. Just slow going.fit the j-stringers into the slots, guided them to fit the ribs on the outboard and inboard skin ribs. I clecoed every hole and then removed every other clecoed and reamed.

  Jul 21, 2017     Riveted bottom middle skin (right) - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

Second verse same as the first.

  Jul 19, 2017     Completed inboard out skin - (1 hour) Category: Wings

And left all the holes that were supposed to be open open this time.

  Jul 17, 2017     Completed inboard bottom skin (right) - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

I hit the hangar on the way to work and finished riveted the forward holes on the bottom inboard skin. No problems. Left the appropriate holes open.

Before I do the outboard skin, I think it makes sense to install the landing light ribs in the outboard bay area and secure all the wiring. So I started prepping those components.

  Jul 16, 2017     Began skinning right wing - (5 hours)       Category: Wings

I moved the left wing over to the wing sling, which seems to work fine, and began prepping the skeleton of the right wing, basically drilling out the main spar and aft spar holes to a #30 and then deburring.

Then I fit the inboard bottom skin and prepped the doubler plate, drilling out 8 holes to #22, removing, deburring and then reinstalled everything using the "rivet method" to get everything to fit properly . Basically I put the rivets in every other hole while there is play in the skin and ribs to allow them to slip in easily, then put clecoes in all open holes and then start pulling.

This creates a much more civilized method where there is no skin disfiguration by forcing a rivet in. Also it makes everything fit so much better.

  Jul 15, 2017     Finished the left wing - (5 hours)       Category: Wings

I completed the wing by first bending the tabs on the wing closeout. That went OK EXCEPT that I inserted the tab for the most forward hole too far into the slot in the bending tool via the instructions. So the close out wouldn't fit properly. I tried rebending the tab, which caused a stress crack in the adjacent cutout so I stop drilled that. Eventually I got it to fit in the slot under the wing skin but it's a little uglier there than I would like.

I also has neglected the instruction for the aft wing skin so I installed that and then began the long process of riveting the closeout and the most outboard rib, which I'd left open til now. It came out fine.

Then I added the trailing edge, checked that it was parallel to the wing skin (it was) matched drilled, deburred and riveted in place. Done.

Seems like I should have been able to do the NAV lighting somewhere around here because I've boxed in all the wiring, but I guess that'll have to wait until later. I've got to get some fiberglass supplies anyway.

Lucie (the dog) came out to the hangar with me but when the temperature got 93 and the heat from the ramp started overtaking us, we called it a day.

  Jul 14, 2017     Fluted and riveted wing tip frame - (2 hours) Category: Wings

I fluted the wing closeout rib to match the contour of the skin and riveted.

  Jul 13, 2017     Worked on wing tips - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

I bent and then riveted on the wing handles and also the after wing tip rib and then riveted on the top wingtip skins.

  Jul 12, 2017     Drilled out some rivets - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

This drawing was a litttle misleading because it seemed to suggest it was OK to rivet the outboard rib. Nope. A wing tip skin has to go there. I drilled out rivets. Fun times.

  Jul 09, 2017     Completed top of left wing - (6.5 hours) Category: Wings

Lots of riveting at the hangar today but no pictures because I forgot my phone. But finished up the ouboard and inboard skins, then put the middle skin in place. I tried something new to get things to fit better. When installing the skin, I cleco four corners. Then I put the pop rivets in by hand while everything in loose. I put them in ever other hole.

Then I cleco every other hole -- the open holes -- and then I can just rip throgh the rivets, remove the clecos and put rivets in those holes. Much faster and a lot less abuse of the sheet metal.

I also put the inboard doubler in. I have flipped the wing upside down again and will work on the outboard handle and ribs tomorrow or Tuesday,

I'm beat.

  Jul 08, 2017     Started on top skins on left wing - (6 hours)       Category: Wings

A long day of work at the hangar. Riveted the forward edge where called for the instructions, then riveted on the hinge ribs and bracket (2x) and prepped the most outboard and most inboard skins and began riveted the first skin in place. It's a LOT of riveting. No issues encountered other than I'd fit the wrong skin after going through all the steps of removing plastic, priming etc., but I had to do the other skin eventually anyway.

  Jul 06, 2017     Completed bottom skin (left) - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings

I finished up riveting the center skin on the bottom of the left wing, I use every hole when clecoing skin in place but I'm finding it's easier to insert the rivets into the holes if a couple of adjacent clecoes are removed.

I encountered no problems and checked the underside to be certain that things were as they should be.

Patrick will stop by on Friday to flip the wing over for topside work. He's picking up a check for the loan I'm giving him and Mindy for their house.

  Jul 05, 2017     Bottom left center skin - (2 hours) Category: Wings

Mostly just prep work. Deburred the edges and rounded the corners. Used the edge bending tool so that it will lie flatter when riveted.Shot a line of primer on the rivet lines, then used the soldering iron to remove the plastic around the rivet holes and clecoed in place.

Ran one set of rivets on the forward section and called it a night.

  Jul 04, 2017     Riveted inboard and outboard bottom skins (left) - (6 hours)       Category: Wings

No heavy lifting here, just the repeated process of riveting. Finished up the inboard skin, then deburred the outboard skin and drilled the spar holes to proper size. Lots of people stopped by the hangar today so progress was rather slow.

I'm encountering no problems at all, everything is line up perfectly, and we continue to zip along and pretty good clip.

  Jul 02, 2017     Began riveting wing skins - (3.5 hours)       Category: Wings

I put in a lot of time at the hangar but I think most of it was using the soldering iron to take the plastic off (yes, I know the plastic should come off to prevent corrosion, but my plane is going to be polished so I don't want the constant movement during the skinning process to ding things up any more than they need to be), and deburring holes, but at least I got started on skinning the left wing skeleton.

I continue to insist that Van's sends main spars with the holes too small to accomodate the lousy tolerances of the LP4-3 rivets. I know people disagree but there's no comparison between a prepunched hole on a rib and the ones in the main spar.

So I reamed out the flange holes on the main spar and then deburred all of them. Same with the rear spar.

I put a little primer on the inside of the skins along the rivet lines just because I was bored.

Then I clecoed everything in place and riveted on the doubler.

  Jul 01, 2017     Wiring runs - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

While the wing is open I ran the wires for the outboard lighting and the landing light. I , of course, plugged wires into the wrong ports on the connector on the right wing so a few wires were rerouted to other ports. See instructions.

I then added the inboard bottom wing skin on the left wing and drilled the doubler to the skin and forward spar flange. I drilled the 8 rivets out to a #22.

  Jun 30, 2017     Installed stall warning vane - (3 hours)       Category: Wings

This took a lot longer than I'd planned...just a matter of finding small parts and getting the tab oriented properly.

I also added the connector and plugged a wire into the wrong slot...so moved it to another slot. It's documented on the plans and the wiring from the fuselage will have to be adjusted accordingly.

[Update: These connectors were replaced with wires put in the proper slots. See December 2022]

  Jun 29, 2017     Completed rib installation on right wing spar - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

It's just amazing how quickly the right spar was completed. This afternoon I clecoed, then riveted all of the nose ribs. It went pretty quickly as, unlike the left wing, none of the ribs have a rear flange to be riveted to the main spar.

Next up is the stall warning and running of the electrical wires for the exterior lighting.

  Jun 28, 2017     Began installation of right wing main ribs - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

Got off to a slow start as I riveted on one of the ribs that had been match drilled for the hinge rib so took that one off and then we were OK the rest of the way. No issues in installing all 13 main ribs.

The empty hangar is starting to get a little cramped all of a sudden.

Also, submitted the fuselage order since things are progressing quickly.

  Jun 25, 2017     Wing rib riveting - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

I carefully mounted the nose ribs, to be sure I was selecting the right version of the 1208 (mostly R) ribs and then riveted them to the spar and to the attach angles. It was slow work to get both to line up properly.

The instructions in the last section seemed to indicate only one nutplate goes on a couple of ribs. It's actually two, judging by the terminology of the instructionsI read today.

After ribs were in place the forward nose rib spar was riveted in place.

  Jun 24, 2017     Began mounting the ribs - (5.5 hours) Category: Wings

I finished cutting all the main rib (rights) and prepped them all by deburring. I match drilled the hinge ribs and also riveted on the doublers on the most inboard main ribs (left and right). And then I began riveting the ribs to the left main spar as called out in the instructions.

Made one mistake by accidentally selecting one of the ribs that had been matched drilled for a flaperon hinge rib and putting it where a regular rib goes.

Rather than drill it out, I simply left and match drilled another (right) rib instead and installed it per the instructions.

Thinking maybe I should've ordered the fuselage kit by now.

  Jun 23, 2017     Completed nose ribs; worked on main ribs - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings

All of the right side nose ribs were completed and I began working on the stack of left main ribs, cutting the flanges off where indicated. Then I started working on the right main ribs, in which all of the aft flanges are cut. Used the band saw instead of snips. Much cleaner,

  Jun 21, 2017     Started working on right ribs - (1 hour) Category: Wings

Having finished the stack of 1208 L ribs, I started working on the R ribs, cutting the aft end on five and the upper and lower flanges on two of them. I'll finish the rest tomorrow.

  Jun 20, 2017     Finished W-1208L rib preparation - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

I finished the final seven 1208L ribs then cut down the required number of aft and upper and lower flange removal.

  Jun 19, 2017     Started prep work on the ribs - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

Fluted the big stack of wing ribs. Man it was super easy on the RV-12, one small flute on each side of the rib and it laid perfectly flat.

Also put up the new sign that Sean and Ashley gave me for Father's Day. Isn't it great?

  Jun 17, 2017     Completed rear spar - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

I riveted all the doublers and primed up all the spars.

  Jun 15, 2017     Countersinking and primng - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

The 120-degree countersink cutter came so over two nights (I'm logging it under one date) I countersunk both sides of the doubler spar and also added the doubler .

  Jun 14, 2017     Rivet hinge bracket assembly - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

I used the vice, a 7/8" socket set, and a 9/16" socket set to install bearings in both flaperon hinge bracket center sections, then riveted the unit after it was sandwiched by the assembly.

The two countersunk holes on both sides is interesting. I suspect this is intended to basically be a double flush rivet.

Today would have been my parents' -- Eileen and Fred Collins -- 75th wedding anniversary. My first plane -- an RV-7A -- was numbered in honor of them: N614EF. This plane will be numbered N612EF.

  Jun 13, 2017     Riveted brackets - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

Nothing special on the short work session. Just riveted the brackets that I primed yesterday. I had some AD4-5 rivets from the RV-7A build and used those instead of the callouts in the Van's plans, which are too short to get a properly formed shop head.

I deburred the parts in the next step and primed and I'll add the bearings tomorrow, probably.

  Jun 12, 2017     Primed spar stub doubler - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

While waiting for the 120 degree countersink bit to show up, I skipped ahead in the instructions a bit. I countersunk (100 degree) the 3 #40 holes on each side of the spar stub assembly. Then I deburred and prepped up the flaperon hinges (I think that's what they were, anyway). Four of them.

I'm not priming a lot on this plan but wing spars and ribs and anyting exposed to the elements I am. So I ran over to NAPA for some 7220 rattle an primer and primed the parts.

I'll finish riveting them together tomorrow. The AN AD4-4 rivets called out here are slightly short for this but I pressed on anyway.

  Jun 11, 2017     Began rear spar doublers - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

I spent the morning with a storm blowing through, finishing the riveting on the open rivets as called in Section 13, Step 5. Then prepped the doublers for the rear spar and clecoed then, per Section 14, Step 1.

Unfortunately, I do not have a 120 degree countersink cutter -- although the RV-7A countersinks with 100-degree cutters, so I'll order that from Cleaveland Tools today.

  Jun 10, 2017     Riveted wing doublers - (3 hours)       Category: Wings

I drilled and tapped both tie down angles in the spars, then clecoed the spar doublers in their locations and also the angle on both spars.

I stopped, however, before continuing with Section 13 Step 5 because it doesn't make sense to me.

The drawing on the step shows one spar (I think it's the right) positioned with the spar flange down and one spar with the flange side up.It indicates open holes that need LP-3 rivets (and one doubler with LP-4s).

The problem I see is, at least with the most inboard doubler with open rivets at the moment, that there's another doubler angle on the side of the spar and there's a space between it and the spar web. So when you put three rivets in the open holes the instructions seem to be saying to rivet, you don't have any access to put rivets in the holes on the doubler on the other side (I'm assuming, of course) that eventually there will be instructions to do that)

So I took a break until I could clear it up with Van's. I could just blindly follow the step as shown, but when I built the RV-7, it was important to always know the big picture.

(Update: Here's the answer. No rivets go in those holes on the flange of the angle on the other

  Jun 09, 2017     Started work on wings - (02 hours) Category: Wings

Clipped out all the doublers and deburred them on the wheels, then matched drilled one rib doubler to the left wing spar. Started drilling out the left tie-down bracket but snapped an old 5/16" bit so I have to buy a new 5/16" bit.

Supposed to be near 100 today so I'm doing the Tucson thing

  Jun 05, 2017     Wing kit arrives - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

Sean Collins and John Wanamaker helped me unload. Let the inventorying begin.