Jan 17, 2021     Vent controls       Category: Fuselage

In my previous RV12 I had installed servos to control the air vents. I added similar controls to the current RV12. Routing the pushrods was a bit more complicated due to the headphone storage brackets. However, by carefully positioning the servos, and keeping the pushrod as close as possible to the fuselage side, I was able to complete the installation.

  Aug 12, 2020     More odds and ends       Category: Fuselage

Cupholder installed. Final trimmed (for the last time) rear edge of the canopy. Installed canopy per KAI in preparation of laminating the forward canopy skirt. Note the temporary "strut" to facilitate laminating the skirt. Not for use in flight. Fitted the fuel tank filler hose and vent.

  Aug 08, 2020     Painting interior       Category: Fuselage

Completed painting larger interior parts, including fuselage interior, seat backs, turtle deck (which will become the baggage compartment upper interior), and center console. Canopy fitted to the canopy frame. Will attach to fuselage and check fit prior to riveting the forward bow. With engine mount expected next week, will allow paint to fully cure before beginning canopy fiberglass work and focus on the engine installation.

  Aug 03, 2020     Prepping for paint       Category: Fuselage

Continuing to prep the fuselage for painting. Removed the instrument panel and installed the temporary panel to hold the avionics bay cover in place. This will be critical when laying up the canopy fairing. Removed the turtle deck and rear window. Emptied the finish kit crate which will become a paint booth for small parts. Still need to remove the canopy latch switch. Will install the interior side panels to determine areas that need to be painted. Also installed 4 nut plates attaching the center arm rest I missed first time around.

  Jul 17, 2020     Gear leg seals       Category: Fuselage

Formed aluminum close out brackets to more accurately align with the fuselage curve. Pro sealed the rubber seals to the aluminum brackets. Top brackets and rubber seals will be installed after the pro seal cures.

  Jul 16, 2020     Odds and ends       Category: Fuselage

Completed riveting tail cone to fuselage. Removed turtle deck and installed flaperon control tubes. Began fabrication of landing gear close outs.

  Jul 15, 2020     Riveting tail cone       Category: Fuselage

Completed routing tail cone wiring, AOA, pitot and static lines. Riveted tail cone to fuselage, including baggage corner skins. Forward turtle deck skins clecoed in place.

  Jul 14, 2020     Tail cone attachment       Category: Fuselage

Mounted magnetometer using non magnetic hardware. Completed all tailbone connections including trim tab servo, magnetometer, and static port. Routed rudder and stabilator cables. Clecoed tail cone in place.

  Jun 25, 2020     More odds and ends       Category: Fuselage

Connected fuse box ground leads. Prepped and temporarily mounted center channel closeout panels, including the all important cup holder. These will need to be removed for painting. Assembled heat muff.

  May 19, 2020     Upper forward fuselage skin       Category: Fuselage

Completed sealing firewall. Dimpled and deburred upper forward fuselage skin then applied silicone to form water seal at forward edge. Screwed to frame. Added nutplates (18) to panel attach strips and riveted to upper fuselage skin. Prepped and riveted egress handle in place.

  May 16, 2020     Avionics bay       Category: Fuselage

Matched drilled holes between avionics bay and longerons prior to riveting in place

  May 06, 2020     Baggage compartment bulkhead       Category: Fuselage

Installed baggage compartment bulkhead and roll bar support. Assembled, riveted and attached fuel pump bracket.

  May 05, 2020     Roll bar       Category: Fuselage

Reassembled roll bar and riveted per KAI. Added canopy latch fittings. Attached to fuselage and riveted roll bar braces in place.

  May 04, 2020     Roll bar       Category: Fuselage

Riveted air vent. Removed roll bar and deburred all holes and edges. Countersunk outer side for CS4-4 rivets. Primed for final assembly.

  May 03, 2020     Right fuselage side panel       Category: Fuselage

Completed riveting of the right fuselage side skin. Attached 10 nut plates for access panel. Initial fitting of right air vent.

  May 02, 2020     Right side panel       Category: Fuselage

The replacement fuselage right side panel arrived. The wing spar cutout was completed, edges deburred and broken, and holes dimpled per plans. The skin was then clecoed in place and Cherry rivets installed.

  May 01, 2020     Roll bar       Category: Fuselage

Sometimes progress is measured in pages completed, other times in checking off a single step. Today was a 'single step' day. Drill all roll bar #40 holes to #30, checo each hole after drilling.

  Apr 30, 2020     Seats and roll bar       Category: Fuselage

Assembled, final drilled and riveted seats. New seat adjustment mechanism looks like a nice upgrade for the RV12. Clecoed the roll bar frame together and attached to roll bar base for initial fitting.

  Apr 29, 2020     Left side panel       Category: Fuselage

Riveted left side panel in place. Right side will need to wait until replacement skin arrives, later this week. Added nutplates for inspection panel which will be under the wing root. Began fabrication of vents doors.

  Apr 27, 2020     Side skins       Category: Fuselage

Trimmed, deburred and dimpled side skins per KAI. Clecoed and match drilled to longerons. Lots of drill shavings on the floor. Removed skins and primed longerons.

  Apr 26, 2020     Side skins       Category: Fuselage

Began installation of side skins by riveting framework to fuselage. Final fitting of longerons completed. Unfortunately, while removing the side skins from their protective cardboard, I noticed one was bent at the top forward end, an area that will be highly visible. I was unable to flatten the area, and have decided to order a new side skin. Hopefully the cost of the part and shipping will be less than the cost of a new fuselage kit!

  Apr 24, 2020     Odds and ends       Category: Fuselage

Completed installation of mid fuse brace. Added roll bar attachment plates, seat back adjustment guides and bulkhead flange caps. Side panels next!

  Apr 23, 2020     Longerons       Category: Fuselage

Continued longeron fabrication. While the main bends have been made at Van's, the longerons still required the angle aluminum (think 90 degree angle) to be opened up to 95.4 degrees at the forward end, tapering back to 90 degrees 12 7/16"" from the end. Lacking an industrial size vice or a machine shop, I repurposed a swag crimper tool to expand the angle. First longeron took 3+ hours, the second about 45 minutes. Learning curve. Fitted the canopy deck to each longeron. Added the mid fuse brace, which also serves as the seat back rest.

  Apr 22, 2020     Forward lower fuselage       Category: Fuselage

Completed forward lower fuselage, including lower cowl attach points. Riveted to main fuselage. Began Section 23, side skins. Fabricating longeron, hit index finger with a hammer. Called it a day.

  Apr 21, 2020     Forward lower fuselage       Category: Fuselage

Forward lower fuselage assembled and riveted. Rudder pedal support and lower engine mount brackets installed. Proseal applied per KAI. Very unpleasant stuff.

  Apr 20, 2020     Fuselage Ribs/Bottom Skin (Completes Section 21)       Category: Fuselage

Completed riveting step floor. Added baggage bulkhead, roll servo and fuel valve brackets. Began Forward Lower Fuselage (Section 22) preparation including the lower firewall and rudder assembly mount.

  Apr 18, 2020     Fuselage and step floors       Category: Fuselage

Completed riveting fuselage floor. Rotated fuselage upright. Riveted 28 nutplates to step floor panels and began cleco/riveting in place.

  Apr 17, 2020     Fuselage floor       Category: Fuselage

Continued riveting fuselage floor. While I'm not counting rivets, there sure are a lot of leftover mandrels!

  Apr 16, 2020     Corners and floor       Category: Fuselage

Right and left corner skins clecoed and riveted in place. Bottom skin deburred and prepped with installation of inspection hatch nutplates, antenna reinforcement, and screws to hold wire/tubing bundles. Bottom skin then clecoed to frame. Reinforcements added (10 external and 6 internal), and riveting of skin to frame initiated.

  Apr 15, 2020     Step ribs and fuselage corner skins       Category: Fuselage

Began assembly of step ribs. Brackets cut from aluminum angle, primed and riveted to ribs. Attached ribs to the F-01203A-1 bulkhead. Riveted the F-01202F-1 bulkhead which includes step mounts. Added fuselage bushings per KAI. Deburred and clecoed right fuselage corner skins.

  Apr 14, 2020     Bulkhead forward of seat ribs       Category: Fuselage

Assembled forward seat rib bulkhead. Filed wing stub spars to fit stub spar receptacle and riveted in place. Riveted bulkhead reinforcements. Added seat floor support and seat ramp floor. Wing rollers installed.

  Apr 13, 2020     Fuselage seat floor       Category: Fuselage

Fuselage seat floor panels prepped, nutplates installed and panels riveted to seat floor ribs. Ribs and panels then riveted to center section bulkhead. Forward bulkhead side assembly installed. These components include the wing attachment pin guides.

  Apr 10, 2020     Seat ribs       Category: Fuselage

Began assembly of seat ribs, including installation of nut plates, setback pin plates and guides, crotch strap bracket, routing angles and mounting of flaperon mixer arm and pulley brackets

  Apr 09, 2020     Baggage compartment       Category: Fuselage

The F-01206A-1 BULKHEAD ASSEMBLY was riveted to the front baggage compartment ribs and skins, and additional baggage compartment ribs installed aft of the bulkhead. Flaperon bearing brackets were riveted along with the bearing bracket support.

  Apr 08, 2020     Baggage compartment ribs       Category: Fuselage

The ELT mount was riveted between two baggage compartment ribs and then all ribs were riveted to the baggage compartment floor and center bulkhead.

Flaperon mixer, bearing and pulley brackets were assembled and riveted. The F-01206A-1 BULKHEAD was assembled, including fitting the wing stub spars to the bulkhead receptacles.

  Apr 07, 2020     Center section bulkhead       Category: Fuselage

Began assembly of the center section bulkhead. Added side bulkhead and parts preparation (nut plate installation, countersinking and match drilling). The plans called for match drilling a number of holes that were already machine punched. These kit upgrades shortened the process considerably.

Pulling the cherrymax rivets was challenging. With either my electric rivet or hand puller, mandrels broke prematurely, despite rivet lubrication per Vans instructions. Will need to order replacement rivets and will try using a branded cherrymax rivet puller.

ELT bracket assembled and baggage compartment floor riveted to the center bulkhead. Due to limited space for the hand riveter, thin, flat sets (per the KAI) were used to squeeze the universal head rivets. Worked well.