Mounted the HS this evening. I'm quite pleased on how the outboard bolts ended up fitting (after a lot of head scratching figuring out where exactly things were before drilling holes).

Yes, I've totally flipped!

This actually happened a number of days ago. It sure feels really good. I even found myself standing alongside making airplane noises. ;) Since then, Aniko and I have riveted the aft deck and I'm now working on attaching the HS. Scott Card was nice enough to lend me his uber-stable saw horses - Thanks Scott.

I decided to deviate from the plans slightly here. Keep in mind that this picture is upside down. This is the tank attach bracket area. Three bolts come through. The plans called for AN470's and as I was eye-balling this setup and test fitting, I knew I was going to get into a pretty tight fit if I was going to get a socket on the nut, much less a wrench. So I substituted AN426's and dimpled/countersunk the respective holes. Now I've got plenty of room.

I had to take it down quite a bit to allow for plenty of clearance with the nearby bolthead. This process was a lot faster and easier than removing the bolt, riveting, torqueing the bolt, and then re-applying torque-seal.

So I had to grind down the end of my long rivet set....now it matches my short rivet set. ;) Also, some time ago, I read that it helped to put a small piece of duct tape on the end of the rivet set. Since doing this, I've either gotten better at riveting, or the technique works.

If you're reading this long before you drill the holes that attach the floor stiffeners to the F-783B support brackets, do yourself a favor and add a little room at the aft end. I had just enough room on the right side but came up a little shy on the left side. I think tomorrow will be "forward bottom skin" riveting day. Followed shortly by "rolling the canoe" day. But first I have some drilling to do for the static line at the baggage bulkhead. While it's upside-down, all the metal fillings fall to the ground rather than in the plane.

Before reviting the forward bottom skin, I decided that now was a good time to rivet the F-772B floor stiffners while I had plenty of access and room. Aniko and I riveted most of the forward side skins on the night before last. She's really starting to get the hang of getting the bucking bars into those weird places. Thank you Aniko!
All that's left is the row along where the forward bottom skin attaches and the upper forward corners. Scott advised that I had better leave these open so that I could get a bucking bar into the top forward gusset area. Thanks Scott!

Scott Card, RV9A Builder, suggested that I take care of the fuel lines while the forward fuselage is open. Boy am I glad I listened. Do this NOW!!!! Bending the fuel lines is a PITA, I can't even imagine what it's like when the forward bottom skin is riveted on. Thanks Scott!
Using a tubing bender and a set of bending springs, the technique that worked for me was: 1) Remove the gear weldments and and the small brackets, 2) make a cardbord replica of the gear weldment web (located aft of the gear socket) and tape this to the center bulkhead in the same orientation as the web (I also cut a slot in the cardboard to allow the tubing to slip in and out as adjustments were made, 3) start with a straight section of tubing 31 inches in length, 4) start at the fuel selector and make your major bends (ie. a 90, a 45, anther 45, then a 90), 5) attach the bracket and grear weldment and adjust your bends so everything fits nice, 6) trim as needed to make the fuel valve fit. If all goes well, you should end up with appox. 5" of tubing sticking out the side (only about 3-1/2" are actually needed).

After a _small_ break (ie. getting married to the most Wonderful Woman), I'm slowly getting back into the groove. Aniko, my wife, helped me rivet the two halves together. Some tips 1) When countersinking the longerons, I found it very time saving to put a little dab of cutting oil into each hole then countersink. 2) Make sure you have drilled every hole into the longerons before riveting it on - I missing one but caught it in time. 3) Don't try to fit the steps before the fuselage is joined. I think I may have trimmed too much off of the torque tube - we'll see.

Despite the weather, I got my rudder pedals in! ;) I pondered on how I was going to drill the side blocks, then it occured to me - take the longerons out and do it on the bench. I'm not quite sure why Van's has you attach the master cylinders at this poing in time...but oh well.