Stjohn's RV-7

4 hours.

The subject of todays efforts was the subpanel. When I had it all clecoed to the airframe, I drilled the F-644 and F-643 ribs to the skin. as well as the F-643B angle that attaches to the firewall. I’m not being to squirrelly about primer, most of these parts are alclad, and even the ones that arent will probably get a coat of gray paint, assuming I have enough left over from doing the interior. If not, big whoop. This is a sction of the plane nobody will ever see. In the plus column for painting is insulation. There’s going to be a buttload of wiring under here, and if something chafes or comes loose, contact with paint is going to make fewer sparks than contact with metal. In the minus column is that painting is a pain in the ass. In any event, today saw the riveting of the center subpanel, and for anybody playing at home or at work at the FAA, here’s a photo of me riveting the thing together. Not the most flattering pic in the world, but it’ll do.

The other thing that got done today was a loose end that’s been bugging me for a while. I got the brake pedal bracket riveted to the firewall recess angles. I hadn’t done it before because I needed to paint it first. It is now painted.

Speaking of paint, here’s a current state of the nation. The weather’s been gloomy, salt-damp, and cool, suboptimal paint conditions at best, so this is as far as it’s gone. The uneven splotch on the baggage compartment bulkhead is just an exploratory shot with the paint gun, just to see the effects of paint on a completely unprepared surface. Big surprise, it looks like ass.

I still have to fabricate mounts for the eyeball vents, then put in the NACA scoops for fresh air. That involves Proseal or RTV, and I’m leaning towards RTV. But I realized today, dude, you’re about ready to order electric bits. Of course, I still have to finish painting the interior, do the canopy, run fuel lines, and install the autopilot pitch servo before there’s much point in that. But at least things are happening.