Stjohn's RV-7

4 hours.
Finally finished reinstalling the F-712 bulkhead (or whichever bulkhead is most aft). I got some reduced-head Cherrymax rivets from GAHco and was able to do the inner bottom 8 rivets. And they work as advertised; unless you look close, you won’t be able to tell them apart from solid rivets, and with some filler in there, you won’t be able to tell unless you can see the inboard side.
I also got the forward tunnel cover modded to mate up with the AFP high-pressure boost pump kit from Van’s. The new covers are ready to go, but I haven’t drilled them to the floor stiffeners yet because I don’t have a #19 threaded-shank drill bit.

Apparently they’re not that common of a size. AC Spruce didn’t have them, and neither did MSC Industrial Supply, which surprised the hell out of me, since they usually have everything. I did find them at US Tool, but hold on to your potatoes, Dr. Jones, they’re $3.81 each. Well, after that bit of information superhighway robbery, I went back to work on the forward gussets, the aluminum ones between the spar and the longerons just forward of it. Fortunately everything was a nice, smooth fit, no issues with drilling the 5 holes in each one. Once that was done, I was kind of at a loss for what to do next, so I clecoed the top skin back on, and that’s where it will stay, I think, until the construction manual says otherwise:

I missed out on the PCU5000x group buy on VAF, but I don’t think I need to spend 1000+ bucks on a new prop governor when mine could possibly be just fine.