27/05/2007 - RV-7 Empennage kit ordered

Faxed the orders to Van's today.  I have ordered the empennage kit without the lights option, as well as the two practice kits, the Rvator subscription, another set of preview plans for Bob (which will help with discussions over the phone), and the standard aircraft book.

12/06/2007 - RV-7 Empennage kit has arrived

The two boxes arrived at 11:00am, and I couldn't wait to open it up !  shame I had to go to back to work really :-(.  In the evening the inventory process started with all the little brown bags holding rivets and bolts.  They have been put away in their own storage bins and labelled, much to the amusement of friends who have said I have never been that organised.

14/06/2007 - RV-7 Empennage kit inventory completed

There are a lot of aluminium parts all over the garage, but everything is correct and accounted for.  Time to build some shelves for parts and skins I think and put them well out of harms way ! There are a few practice sheets as well which comes in handy, and I could not resist cleco'ing the stabiliser rear spar together, just to try a few tools out.

Not ready to start building yet though, I still have benching, shelving, tool configuration and practise kits to build ....oh and the small matter of permission to build, the forms have not arrived back from the PFA yet.

17/06/2007 - RV-7 empennage kit all tucked away out of harms way

20/06/2007 - My build number has been granted - PFA 323-14691

Its finally here, the aircraft has a serial number.  It comes with plenty of reading.  Things always arrive with plenty of reading.  Number of hours doing aircraft assembly so far 0, number of hours getting set up, lost count.  I am reminded of the rude version of the 5 P's, ok the rude version is 6 P's and I stay up till late reading through the documentation.

21/06/2007 - Empennage Paused

Work on the empennage is now on hold until the following have been completed
 

02/08/2007 - I am cleared to get started on the RV itself ...wahoo.

Click on the dates below to jump to the corresponding page.

Horizontal Stabiliser

05/08/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Rear Spar fabricated & Started on front spar       [7.0hrs]
06/08/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - More work on the front spar                              [1.0hrs]
08/08/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - HS404 cutting & preparing                                [1.0hrs]
11/08/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Left hand HS assembly                                    [7.0hrs]
12/08/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Right hand HS assembly                                  [5.0hrs]
14/08/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Deburring; Dimpling & Prepping                        [8.0hrs]
19/08/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Sent for priming                                              [0.0hrs]
02/09/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Elevator bearing on rear spar                            [3.0hrs]
09/09/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Priming done, rear spar starts                           [3.0hrs]
10/09/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Rear spar nearly done                                      [2.5hrs]
12/09/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Elevator hinges & bolts                                     [1.0hrs]
15/09/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Riveting the front spar                                      [3.0hrs]
16/09/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Started left hand skin rivets                              [3.5hrs]
19/09/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Finished left hand skin rivets                             [2.0hrs]
26/09/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Started & Completed right hand skin                  [5.0hrs]
 Horizontal Stabiliser Ready For Inspection

                              08/10/07 - Step 10

Horizontal Stabiliser Inspected & Passed

12/10/2007 - Horizontal Stabiliser - Installed & riveted rear spar                              [1.5hrs]

Vertical Stabiliser

16/08/2007 - Vertical Stabiliser      - Sub structure assembly                                    [5.0hrs]
17/08/2007 - Vertical Stabiliser      - Skinning; Deburring; Dimpling & Prepping          [5.0hrs]
19/08/2007 - Vertical Stabiliser      - Sent for priming                                              [0.0hrs]
13/10/2007 - Vertical Stabiliser      - Riveting the rear spar & skeleton                       [2.5hrs]
20/10/2007 - Vertical Stabiliser      - Riveting the skin to the skeleton                       [3.0hrs] Vertical Stabiliser Ready For Inspection

                              18/11/07 - Step 8

Vertical Stabiliser Inspected & Passed

25/11/2007 - Vertical Stabiliser      - Riveting the rear spar to the fin                         [1.5hrs]

Rudder

17/08/2007 - Rudder                          - Creating right hand side stiffeners                    [2.0hrs]
18/08/2007 - Rudder                          - Creating left hand side stiffeners                      [4.0hrs]
19/08/2007 - Rudder                          - Drilling & dimpling stiffeners.  Rudder horn.        [8.0hrs]
26/08/2007 - Rudder                          - More work on rudder skeleton                           [2.5hrs]
20/09/2007 - Rudder                          - Stiffeners riveted to skins & assemble               [3.0hrs]
22/09/2007 - Rudder                          - Drilling, deburring, dimpling, priming                 [4.0hrs]
11/11/2007 - Rudder                          - Started to rivet skeleton                                  [1.0hrs]
13/11/2007 - Rudder                          - Finished rivet main part of skeleton                  [3.0hrs] Rudder Ready For Inspection

                              18/11/07 - Step 11

Rudder Inspected & Passed
 

18/11/2007 - Rudder                          - Started to rivet on the skins                             [2.0hrs]
19/11/2007 - Rudder                          - Finished the spar, ribs and horn rivets               [1.0hrs]
25/11/2007 - Rudder                          - Gluing the trailing edge                                   [3.0hrs]
28/11/2007 - Rudder                          - Cleaning up the trailing edge                           [1.0hrs]
01/12/2007 - Rudder                          - Riveting the trailing edge                                [3.0hrs]
09/12/2007 - Rudder                          - Rolling & Riveting the leading edge                  [2.0hrs]
12/12/2007 - Rudder                          - Bearings and attached rudder to fin                  [2.0hrs]

Elevators

26/08/2007 - Elevators                     - Right hand elevator stiffeners                           [2.5hrs]
27/08/2007 - Elevators                     - Left hand elevator stiffeners & RH skeleton        [5.5hrs]
29/08/2007 - Elevators                     - Match drilled Left hand elevator stiffeners           [1.5hrs]
31/08/2007 - Elevators                     - Left hand elevator deburring, dimpling               [2.0hrs]
01/09/2007 - Elevators                     - Trim reinforcement plate & Counterweights         [3.0hrs]
02/09/2007 - Elevators                     - Left elevator skeleton & counterweight               [1.5hrs]
07/09/2007 - Elevators                     - Right elevator counterweight                             [1.5hrs] 29/09/2007 - Elevators                     - Right elevator stiffeners riveted to skin              [2.0hrs]
01/10/2007 - Elevators                     - Left elevator stiffeners & trim inspection plate     [2.0hrs]
02/10/2007 - Elevators                     - Creating bending brake for elevators                 [1.0hrs]
14/10/2007 - Elevators                     - Bending trailing edge of elevators & drilling        [7.0hrs]
29/11/2007 - Elevators                     - Riveting the right hand skeleton                       [2.5hrs]
01/12/2007 - Elevators                     - Riveting the left hand skeleton                         [1.5hrs]
09/12/2007 - Elevators                     - Folding the Trim tab ears                                 [2.0hrs]
12/12/2007 - Elevators                     - Folding the elevator tab ears                            [2.0hrs]
29/12/2007 - Elevators                     - Various bits & pieces with elevators & trim tab     [4.0hrs]
31/12/2007 - Elevators                     - Painting & Assembling the trim tab                    [4.0hrs]
Elevators Ready For Inspection

05/01/08 - Step 11

Rudder Inspected & Failed !!!!

06/01/2008 - Elevators                     - Drilling out rivets !!!                                         [2.0hrs]
09/01/2008 - Elevators                     - Reassembly of elevator skeletons                     [3.0hrs]
Elevators Ready For Inspection

                              12/01/08 - Step 11

Rudder Inspected & Passed

13/01/2008 - Elevators                     - RH skin riveted to skeleton & leading edge        [6.0hrs]
16/01/2008 - Elevators                     - LH skin riveted to skeleton & leading edge         [5.0hrs]
19/01/2008 - Elevators                     - LH leading edge                                             [5.0hrs]
 

Finishing