Fuselage

The F-706 bulkhead is basically a ring, but it also carries these ribs and channels to hold the elevator bellcrank assembly. So you start by drilling a reinforcing aluminum angle to this rib.

This aluminum angle is cut and drilled to the rib, deburred, primed, and riveted together as usual.

There are two of these actually. One is vertical, and the other one extends from the bulkhead toward the tail of the plane along the bottom. Here you see the other one, with the reinforcing angle drilled to it.

One of them gets riveted right away, before proceeding. So I took the time to deburr, scuff, clean, prime, and rivet it together.

Here you see the two ribs clecoed together with the bottom piece of the ring that will form the F-706 bulkhead. There a lot of details that need to be taken care of right in the middle of this part. Above, I'm fitting and drilling a short reinforcing angle behind the plate with the clamps on it. The square opening is for the elevator pushrod to pass through and connect to the bellcrank, which will be installed later. It's just fascinating to see how this all goes together to make an airplane.

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