Fuselage

Guess what? I'm playing hookey from the home improvement projects and honey-do list! I've made some major progress on a few things, so I get to take a break to work on my project. Yippee!! This is the first real productive session I've had in a while. If my luck continues, I'll get more time in this weekend. Stay tuned.

I got right into it and started working today on the front deck parts again. I pulled the assembly out of the fuse so I could work on the F-643 center rib and the two short F-644 ribs. I also needed to drill all this stuff together and it makes more sense to do it on the bench as much as possible. The F-643 center rib needs to be trimmed to length. I knew it was too long, but I didn't know how much to cut off. Then I studied the plans and found the dimension. So I cut the rib to length and marked the centerline of the flange with a fine sharpie. I also marked the centerlines of the flanges of the two short F-644 ribs. You can see the fine lines in the picture below if you look closely. I may need to trim the end of the F-643 a bit more as I go. I won't know for sure until the top skin is clecoed in place and I can see how everything fits. There's also a small angle that rivets the forward end of the F-643 to the firewall. I'll get to that, too, after the top skin is in place.

These two shots, from front and rear, show the assembly on the bench. Next, you clamp the F-643 and the F-644's to the center subpanel carefully and drill them in place. Basically, I just used a straightedge across the top flange of the center subpanel to align them vertically, because holes will be drilled through them through the top skin. In the horizontal plane, I lined up the F-644's parallel with the two main F-745 ribs, then drilled them to the subpanel. This placement for drilling worked out perfect when it came time to drill the top skin in place.

After these parts are carefully drilled to the subpanel, it's time for the usual scuffing, cleaning, and priming session.

These parts are now primed and ready for some riveting. But there's a specific method outlined in the directions. I started by riveting the gap seal support angle to the center subpanel.

I also clamped and drilled the forward F-646 engine control bracket to the center subpanel. But it won't be riveted on for quite a while.

Next, I riveted the hat channel in place, followed by the center F-643 rib and the two short F-644 ribs. The F-644's are riveted using flush rivets.

Above, I clecoed the F-745 ribs to the left and right subpanels and set them on the bench just to see how everything looks so far. Then I installed the two flush rivets on the top end.

You can see the two flush rivets above. For now, this is all the riveting you do. Now it's time to assemble it all in the fuselage.

And here it is! It really looks good to see this assembly all in place. All the drilling and deburring that can be done is done for now, and it's ready to receive the top skin. I hope to get to that tomorrow.

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