This entry is a few months late and highly motivated by the fact that the next kit arrived August 18th, 2021, so I better close off this chapter officially on the blog.
Here’s what Troy ended up completing on March 28th, 2021. The end.
The aft fuselage with the vertical stabilizer temporarily mounted – from a flat crate to an airplane bum, what a journey this first kit has been!
Well okay… a bit more happened. I’ll do my best to recall why I took the following images but this will be primarily a pictorial entry.
The first wires are being run for the airplane! The first image shows the wiring for tail light and elevator trim. The 2nd image is straight on view from the front of the aircraft looking towards the back. The last image is the static port, which measures airflow and is integral to the functioning of many of the airplane’s instruments – Wikipedia does a pretty good job of explaining some of this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitot-static_system.
There was a lot of cleco setting and riveting… all I could think about was that movie poster from the 80s – Hellraiser.
A seriously nerve wracking move, so many things in the garage that could dent all the delicate sheet aluminum! One dent and all this would have been for naught!
This probably was one of the toughest parts for Troy – trying to figure out how to build a platform inside the fuselage without damaging it so that he could lay inside. This was a two person riveting job as I needed to be on the outside with the bucking bar.
Setting these rivets required a two people and 4 hands! The next time we do this, both of us will be wearing ear protection!
And there it was! A completed rear fuselage that is currently hanging on the roof of our garage until it’s needed for final assembly.
and now… stay tuned for the next chapter of Troy’s RV14-A build, the wings!
From The Right Seat 