Matt's RV-7 Project

All I got done tonight was fabricating one of the two seat back braces:

I used an instrument hole punch to make the optional lightening holes:

I fabricated some big and small pieces from raw stock today – not a single prepunched hole to be found. First was the forward tunnel cover, which goes between the seats. For some reason this the only photo I took of it. It turned out pretty well, although if I were to make another one I'd do a better job on the fit between the diagonal forward surface of the side supports and the angled seat pans. You can see the gap that I ended up with, exaggerated in this photo because it's just sitting there loosely and isn't really being pressed down onto the surface.

Then it was on to the seats. You're basically given some corrugated alclad sheet and some angle and hinge stock, and told to go nuts. I trimmed all the angle stock to length, then cut these slots for the hinge with the bandsaw:

They don't tell you precisely where to drill every hole, so I clamped one of the angles to the seat back and marked rivet locations along the sides where they wouldn't interfere with the bent areas.

I drilled holes in the locations I marked, using a fence on the drill press to make a nice straight line. Then I progressively clamped one angle to another and match drilled until I had four side angles with identical rivet spacings. I did a similar thing for the top and bottom angles.

Much fitting and drilling later, here are the two seat backs ready for final drilling.

I'm thinking of just leaving them this way. I hear accupressure is good for the back.

I broke down and bought a bandsaw:

I think this is the same $99 Delta unit that everybody else buys for their RV. I put a 15 TPI blade in it, and it cuts through aluminum like butta. I spent most of my limited evening fiddling around with the 972 little set screw adjustments on it, then used it to cut out these funky looking gussets:

I've got enough finished parts built up now that I can probably do a medium sized batch of fuselage riveting, once I do a medium sized batch of deburring, that is.

I finished fitting and attaching the nutplates that will hold down the baggage floors. I ended up putting a screw and nutplate in each and every one of the prepunched rivet holes. This is probably a ridiculous amount of overkill, especially along the F-706 bulkhead, but it's certainly strong enough.

After vacuuming out about a pound of aluminum shavings from all the drilling and deburring and whatnot, I put in about a third of the screws just to hold things in place. You can also see where I fitted and attached the baggage tunnel cover. The baggage floors are now completely removable but still entirely flush-mounted, which makes them look classy.

I liked the countersunk thing so much I actually drilled out most of the factory-installed K1000 straight nutplates that are used to attach the forward seat pans, and replaced them with K1100 countersunk nutplates too. I figured, why not go all out so everything matches? Also, I was remembering how the panhead screws in my last RV used to tear little holes in the seat upholstery.

I am officially sick and tired of installing nutplates, as well as actually being sick and tired. Now, to rest so Mary can stop worrying. Can you believe she doesn't think it's a good idea to stand up in the garage all weekend when you have a cold? She has these crazy notions about "getting lots of rest" and "drinking plenty of fluids".