Section 16 - Top Wing Skins (j-channel; aileron hinge bracket attach)

The final parts of Section 16 have been completed, including riveting the spars, riveting the long and short j-channels, and attaching the outboard aileron hinge bracket:

Everything riveted on the top skin, except the j-channel in this pic:

Section 17 - Outboard Leading Edge (J-channel; stall horn switch)

A few final touches on the outboard leading edge, before attaching it to the main spar assembly.

Drilled tie-down hole:

Section 17 - Outboard Leading Edge (Riveted 7 ribs, splice strip, mount bracket)

I also had time this weekend to rivet the 7 ribs, splice strip and mount bracket to the left outboard leading edge skin.

Looking through a lightening hole at the aft portion of the light bay - black part faces forward, thus why black paint is only on one side:

Section 16 - Top Wing Skins (Outboard Aileron Hinge Bracket success!; more top skin riveting)

After much effort, sweat, worry, and suggestions from a fellow RV-14A builder (thanks again, Ken B.!), I was able to rivet the left outboard aileron hinge bracket without having the bearing stick.  This took me THREE tries, and needless to say, I was getting worried I was just a crappy builder.  Although that may be true, it turns out there is a slight imperfection in how these hinge brackets were made at the factory.  If you line up the rivet holes, which line up well to one another (and like I did the first two tries), then the recesses for the bearing do not align well.  That probably imparts extra force on the races, making the bearing either tight or stuck. This time, I switched the order from what is written in the instructions as well as added a few steps:

- deburr edges and enlarge all bearing holes/recesses a tiny bit (little file, 400 grit sandpaper, scotchbrite pad)
- straighten all three pieces, especially W-1013A
- buff with scotchbrite pad
- clean with acetone, SEM Solve, and then prime with SEM primer; let dry/cure overnight.  When priming, mask off the bearing recesses
- press bearing gently into W-1013A using 11mm and 15mm sockets (NOT the 14mm per instructions, since it is too small)
- make sure the bearing recesses in W-1013C-LX and W-1013C-R fit loosely over the bearing portion that sticks out of both sides of W-1013A.  This is important, since if the bearing fits well within all three of these pieces, the rivet holes do NOT all align!  And, neither do the edges of the three pieces - they look a little "off" but this is perfectly fine
- find a couple holes that are aligned close-enough to cleco
- use a cleco clamp to clamp the area just forward of the bearing (shown below)
- ream and cleco one hole at a time in a semi-random pattern
- deburr and rivet one hole at a time using pneumatic squeezer - start with a couple AN470s
- countersink one of the three top aft holes, and then rivet
- rivet other AD470s and/or countersink and then rivet the AD426s in a random pattern, making sure to leave the aft-most 3 countersunk holes until the end.
- as the bearing gets in the way of the microstop countersink cage, countersink those three aft holes manually, checking with a rivet as you go
- finish riveting with AD426s, starting with the center of the 3 aft-most holes

After this procedure, the bearing moves Like Buttah!  No binding of the bearing whatsoever.  Not sure if I should post to VAF, or send to Van's tech support for their input.

Parts after priming:

Section 17 - Outboard Leading Edge (deburred, dimpled, primed, painted, started riveting)

All steps for the left outboard leading edge have been completed, right up to the point of riveting the skin to the ribs.

Constructed cradles, which can be used for the leading edges and the fuel tanks:

Section 16 - Top Wing Skins (riveting inboard skin to ribs)

We started riveting the top wing skins to the left wing assembly (skin to ribs at this point) starting from the center of the inboard skin.  My wife bucked all but the two inboard ribs.  We started by using a flush rivet set on the outside and a tungsten bucking bar on the inside (shop head), but noticed that this method depressed the skin slightly at the rib line.  We next used a back-riveting bucking bar (large diameter flat head) covered with packing tape on the outside, with an extended back riveting set on the shop head.  This method worked great for the ribs and lessened the slight depression in the skin at the rib line.  However, we had to resort to the former method for areas of the skin overlying the wing-walk doublers, largely because those rivets are seated between 0.003-0.005 inches "proud" (i.e., manufactured heads sit slightly above the skin) as recommended by Van's to avoid over-countersinking the top skin. That area will be covered with a wing-walk pad after painting.

My riveting partner (and wife), checking our work:

Section 16 - Top Wing Skins (drilled, dimpled, countersunk, clecoed)

Final drilled wing walk doublers and inboard top wing skin to wing assembly, then countersunk holes in the top wing skin since this area won't be dimpled.  Dimpled the remaining top flanges of the rest of the ribs that do not contact the wing walk doublers, and dimpled all the remaining holes in the inboard and outboard top wing skins.

Inboard wing skin prior to countersinking:

Section 15 - Rear Spar (Completed, left side)

Finished the rear spar for the left wing; I'm spending more time in the shop than updating the blog, so this post will be brief.

Primed doublers and fork:

Section 15 - Rear Spar (aileron hinge bracket assemblies; spar doublers)

Started the Rear Spar (left side only) by spending an inordinate amount of time prepping the aileron brackets, and trying to figure out which parts of the service bulletin (SB) pertain to folks like me, who are starting the build process (and don't already have a flying airplane that needs the fix).

Parts for both the inboard (shown on the left; i.e., the SB) and outboard (right) were cut/trimmed as necessary, match-drilled, deburred, and primed:

Section 14 - Wing Ribs (Left side completed)

Made up some of the "lost" time this week by starting and finishing the Wing Ribs section (left side, only), and then completed about half of the Rear Spar section (next post).  My wife was extra-supportive this week, taking up all the slack around the house.

Bent flanges so they were all 90deg to the web of each of the 14 ribs: