27 - Firewall (completed); 28 - Fwd Fuse Lower Structure (riveted to firewall assembly; prosealed)

The firewall-related sections are starting to take shape!  I'm really enjoying building this RV-14A - Van's, you did an excellent job with the instructions and overall assembly process.  I'm constantly amazed when all the holes align.  I used "Proseal" again this week - I really missed the smell, and I've grown fond of using it.  Here are the specifics for this week:

- riveted nose gear brackets and firewall angles to tunnel sides; dimpled stainless steel firewall sides
deburred, countersunk and primed firewall angles; riveted angles and gussets to firewall sides; deburred and dimpled firewall top; deburred, countersunk and primed firewall angle (F-01401D)
- deburred angles and gussets for firewall; countersunk relay doubler; dimpled firewall center
- deburred and dimpled forward bottom skins; drilled holes for COM antennae in skins; separated and deburred doublers, hangers, and fuel pump brackets; dimpled antennae doublers; dimpled skin stiffeners; prepped muffler shroud
- fuel tank sealant (“proseal”) used to seal top to side firewalls; tunnel sides attached to firewall; sealed center firewall (only fully clecoed at this point)
- riveted stiffeners and antennae doublers to forward bottom skins; prosealed muffler shroud sides to forward bottom skins (clecoed only; riveted muffler shroud ramp to sides, muffler doublers and muffler hanger angles; riveted fuel pump brackets to muffler shroud and added 4 nutplates
- riveted firewall skins to angles, nosewheel brackets, and gussets
- riveted relay doubler to firewall; riveted all nutplates to firewall
- riveted muffler shroud sides to forward bottoms skins; deburred and riveted cover bases to firewall assembly; prosealed and riveted firewall assembly to muffler shroud and bottom skins; clecoed rest of firewall assembly to bottom skins

Riveted nosewheel attachments to tunnel sides:

26 - Mid Fuse Lower Structure (finished section); 27 - Firewall (tunnel sides; cover angles)

The fuselage is starting to take shape - this week saw the completion of the mid fuselage lower structure, which encompasses all the seat ribs and all the baggage ribs, as well as two bulkheads, much of which was back-riveted to the center bottom skin (thanks to my wife, who bucked the manufactured rivet heads using the back-rivet bucking bar).  Here are the tasks accomplished this week:

- Assembled aft gear brace assembly; riveted seat rib angles to aft gear brace assembly; back-riveted aft gear brace assembly to skin; clecoed center bottom skin to ribs and bulkheads
- dimpled baggage ribs; fluted lower aft flanges of baggage ribs; played with pneumatic metal sheet nibbler
- riveted step attach brackets to weldments to outboard baggage ribs; riveted step attach ribs to outboard baggage ribs; riveted side frame assemblies to baggage ribs; riveted everything to become a larger baggage rib assembly with side frames; riveted nutplates to floor stiffener and power outlet brackets; riveted nutplates to weldments
- back-riveted seat ribs to center bottom skin; riveted baggage ribs to seat ribs and bulkhead; clecoed center bottom skin to baggage ribs
- riveted baggage ribs to bottom center skin; riveted floor stiffener to side frames
- separated deburred firewall angles; deburred and riveted nutplates and cover angles to tunnel sides; riveted support angle to left firewall angle

The new update to Apple's MacOS screws up the order in which photos are uploaded to Blogger ... so these are once again out of order (and it's more of a PITA to reorder them than it's worth).

Riveted seat rib angles to seat ribs: