Section 20 - Bottom Wing Skins (finished left outboard skin); Section 23 - Aileron Actuation (torque tube install; pushrod install)

If I haven't yet mentioned how much I dislike riveting bottom wing skins, let me mention it here:  it sucks, bigly. But, they are now done, with some help from my wife on areas that I simply couldn't stretch to rivet (about 80 rivets in two bays). I departed from Van's instructions, and just riveted everything that I could reach at the point I could best reach the rivets.  This generally meant going from inboard to outboard (thanks Ken B. for this suggestion!) and aft to forward where possible. For parts that I could not rivet on my own, my wife manned the rivet gun and I streeeeetched to reach rivets in unsightly places. Once the skins were done, I then attached the torque tube (didn't need any extra washers for spacing) and final-installed the torque tube-to-bellcrank pushrod. I noticed that the pushrod is right in the area where my nice pitot/AOA tubing needs to go; when I final-install the Garmin GAP-26, I'll have to bend the tubing around the pushrod a bit.  The left wing went back in the wing stand, the right main spar came out of the crate, and the crate was ejected from the workshop.  Progress!

Oh, and I helped Ken B. move his RV-14A wings to a hangar, as well as mount an engine!  There are certain tasks like these that require a village ... or at least a couple extra hands.

Early on in riveting the left outboard lower skin - those 8 rivets around the flap bracket are a real chore:

Section 20 - Bottom Wing Skins (riveted inboard lower skin); Section 21 - Flaps (prepped skins; drilled wedge, nose ribs, hinge brackets); Section 23 - Aileron Actuation (finished torque tube and pushrods)

Good progress this week, especially considering I spent much of it slowly riveting the inboard lower skin to the wing (and did that entire skin without assistance from a bucking partner). I bought a new 1.5lb tungsten bar that fits in tight spaces far better than my larger tungsten bar, which aided the process considerably.  Of course, there was a learning curve - for example, if the bucking bar doesn't feel right, don't just pull the trigger (i.e., I made a couple slight dings). Likewise, I started this process with the gun air pressure way too high, and soon dialed it back down after a few rivets. Overall, the lower skins are a real pain in the ass - you work for every rivet by stretching, figuring out how to bend the skin some (but not too much) in order to reach ... not a fun process, but a decent learning experience.  The rest of the week included finishing the left torque tube, the left bellcrank-to-aileron pushrod, and making good progress on the left flap. Details follow:

Riveted the threaded rod end to the internally primed steel tube by sloooowly squeezing the -11 (!) rivets with the Cleaveland Tool Main Squeeze manual squeezer.  These long rivets wanted to lean over, so I had to adjust the angle several times:

Section 20 - Bottom Wing Skins (prepped lower skins; wired/plumbed pitot/AOA); Section 21 - Flaps (both skeletons/assemblies); Section 23 - Aileron Actuation (2 pushrods, left bellcrank, torque tube subs)

I got a ton accomplished this past ~week:

1) riveted nutplates to Gretz mount; started and finished tubing and wiring Garmin GAP-26 heated Pitot/AOA (had to enlarge 8 holes to fit SB500-6 snap bushings)
2) Fabricated left torque tube to bellcrank pushrod; installed left aileron bellcrank upside down)
3) reinstalled left aileron bellcrank correctly; fabricated torque tube subassemblies (CS-00009 and WD-1014)
4) BOTH sides - fabricated flap/aileron cradle; drilled hinge brackets; rod-end rib subassembly (drilled, deburred); hinge pair rib subassembly (drilled, deburred); cut tabs on ribs
5) BOTH sides - deburred all ribs (edges/holes); deburred spars; attached main and nose ribs and hinge assemblies to spars; fabricated trailing edge wedges (VA-140); assembled flap skeletons
6) used new die grinder and cutoff wheel to cut aileron to bellcrank pushrod and torque tube collar; drilled pushrod, match-drilled threaded rod ends, deburred pushrod and rod ends, primed inside of pushrod.

Importantly, Ken B., a fellow RV-14A builder and experienced RV mentor, was kind enough to drive an hour each way to visit my project and check my work ... and (as always) he let me ask him a bunch of questions.  Thanks again, Ken!!!  It's nice to know that I can "build on" rather than have to redo anything major :)

Finished fabricating the Gretz pitot mount (riveted nutplates, and checked install on wing):

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (finished and leak-tested right fuel tank); Section 20 - Bottom Wing Skins (ADAHRS bracket/harness; lower skins finished; Gretz Pitot mount)

Had to attend a 5 day work conference this past week, so I did not get to do as much on the build as I would have liked - nevertheless, the major milestone of finishing and leak-testing the right fuel tank was completed this week ... and good news, I now have two leak-free tanks! Well, leak-free with air - not oozing 100LL is a different matter, and that won't be tested until I move everything to a hangar.

The following was also completed this week (from this point forward, I will cut/paste detailed tasks from my MS Excel log sheet, to make posting on this blog a little easier):  riveted right tank baffle, installed fuel finger strainer and plug, and, installed fuel drain CAV-110 (all with Permatex #2); installed fuel cap; deburred long and short j-channels - lower; deburred holes in ADAHRS mounting bracket; dimpled j-stiffeners/channels; drilled and deburred nutplate attach holes; deburred edges of both lower skins; deburred holes in inboard and outboard lower skin; finished fabricating GMU-22 9pin ADAHRS connector; tapered and primed overlapping corners on forward part of lower skins; dimpled inboard and outboard lower skins; worked on Gretz pitot mount (made hole in skin, drilled skin, final holes drilled, dimpled, primed); riveted ADAHRS mount assembly together and to the j-stiffener.

Right fuel tank, nearly completed:

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (left tank attach; right tank near-completion); Section 19 - Wing Systems Routing (Gretz mount for pitot/AOA); Section 20 - Bottom Wing Skins (finished gap fairings; started ADAHRS bracket)

I worked on 3 different sections in the wing kit this week, and got a lot accomplished:  Fuel tank, wing systems routing, and bottom wing skins.  Specifically, I did the following:  riveted j-stiffener and attach bracket; Prosealed (4th cartridge) inboard aft rib and bulkhead union and nut, encapsulated shop heads of rivets in j-channel and attach bracket; finished attaching left fuel tank (screws and final-torqued bolts and applied torque seal); worked on Gretz mount for Garmin AOA/Pitot - planned, cut, drilled, deburred.  Fabricated L-bracket (Gretz mount), drilled, deburred, and it is ready for priming and installation on rib; riveted inboard aft rib to skin, attach bracket, and inboard forward rib; installed and tightened fuel vent line; installed fuel float; Prosealed (5th cartridge) fuel level sender, checked continuity; prosealed & clecoed baffle and z-brackets to tank; wet-installed pop-rivets; finished and installed flap gap and aileron gap fairings to top skin and rear spar; and, match-drilled ADAHRS mounting plate to lower j-stiffener - short.

Riveted attach bracket to right skin:

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (Riveted ribs; prosealed attach bracket, j-stiffener, shop heads; leak tested left tank; left tank mounting); Section 19 - Wing Systems Routing (ran WH-00011 and WH-00012 harnesses)

This week, I took a little time away from my project to help a friend, Ken B., attach the main gear and nose gear to his RV-14A; it was an all-day experience, but well worth the effort (see pics below). It was motivating to see what is nearly the end of his project, and thus when I returned home last week, I continued working on my wing kit with renewed gusto:

Riveted 7 ribs to skin, prosealed (3rd cartridge) j-stiffener, attach bracket, 11 stiffener shop heads, 5 internal rib shop heads - just enough to cover everything; prepared, scuffed and dimpled baffle; scuffed z-brackets; marked places where proseal is needed on shop heads (mostly stiffeners); cut and flared vent tubing; and, final leak-tested LEFT tank (no leaks!), and partially installed the left tank onto left wing.  I also had some time to run the WH-00011 harness (lights) and the WH-00012 harness (ADAHRS), and crimped and installed the wire to stall horn switch prior to installing the fuel tank (easier access to stall horn switch).

Pics from Ken's gear-attach party:

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (left leak test; right ribs etc. prep)

Completed the first-pass leak test for the left tank, as well as a number of odds-and-ends on the right tank.  A couple hours each day can get a lot accomplished ... even when my 80 year old mother visited (her nap time was a great chance to go back into the shop).

Prepped parts for first Proseal event for right tank: