Joshua's RV-9A Project

One more major checkbox is checked tonight…the wing join is complete after a couple hours at the hangar.

Unbolted and removed the fuselage side tank attach brackets, then drilled the tank side for the stubby nutplates called out (after hunting them down, of which there are only two).  Spot primed and riveted the nutplates on, then reinstalled the fuselage side brackets, installed the -4 bolts as described in the plans (not fully torqued, only until the washer is held fast), and safety wired them.  That completes the installation of all the wing join bolts.

Brought supplies to the airport, so I was also able to trim the pitot lines in the belly, and join them with a push-connect union.  While I was in there, I also added some spiral wrap to the headset cable bundle, where it passes near the flap actuator.  Not alot of motion here, but this should prevent the possibility of any chafing.

I’m considering not using nutplates for the wingtip attach, and instead doing something that’s been used by several people before me, and well-documented — affixing the tips with hinges, in the style of the cowling.  It’s supposedly 1) less tedious than doing the 80-some nutplates, 2) looks smoother, since there’s no obvious fastener line/no pillowing between screws, and 3) easier to install & remove for maintenance or whatever (a small issue since the tips are rarely if ever removed in service).  I understand how they’ve done it, and it seems straightforward, the only thing that concerns me is how to account for the kerf removed when trimming the fiberglass piece out.  Still researching.