20th March 2010

Fuselage assembly & riveting

Hours: 5.1 | Posted in Center Fuselage, Forward Fuselage

Progress is being made on the fuselage riveting…I first set the two remaining rivets on the inboard floor stiffeners, then clecoed in the armrests and baggage side wall ribs.  The lower longerons were bolted to the firewall weldments; torqued, sealed, and the bottom floor skin clecoed in place, followed by the outboard floor stiffeners.

Lower longeron-firewall bolts Inside fuslage at 904 looking aft Fuselage ready to rivet

With all the components now clecoed together, there’s nothing left to do but rivet!  Working from a stepstool as a seat, I was able to reach about 2/3rds of the way up the side walls, and completed everything I could reach back to the 705 bulkhead, along with all the longerons and bulkheads aft of the 706.  I should be able to get most of the baggage walls and 705/706 bulkhead-skin rivets in a similar manner.  I was also able to reach about half the rivets joining the side skin to the outboard seat ribs, by reaching through the aileron pushrod holes.

Forward fuselage riveting progress Seat rib area progress Tailcone riveting complete

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