Riveting plastic parts is a problem, because it easily cracks. But ‘normal’ rivets and even blind rivets can crack the material. The trick is to place a dimpled aluminum square at the plastic side with the dimple outward. Thus provides enough flexibility to rivet the part.

Because I use flush rivets I dimple the Fuselage skin and countersink the plastic Air Vent.

After dimpling the Fuselage skin, we can apply the sealant kit to the Air Vent and also a few drops on the back to keep the small aluminum squares in place.

Initially I installed the Air Vents with cleco’s to keep it in place and let the sealant cure.

After a few hours we riveted the Air Vents. If you don’t use the small aluminum squares the pressure of the rivet by the bucking bar will break the plastic.

From the inside you can see these small aluminum squares on the Air Vent flange. I’m installing the hose which transports the air to the internal Vents in the cockpit.

The ‘standard’ plastic internal Vents from Van’s are said to be no good. I’ve never checked it, but believe the rumors and ordered nice aluminum Vents from the get go.

Some modifications are required, as the Van’s panel does not provide a four hole bracket. There are only three holes and you have to carefully trim one corner away.

While the glue sealing the Air Vents is curing, we start on the battery casing. The plans from Van’s show how to build the battery casing/bracket. However the online store where I bought the battery is targeted to race cars, which mean they sell a light weight aluminum bracket that I can use.

I modified it very slightly, so the battery won’t pop out at heavy negative G’s and I grue some rubber strips in the bracket to prevent vibrations.

A nice view on the inside of the forward fuselage. You can see the finished Brake Lines (including the connections to the Brake Fluid Cylinder. Also the final construction of the Air Vents including the hose looks good. According to the Van’s manual, we should use the Royco 782 brake fluid. Since that is hard to get here, I hesitated to use race bike fluids, but I couldn’t get details on the flash point. So I decided to order a few quarts in Germany.

This is the other side of the firewall, where we placed the battery casing at the same place that Van’s advocates in its plans. Since I’m going to place the Firewall recess on this side, I made a small shim at the bottom of the Battery bracket to fill the gap. Actually I don’t need the firewall recess as my ULPower engine is so light I have to place it 8 inches forward. But since the heating fits connected to the recess I just install it.

Time: 5 Hours, Rivets:  27/0 (2020-05-13)

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There is no way you can insert the lines clean through the brackets. So I decided to make part of the bracket removable. Now I can insert the Fuel Lines easy in the brackets.

After yet another day of messing with Fuel Lines, the result looked great.

Time: 4 Hours, Rivets: 36/4 (2020-04-27)

Time: 3 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-04-28)

Time: 3 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-04-29)

Time: 3 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-04-30)

Time: 4 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-05-02)

Time: 3 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-05-02)

I did some initial bending of sample lines, but somehow couldn’t find out how the ‘hand tubeing bender’ works. After this experience I actually did RTFM!
And I watched several YouTube video’s that explained it. It always seems so simple when experts do it.

The bigger the frustration when you try it and you mangle a piece of Aluminum until it’s FUBAR.
First step is measuring the tube and cutting of the part you need for a specific Fuel line.

We need two feed lines (left and right) and a single return line. The ULPower 520 iSA is an electronic injected engine and requires a return line.
I decided to make a single return line to the left wing. The Sport Cruiser has a similar approach.

While my Dad uses a electric wire to bend a template, I’m widening the holes, so the Fuel lines and the grommet fit the hole.

The Fuel line cover plate needs to fit exactly in the corner of the ‘bend’.

We discuss how the routing of the left feed line relates to the return line. I figured that we should use different routing, but it is now too late. Good thing I had to redo everything

Next day, I concentrated on the Elevator tips.

The lead counter balance weight at the forward side of the elevator tab is trimmed aft as per the drawing. However in hind-side I think it would be better to trim it at the front.

At least then there is enough room for some glass fiber covering. Now I did create the glass fiber cover, only to grind it all away in the finishing.

In order to ‘connect’ he tip to the glass fiber front, I also put some resin on the tip itself.

The fit is good and no I can let it cure (dry) for some time.

After clecoing the tips to the Elevator, I can start riveting them together.

Because I don’t need ‘entry’ to the Elevator and Rudder tips, I use blind rivets to attach them. There is no way you can use ‘normal’ rivets. You could install screws, but that is overkill.

While the tips dry, I use the remaining epoxy resin (you always make too much), to fill the gap between the Elevator and the trim tab. The gap widens at the end and I want a consistent gap. Nothing a little resin can’t solve.

And while we’re at it, we also apply it to the blind rivets and the Glass Fiber – Aluminum connection.

Of course as a noob with resin, I apply too much and I regret it the next day when I have to grind all the excess resin away.
Oh well, learned yet some more.

Time: 5 Hours, Rivets: 11/3 (2020-04-11)

Time: 6 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-04-18)

Time: 4 Hours, Rivets: 19/0 (2020-04-19)

Time: 3 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-04-22)

Time: 3 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-04-23)

Time: 2 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-04-25)

Time: 2 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-04-26)

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The disadvantages of this design is that I need to move the fuel selector position and some pilots claim the pedestal connecting the Console to the Panel minimizes leg room.

This is how it would look if I can ‘extrude’ the fuel selector and mount it in the pedestal.
I’ve also drawn the switches on the Console and Pedestal.

This second design eliminates the moved fuel selector and it keeps the leg room. Of course the Pedestal is gone.

Here’s the side view of the same design. The fuel selector is at it’s original location.
Now check what I did with the Throttle handle.

I created a slit in the handle and tapped thread in it. Then I use a slightly bigger bolt and insert it on the hollow side of the handle. I sawed the bolt, so it is flush with the handle. Took me half a day, but I think it’s worth it.

This is my fist idea with a center console going up to the panel. It provides a nice place to install the radio and transponder and it looks professional.

The main problem is that it reduces leg room when flying alone. Checking the flaps en center drawings looking at the possibilities.

I’ve integrated the throttle quadrant and it looks great. For my engine (ULPower 520iSA) I don’t need a mixture control, as it uses an ECU for that. Also the pitch control for the Airmaster prop is fully automatic.

A big advantage of the center console going up to the panel is the routing of the throttle cable. You can simply use the original routing of Van’s.

I also made an alternative center console without the part going up to the panel.

This preserves the leg room and the original locathion of the fuel selector. However it will require changes to my panel layout and I have to solve the throttle cable routing. Currently this is my nr.1 choice.

Time: 4 Hours, Rivets: 42/2 (2020-03-14)

Time: 2 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-03-18)

Time: 5 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-03-22)

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Tricky part is to insert the different control push rods and fasten them to the Control Column. Mainly removing the spaces between hinges and eyebolts by filling the space with washers. This isn’t easy, because there is not much room to operate.

Here is the control column pushrod that connects both the control sticks to each other.

Finished and it looks great to see both control sticks work with no tolerance.

Time: 3 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-03-11)

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Right of the bat, I forgot this handy tip and attach it t the bulkhead. Took me another visit a few weeks later that he refreshed my memory. So I will have to remove this construction again.

Second error is building all the parts of the Flap Actuator bracket and only then attaching it to the bulkhead. You will end up with a twist in the bracket. So another thing that needs to be fixed in the future.

Closing up the Flap Actuator bracket and screwing it to the seat bulkhead.

Here’s where my ancient desktop computer power supply (that I treasured all these years in the attic) comes handy. The Flap Actuator works.

Now I can attach the side skins of the bracket orat least check if it all fits.

Going forward to the fuel lines panels, the fuel selector and the tunnel towards the firewall.

This is the intended position of the fuel selector plate. The part sticking up in an angle is necessary if you build a manual trim, which nobody does. However I’m considering reusing part of the angle to install the fuel selector in an angle and making it part of a center console connecting to the panel. But that’s just a thought right now.

The forward tunnel cover requires a lot of work, because there are many nutplates in there.

Time: 3 Hours, Rivets:  0/0 (2020-02-12)

Time: 3 Hours, Rivets: 29/0 (2020-02-15)

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Back to building; The Baggage Floor is riveted to the floor ribs with blind rivets (better known by a former brand name: pop rivets).

However the side at the push rod tunnel consists of nutplates being flush riveted together with both the rib and the floor plate. This is a great solution and it provides the means to screw the tunnel cover (and remove it later).

The rest is all blind riveting.

The Seat Floors are fastened similarly. The side is attached together with the nutplates, the rest is again blind riveting.

While I’m working on the Floor plates, my dad is threading the push tubes for the Flaps.

Those are made of Aluminum tube and you have to thread these on both sides yourself, so you can screw the eyebolts of the Flap actuator and the flap itself in there.

Special care is taken when riveting the Baggage Floor, Seat Floor and Seat Bulkhead together. These rivets are hard te insert, as they construction might be ever so slightly different than when drilling.

A bigger problem is the gusset of the RV-7 (tail wheel) that connects the Main Bulkhead to the Forward longerons. This just doesn’t fit and checking with others it turns out to be “typical”. Takes some time and ingenuity to get it fit.

I primed a lot of parts, so we are just trying how stuff should go together in the forward fuselage.

Finishing the Seat Floors with blind riveting them to the seat ribs.

Inserting the seat backs looks great.

Time: 4 Hours, Rivets:  72/0 (2020-02-08)

Time: 4 Hours, Rivets: 114/3 (2020-02-09)

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The black (thicker cleco’s fit in the #19 drilled holes. The little angle is for attaching the Flap casing back side.

The Seat floors hold the three piano hinges that allow for adjusting the seat backs to different positions. Unfortunately you can’t back rivet them, because they require ‘normal’ (non-flush) rivets. Hence I need the rivet-gun with the special round mouth.

The piano hinge of the Seat-back brace can be riveted with the squeezer. Notice the lighting holes that reduce the weight.

Now I can start with the actual Seat (back). The seat bottom is just the floor itself.

Most parts can be riveted with the squeezer, however the piano hinge part on the Seat-back and the top angle stiffener require the rivet-gun.

Every time when I work with the squeezer, I get instant joy. Sure it’s an expensive piece of tooling, but it pays of every Euro.

Inserting the piano hinge pin. I decided to add a little polymer kit on both sides to lock the pin up, but still be able to disassemble if necessary.

Wauw, the Seats really look great once installed. I’m very satisfied by how they came out. Now I can start thinking of the Upholstery of the Seats.

The mid channel cover will be placed between the seats and covers the forward part of the elevator pushrod channel. The aft part is covered by the Flap motor casing.

All these parts need to be removable later, to enable access to the pushrod. So all these holes have platenuts and the parts are screwed to the Fuselage.

I have to drill a very small hole in the Flap actuator rod, to enable safety wiring to be installed. Safety wiring prevents rotating parts to come loose.

With the Flap motor and actuator arm connected to the Flap push rod (or whatever that is called), I can now install it in the Fuselage.

Time: 6 Hours, Rivets: 285/0 (2020-02-05)

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Turns out I can’t (duh). I screwed up by placing an angle I drilled to the wrong side of the seat back and used it as a drill guide. Nice hole, wrong place. However most of the time I’m a lucky bastard. Just by shear coincidence, Van’s accidentally shipped three seat backs. So the only part I fubarred, is the one that they shipped in excess. What are the odds on that?

Ok, warned by this screw-up, we finished the rest of the seat without a hitch.

The side rails of the seat, lay over the piano hinge at the bottom. This can only work if you file a small ridge of the side rails enough to cover the piano hinge.

Last part is drilling the piano hinges of the seat adjuster.
Moving on to the Flaps or the actuator to be more precise.

I choose the electrical flap actuator, although I think it’s not possible to build a manual flap actuator in an RV. At least I never seen one.

The Flap actuator is housed between the seats and its a motor that drives the Flaps rod. We are fitting the Flap actuator side skins to the back plate. The forward side is pre-drilled.

After match drilling, it is now time to install the motor. Again follow the manual, because although it looks trivial, the correct order in doing stuff delivers a better fit (trust me, because I didn’t).

Next day I installed the actual flap actuation rod. It has three hinge brackets. Especially the middle one, on which I’m working here, is tricky to install.

With all the parts match drilled, again the boring deburring, scuffing and degreasing process prior to priming follows.

Because (to me) there is a considerable overhead in priming, I batch the different parts into a single priming session. In this case I prepare the Seats, Forward Cabin and the Flap actuator.

Almost nearing the end of the Fuselage kit material. in two months my Finish kit will arrive, so I hope I don’t have too much downtime.

Time: 5 Hours, Rivets: 0/0 (2020-01-29)

Time: 2 Hours, Rivets: 0/0 (2020-02-01)

Time: 4 Hours, Rivets: 0/0 (2020-02-02)

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