Scott & Tanya Card RV9A build log (N4822C)

Yee, Haw! We got the fuselage moved to the hangar today. It really went off without a hitch. I had stocked up on tie down straps which came in very handy. I sweated bullets following all the way there. It took a little while for my heart rate to come down. Enjoy the pictures.
Once at the hangar, we unloaded another truck load of stuff (tools, airplane parts, etc.). I got to work undoing some stuff I had secured for the move, and Tanya worked on hangar organization (her forte). I think we’re just about ready to get down to business attaching the wings.

We got back home later in the afternoon. It is shocking to see the garage empty. What do people do that don’t have an airplane in the garage to work on? No, really. This project has been just a few steps away and has had my attention almost each and every day for the last 2.5 years. At no time have I not worked on it in some tangible way for more than a few days. Just as taking on this project was a major shift of lifestyle, this phase will see another major change in the normal daily routine. Exactly how that will play out is yet to be seen. Back to the hangar tomorrow to start working on attaching the wings :).

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

Got the panel labels finished and the canopy is back on. Ready for the move to the hangar in the morning…

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

We finished up riveting on the forward top skin. The access panels are a life saver. I only had to crawl inside for about fifteen rivets on each side. Tanya is a real trooper when it comes time for me to buck nearly impossible, very uncomfortable rivets. I usually ask her to read my mind, let the irritable comments flow right by, and work fast and accurately. She does great when the heat is on, but she is a little slow to help in coming up with new four letter words to throw at the situation :). Can you tell that it was quite an operation to shoot those last few rivets from under the panel? Tanya had the super easy (physical) job shooting them from outside, but I still owe her big. I need to do a little more research on how people are working up under there before the next time I “go in”. I’m now very glad that I didn’t wait, as I had planned, to do this much later at the hangar (now almost summer in Texas), and instead did it in the air-conditioned comfort of the garage. Only time will tell if I have to spend much more time under the panel before flight, but I think everything is set.
I got a few panel labels stuck on. Those will be finished up tomorrow, as well as installing the canopy in prep for the big move on Saturday.

Oh, and for those not paying attention, this was the last skin and the last rivets to be set for this whole project (minus a few nutplates later)!

 

  

  

  

 

We started riveting the top forward skin on. This closes up the location where most of the wiring is so I took a bunch of pictures for my future reference.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

I called the towing company and “scheduled” our fuselage move for Saturday morning. It sounded more like they just made a note that I would need a truck about that time more than an actual scheduled appointment. Asked that I call back Fri. night to be sure everything was still set :).
A few more little things to do (rivet forward top skin, panel labels). I have Friday off work for the final push. Fun times.