Scott & Tanya Card RV9A build log (N4822C)

We finished riveting the aft top skins. Not so much fun crawling back in the tail cone to shoot all those rivets. After the riveting was done I installed the seat belt anchors and did a little anti-chaff protection of the static tubing back there. I used blind rivets for the last three rivets on either side of the forward skin. There is a large bracket behind those locations that make it impossible to shoot a solid rivet. I had long ago planned for this and ground a small recess in those rivet locations into that bracket in order to be able to even get the blind rivets in there. It worked out fine. The canopy frame went on for the last time and we riveted on the upper brace. I had previously made a cover for that brace with some lights in it. I’m quite happy with how it turned out. Lastly I put on the ELT antenna and made a little clip to hold the antenna. I used a blind rivet to secure the clip with a small plastic washer between the clip and the frame.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

Now that the engine is staring at me from the corner of the garage, I’m very motivated to stop slacking and get to work. I got the engine controls fitted in the panel bracket and the support bracket at the sub panel extended down a bit since the panel is lower than stock. I also got the adel clamp locations drilled to support the cables. I worked out the cabin heater cable, cutting it to length and putting a z bend in the end for attachment. I just so happened to have the perfect z-bend tool from the R/C airplane days. I’ve been thinking about how exactly I was going to transition my wiring bundles at the firewall into the center tunnel. I decided I would cut a slot for some flex conduit in the tunnel cover. I did one last “gut check” before riveting all of this upper structure together. I’ve been putting it off for fear of making something more difficult to work on. However, I’ve found myself spending more time trying to keep things removable for just a bit longer than just getting to it and accomplishing stuff. So, with much of the electrical equipment mounting taken care of, the center cutout for the radio trays done, and a ton of other little things pre fitted, I decided to go ahead and rivet the upper sub-panel assembly into place. No more “trial” wiring runs and “pre” fitting of stuff up here… Many thanks to Tanya for spending an hour of her Sunday evening helping me do battle with some of the rivets.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

Whew, it was a full weekend of building. I continued working on the fifth point harness brackets. It turns out that the extra snap bushing holes that I punched a long time ago in the seat ribs were quite in the way of the forward brackets. I notched the brackets and left out two rivets per side to allow for the bushings. Done.

I mounted the fire extinguisher bracket on the aft member behind the flap housing. Then I worked out making a little bracket and actuator assembly for the AOA flap sensor switch. I’m very pleased with my variation on the solution. It was super easy and very effective. Luckily I had run some conduit laterally through the baggage floor ribs which made wiring the switch very simple. I also finished up wiring the flap motor and FPS system. I even temporarily installed the switch in the instrument panel and operated it from there. Woo hoo, very fun to see something operate after the first wiring work.

I don’t have any of my Grand Rapids stuff so I had to make a little paper mock up of the foot print of the air data computer for positioning of a bunch of other stuff in the upper fuselage. I next worked on a battery box for the EFIS aux battery. It is a small 5A battery. Fun with angle aluminum. I’m going to use a couple of long AN3 bolts into nutplates for hold down.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

Still just picking parts and installing. I wanted to get the painted brake pedals off the bench so I installed them and put together the rudder pedal assembly. I did not install it in the airframe quite yet. I used an AN3-60 bolt for the pedal hinge points as opposed to two bolts that tend to bind upon rotation. The -60 is a bit long so I used a few washers.
I assembled the Andair fuel selector valve on the mount plate with some countersunk AN3 bolts. I previously had this put together with normal AN3 hex bolts but could see that I was going to be scraping my knuckles on the bolt heads. I like this much better.
With the rudder cables installed, it was time to finish up the rear cable exits. I had purchased the exit fairings from some time ago. I cleaned them up and riveted them into place and installed the adel clamp on the guides on the inside.
Next up, I mixed up some of my favorite goo, Proseal. I sealed the firewall recess, heater selector, and brake reservoir assemblies to the firewall, as well as put a little glob of proseal on the static port-tube and faired the rudder exit fairings. Tanya helped me rivet the firewall recess on for good. I only mixed up 20g of proseal and applied with a syringe and still had a lot left over.

I downloaded the installation diagram of the GRT magnetometer which has exact dimensions of its case which I used to fabricate a mounting bracket for it in the rear upper fuselage. My bracket is made out of .032 sheet. The bending brake worked great and helped produce a very rigid assembly. I spent a bunch of time with a level and sight making sure this thing was lined up right in each axis.

I should have an order arriving soon from Vans with some fun stuff to work on: Fire extinguisher mounting, main battery, seat belts and 5th point mount kit.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

Today I installed the flap actuator system including the FPS. I did a little pre-assembly on the bench then moved it to the airframe. I fought with the safety wire for a bit but got it worked out. I’m waiting until I install the aft vertical brace to finalize wire lengths and mounting of the FPS unit. I’m waiting to install that brace until I get the fire extinguisher that I want to install on it. The fire extinguisher is in an order being delivered in a couple of days :).

After playing with the flap stuff I decided to tinker with the overhead lights. I’ll never admit how much actual time it took me to wire them up. They work great and are ready to go.