DuckWorks

Started work on the landing light that will go in the outboard edge of the left wing. Haven't cut any metal yet, just getting the template cut-out, brackets polished,etc.
The actual mount that holds the light will have to be cut, shortened and riveted back together to fit the RV9 model of wing. Out of the box it will fit the RV7 and RV8 wings.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Blue Madness

Removing the blue plastic is always super tedious... this is how i removed it from the skin a section at a time while i'm deburring the holes.
All the skins for the left wing are now cleaned(deburred) including the sharp edges removed. They are now ready for dimpling.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

DELUXE Fuel Caps

Tad and I decided to change the stock fuel caps with these VERY nice ones. This pic shows after countersinking them to match the dimples in the fuel tank skin.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

SafeAir Pitot Mast

While i had the skin still on the bottom of the left wing i drilled out the Pitot Mast. i used a step drill in three places and then finished it with a small sanding drum on the Dremel.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

T905 Attach Brackets

Tad made this up from some stock angle aluminum(supplied in the kit). these attach the front nose of the tank to the fuselage.
The reason one edge is polished is because he sized them to fit approximately... i cleaned them up a bit more so they'll fit inside the nose rib flange.
You do great work Tad!

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

T708 and T407 Tank Brackets

this took more time than it looks. the large hole in the rib needed to be cut out, i used Tad's aluminum nibblers and then cleaned up the edges with a sanding drum on the drill press. this worked pretty well, just time consuming. the holes for the screws and rivets in the T407 where already pre-drilled so i used those to match drill the rib... then dimpled the rib and then countersunk the T407 ring... THEN riveted nut-plates to the T407 ring. all this makes a smooth surface so it can be sealed with a 'Vans Cork Gasket' and ProSeal.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

the other side ... the hole in the middle will hold the Float sending unit.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Fuel Drain

Match drilled the fuel drain.
used an old metric bolt to aid in centering the flange over the hole. used painters tape on the other side to take up the space between the skin and flange.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Countersink Left Tank Skin

To countersink these holes in the tank skin i used the rear baffle to support the countersink bit. after testing this on numerous scrap pieces, i committed to drilling them to their final size. They all came out very consistent and just a little shallow to allow for sealant to seal properly.
rear baffle attached...

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Tank Stiffeners

Shaped and match drilled all the Left Tank Stiffeners...

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Wing Tanks

No formal updates on the blog for a while but have been working on the wings. All the skins on the left wing are matched drilled now. Next was the Tank assembly. This is done mostly off of the wing skeleton except for when it comes to fitting the tank attach brackets. The way Van's wants you to do them seems a bit odd to me but after a lot of double-checking i got them drilled and nut-plates installed. Making the tank jig made the process of getting the ribs into the skin much easier.

Tank Z Brackets...

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Leading Edge Splice/Doubler W919

This W919 splice piece will join the tank skin and the leading edge skins together. getting this inserted between the rib and skin was a bit tedious but manageable. it will have nut-plates installed at a later point.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build