Steve's Space: Rear Fuselage Assembly

Rear Fuselage Skins

11/23/12 - Moved from sawhorses back to tables. Placed Bottom Fuselage Skin (75F1-1) on the table and attached to the Rear Bottom Fuselage Skin (75F1-2) with clecoes. Drilled and clecoed the bottom Rear Fuselage Longerons (75F2-2) to the bottom fuselage skins. Total Time = 3 hours.

Drilling Holes in Bottom Skin

Bottom Fuselage Skin Attached to Longerons

11/24/12 - Cut "L" Angles to size for the lateral stiffeners. Installed with clecoes to the bottom skin and drilled to proper size. Cut "L" Angles to size for the diagonal stiffeners, clecoed and drilled holes to proper size. Installed Torque Tube Bearing Channel (75F4-5) and fitted horizontal tail frames with clecoes. Cut "Z" Channels to proper size for installation around the access hole and drilled holes to proper size. Cut "L" Angles to proper size for installation on each side of the "Z" channels and drilled holes to proper size. Total time = 9 hours.

Finished Bottom Skin

11/25/12 - Installed Bottom Skin Gussets (75F4-8), drilled holes to proper size and clecoed in place. Finished drilling remaining holes in bottom skin, then removed and set it aside. Installed Rear Fuselage Longeron (75F2-2) to the Fuselage Side Skin (75F1-3) and Rear Fuselage Side Skin (75F1-4), drilled holes and clecoed in place. Total Time = 4 hours.

Longeron Attached to Passenger Side Skin

12/8/12 - Cut "L" Angles to size for the lateral stiffeners. Installed stiffeners, clecoed in place and drilled to proper size. Cut "L" Angles for the diagonal stiffeners, clecoed in place and drilled holes to proper size. Clecoed the Upright (75F3-4) and the Side Channel (75F4-1) to the Passenger Side Skin (75F1-3). Drilled out holes in Longeron (75F2-2) and attached to the Pilot Side Skin (75F1-3). Total Time = 7 hours.

Adding Upright and Side Channel to the Side Skin

12/9/12 - Cut "L" Angles for the lateral and diagonal stiffeners, drilled and clecoed in place. Clecoed the Upright (75F3-4) and the Side Channel (75F4-1) to the Pilot Side Skin. Drilled all holes to their proper size in the stiffeners and longeron. Total time = 7 hours.

Finished Pilot Side Skin

12/15/12 - Aligned the Pilot and Passenger Skin with the Bottom Skin and clecoed the H.T. Section in place. Drilled (2) locating holes on both bottom longerons. Removed the Pilot Side Skin and drilled the remaining holes in the longeron. Removed the Passenger Side Skin and drilled the remanining holes in the longeron. Reassembled the Pilot and Passenger Skins to the Bottom Skin and clecoed them in place. also placed masking tape in place for stability. Cut off excess material from the top longerons so that longerons are flush with the edge of the side skins. Clecoed the Rear Wing Attachment (75F4-4) to the Top Channel (75F3-6) and then clecoed to the side channel and the top channel. Positioned the Top Skin (75F2-1) onto the top of the rear fuselage. Clecoed the top skin into the the top channel and drilled (2) locating holes into the top longerons. Removed the Top Skin and placed on the table for drilling. Total Time = 9 hours.

Attaching Side Skins to the Bottom Skin

Drilling Holes in the Top Skin

12/16/12 - Drilled holes through the top skin into the top longerons. Opened up the holes to the proper size. Cut "L" Angles for the lateral and diagonal stiffeners, drilled and clecoed in place. Cut "L" Angles, drilled and clecoed them to the top of the H.T. Frames. Total Time = 8 hours.

Cut "L" Angles and Attached to the Top of the H.T. Frames

12/22/12 - Drilled out holes in the Top Skin to the proper size. Reattached the Top Channels to the Fuselage. Trimmed "L" angles behind rear windows by 20 mm. Attached Baggage Back Channels (75F6-7) to the Baggage Back (75F5-2). Cut three "L" Angles to 675 mm, then drilled holes in them and attached to the back of the Baggage Back with clecoes. Inserted Baggage Back into the rear fuselage. Attached the Baggage Angle (75F6-5) to the top of the Baggage Back, then drilled and clecoed baggage angle in place. Cut "L" Angles to 260 mm, then drilled and clecoed them to the Baggage Floor (75F5-3). Clecoed Baggage Floor to the Baggage Back. Total Time = 6 hours.

Baggage Back Clecoed in Place

12/23/12 - Reattached the Top Skin to the Fuselage and fitted properly in place. Drilled holes in Horizontal Tail section and the Baggage Top. Drilled holes in the Rear Top Channel (75F3-7) and Top Channel Angle (75F3-9). Total Time = 5 hours.

Reattaching the Top Skin to the Fuselage

12/30/12 - Installed Top Doubler (75F4-3) onto the top skin and drilled holes to the proper size. Drilled remaining holes to the proper size in the top skin. Drilled baggage skin to the proper size. Drilled remaining holes in the rear fuselage to the proper size. Total Time = 7 hours.

Drilling Out Remaining Holes to Proper Size

12/31/12 - Removed the Top Skin. Drilled holes in the H.T. section "L" Angles. Disassembled top skin on the table and started deburring holes. Cleaned the surface with Scotch-Brite and then coated all the surfaces with Cortec anti-corrosion. Total Time = 5 hours.

Deburring Top Skin Holes

1/1/13 - Happy New Year! Clecoed together the top skin parts and riveted the Top Skin together and then placed it aside. Removed the Passenger Side Skin and placed it on the table. Removed all the clecoes, deburred, cleaned and applied corrosion protection to all the parts. Total Time = 7 hours.

Top Skin Riveted Together

1/5/13 - Riveted Passenger Side Skin together, then set it aside. Removed the Pilot Side Skin from the fuselage and began deburring all the parts. Finished deburring, cleaned and coated all parts with Cortec anti-corrosion. Total Time = 5 hours.

Applying Cortec Anti-Corrosion Protection

Side Skin Riveted Together

1/6/13 - Riveted Pilot Side Skin together and set it aside. Drilled holes for the access panel nut plates and then started taking apart the Bottom Skin. Deburred, cleaned all parts and added corrosion protection. Total Time = 9 hours.

All Bottom Skin Parts Ready for Cortec Anti-Corrosion

1/12/13 - Clecoed together the stiffeners and vaious parts to the Bottom Skin. Drilled holes for the Access Panel nut plates then riveted the nut plates to the bottom skin. Riveted all of the stiffeners and parts to the bottom skin. Filed down the edge of the Flap Motor Mount (75C1-1) so that it would fit in between the longeron and the "Z" channel on the passenger side of the bottom skin. Aligned the mount and drilled the appropriate size holes in the Flap Motor Mount and the bottom skin. Removed the mount to be installed at a later time. Total Time = 6 hours.

Bottom Skin Riveted Together

1/27/13 - Riveted the "L" Angles to the top of the H.T. Frames Clecoed the Passenger and Pilot Side Skins to the Bottom Skin. Positioned the Top Skin on top of the fuselage and clecoed it in place. Riveted the Side Skins to the Top and Bottom Longerons. Attached the top doublers to the Top Skin with clecoes. Total Time = 5 hours.