Matt’s RV7 Build Log

Tasks Completed:

• Finished drilling stiffeners and gussets to firewall
• Drilled spacers, doubler and L/R F601J
• Disassembled firewall structure for deburring and countersinking

Tasks Completed:

• Fabricated F601E stiffener
  
• Started match drilling stiffeners and gussets to firewall

Tonight I snuck in an hour fabing the rest of the firewall parts. I fit and clecoed everything together in preperation for match drilling tomorrow.

Tasks Completed:

• Fabricated the brake line doubler and spacers.
• Deburred the remaining parts for the firewall skeleton.

I made the rest of the firewall parts including the right F601J. The sequnece of parts is pretty straight forward but it looks to be challenging to get everything lined up to drill–especially the two gussets behind 601J. Another hour of parts prep and then I can drill everything.

Tasks Completed:

• Made F601J-R
• Made the right spacer and brake line doubler 

My how time flies. Work has been killing me. We are hitting the spring cleaning hard in the basement. On top of it all, I got sick last week. So this is my first post in a while but I am happy to report that I have started the firewall this weekend. As the picture shows, I am in the middle of prepping all the support structure.

I built a rack to hang the tail pieces from. Plus I have made major strides in clearing out an area to hold the wing racks when they get here in April. My goal is to have the bulkheads done by then, but its not looking likely.

Tasks Completed:

• Deburred  firewall pieces
• Made F-601 J-L

I need to source a 1/4″ metal tube in order to drill the elevator horns. Time to search some builder websites.

Tasks Completed:

• Finished trimming HS skin to fit elevator counterbalance 

Tonight I got the horzontal stabilizer back out and began doing all the final assembly work before starting on the firewall. I am still going to wait to do the fiberglass till later.

Tasks Completed:

• Fit elevators to stab.
• Started trimming the stab skins to fit the

Tasks Completed:

• Rolled left elevator leading edges
• Drilled and riveted leading edges
• Fit rod end bearings and jam nuts

Note: There is a badly seated pop rivet on the most outboard leading edge section. I’ll need to go back and repair later.