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Forward Top Skin

JDA_BTR

Well Known Member
So I'm nearing the end of Chapter 35, and keep staring at the installation of the forward top skin. It seems like it would be great if this stayed off for a long while (avionics, wiring, etc) but it seems like it could be super tough to get some of the rivets in and proseal applied neatly later. Not to mention it seems tough to get the canopy installed without it in.

What has proven a good order to do things in without painting into a corner?
 
My 2-cents

I'm right there with you...looking at all those clecos. I have seen builders blogs (Stoney's for example) that have engine, avionics, and cowling installed and their forward top skin is still clecoed on. So I guess we can go a while longer. I believe folks are waiting for the final canopy install with those fragile gap seals until the last minute.

I'm waiting on mine at least until I get the avionics and motor in. That gives me several months to worry about how to get it riveted.
 
Forward Top Skin Fuselage

The QB Fuselage Kit, has the skin already riveted in place. Hopefully, it want be too painful to run all the wires etc. when the time come.

This did make for a tough to install the parking brake/bracket. I recommend for any of you folks, that are going to install a parking brake, to install the brake and valve before the rudder peddle assembly.
 
Just as another data point, I am not going to rivet that top skin either until after engine and avionics are done. Would much rather get in there to buck some rivets later than have to try and drill and install and route things while on my back for hours and hours. Granted, it will be much harder to reach the rivets later but to me well worth being able to work on electrical etc with the skin off.
 
I left it off for just that reason and have now finished my avionics and engine installation. I am about to put it on now and just did one last check that all wires, cables and hoses - including buttoning up the firewall penetrations - are as I want them. Very glad I left it off.

Had no problem installing the canopy with clecos holding the skin on. To open the canopy you do have to remove most of the aft clecos if you attach them from the top. This was no problem.

It doesn't appear that I will have anymore difficulty in riveting with all the wiring in place than I would without it. The task looks to be the same either way.
 
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Wait wait wait

Mine is a 7 and not a 14, but I would strongly resist any temptation to rivet that skin on until the very end. But, you are right, there are some places where I just could not reach with any kind of bucking bar. I used pulled rivets in those places. Some of the clecos you screw down were very helpful in "clamping the skin when pulling the rivets. Looking at my log, it appears I used three pulled rivets on the right and two on the left. Of course, YMMV.
Good luck with your airplane.
 
Ooops, one more thing

Before working up under the instrument panel, I sneak downstairs and steal the back cushion from the wife's couch. Shoving that down on the floor under the instrument panel will give your back some pretty good support. I would let you use mine, but no. Go find your own wife.
 
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