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Aft fuselage

R

RV74ME

Well Known Member
Can't seem to find it anywhere on the plans. Putting together the aft fuse, just finished the J channel stringers, and clecoing it together.

Do the lower two j channels go between f773 size skin and f779 tail bottom skin, or do they stay to the inside of both skins?

Also, separate subject....how to eliminate any twist there may be when getting ready to drill. with everything cleco'd together, I can grab the tail and easily twist either direction. With pre-punched holes, it is what it is, correct?
 
F-714 aft deck (under the horizontal stabilizer) will set and lock fuselage twist. Just keep the assy more or less aligned while assembling the tailcone.

I'd have to go look, but I'm pretty sure that the stringers all go inside all skins.
 
J-stiffeners

Yes. The J-stiffener flange lays between ths skin and each rib all the way back. I left them a tad long and trimmed them flush with the rib after they were drilled.
Yes. As mentioned, the deck sets the fuse. Thats not an excuse to build crooked. As much as possible, keep everything straight by using plumb lines. When the canoe was upside down, i leveled the longerons both ways. Later, I drew a line along the bottom skin inside and used plumb lines to keep it straight while building. Once you drill and rivet the Aft Deck, you can't change the twist so check it many times before drilling.
 
Larry,

So if I understand correctly, the rivet will go thru F773, then J channel, then F779 bottom tail skin, yes?
 
Now in the hangar. Took another look.

Stringer is *outside* the tab on the bulkhead, but *inside* the aft bottom skin on mine. Look at the F710 bulkhead; there's a 'big' (noticeable) offset on the tab that's contained in the intersection of stringer, side skin, & bottom skin. This allows the 'stack' to be a bit thicker due to two skins + stringer. If you try to put the stringer between the skins, you'll have to slot (notch) the F739 to go around the tab on the bulkhead (don't do that).

Not saying I did it right, but everything lines up easily if done that way, and there's only one 'joint' exposed to the outside where side meets bottom. If you put the stringer between the skins, you'll have two seams exposed on the outside, and you'll have an unneeded tapered offset (air gap) where the bottom & side skins meet at that rounded corner under the rudder cable exit.

Charlie
 
There appear to be quite a few instructions that are missing in this phase. I never found where it said to actually rivet the aft and center sections together. Read ahead a little so that you won't keep waiting for the instructions to tell you. Eventually I figured I needed to rivet those pieces together before putting on the forward side skins.
 
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