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fairing attachment: rivets versus nutplates

Stockmanreef

Well Known Member
I am about to put the fairings on the empennage parts for a -14. The plans call for pop rivets to attach. It seems to me that the fiberglass parts could be pushed through the pop rivets if pushed, since the fiberglass is "fragile". Is this true or a concern? Could the fiberglass be backed up by washers held in place with double sided tape prior to pop rivet installation?

I have been told that all the fairings can be installed with nut plates? I understand this concept, but is it difficult to make a clean edge with epoxy if this approach is taken? Are rivets and completely smoothing out the intersection of the two parts a cleaner look?

Or am I just over thinking the whole thing and I should just follow the plans?

Thanks
ken
 
Are you talking about the HS and elevator tips (and the VS and rudder top)? If so, go ahead and pop them in place and fill the rivet centers with epoxy.

Platenut the rudder bottom so you can remove it for future maintenance on the rear position / strobe light.

I don't recommend glassing the tips to the parts they are attached to because they often develop cracks in the fiberglass where they join together.

(Please say "Hi" to Dot for me!)
 
A washer taped to the inside is a good idea. Another option is to glue/rtv/epoxy a narrow aluminum strip to the inside of the fiberglass. Just something for the rivet to bite on. After you countersink the fiberglass there is almost nothing left...
 
When we built our RV-8 Dad put nutplates in everywhere. No pop rivets, no sheet metal screws. (Seriously, there is not a sheet metal screw in the plane.) Not a day goes by when I'm working on it now that I don't silently thank him.

I never thought I'd have to pull off some of these fairings, but I am. If they had been pop riveted, boy...what a pain!

DEM
 
thanks for the replies. The fairing on the bottom of the rudder is put on with nutplates as per the plans. All the other fairings on the tail section are pop riveted on. I think that the ones that I am most worried about are the ones on the elevator, since there might be a need to remove to access the counter weights.

I like the idea of a thin piece of aluminum on the back side of the fiberglass.
 
I blind riveted all of the fairings per the plans (RV-10) and riveting the bottom rudder fairing on is a non-issue. I had to remove my strobe for painting and it wasn't a problem extracting the wiring and reinstalling after the paint job. Rivet away!
 
thanks for the replies. The fairing on the bottom of the rudder is put on with nutplates as per the plans. All the other fairings on the tail section are pop riveted on. I think that the ones that I am most worried about are the ones on the elevator, since there might be a need to remove to access the counter weights.

I like the idea of a thin piece of aluminum on the back side of the fiberglass.

I put some backing plates with nutplates attached behind the elevator counterweights so I can tighten them easily. Wish I had done this with the rudder.

Photos here: https://turnerb14a.blogspot.com/2017/02/february-12-2017.html
 
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