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Installing F-994A lower emp fairing strips

mikehoover

Well Known Member
Getting beat up lately with the lack of really good instruction from Vans on how to install the emp fairing and the F-994A lower emp fairing strips. Yesterday, I positioned the right side 994A and drilled it to the fuse skin/ longeron. When I removed it I noticed that the #40 holes I just drilled all were 1/8" forward of corresponding fuse skin/longeron rivets already in place. Since the drilling is done, that is where the right side fairing strip will be, but should I have lined up the pre-punch screw holes in the fairing strip with those rivets in the fuse skin/longeron. I still have not installed the left side strip, so I can get it "right" (even though both of them not being exactly the same might make the plane fly sideways :)

Comment greatly appreciated!
 
Mike,

Yes.. those holes should line up with the rivets in the longeron. I also trimmed mine just enough to clear the HS and didn't use the rubber seal material.
 
Will the new holes line up with the nut plate holes if you drill out the rivets for the correct holes?
If so, you can make new fairings out of another piece of scrap aluminum and get it right on both sides. Since you would have to enlarge the drilled out rivet holes for the screw anyway, maybe there is some wiggle room to make everything work out.
You could also just put a rivet in your new holes and then use a one lug nut plate on the opposing side of the rivet that should have been drilled out. One extra rivet in each location wouldn't hurt anything. Still need to redo the fairing though.
 
Mike,
I'm right behind you on this little process. Thanks for shaking out all the little bugs for me :).
 
sf3543 said:
Will the new holes line up with the nut plate holes if you drill out the rivets for the correct holes?
If so, you can make new fairings out of another piece of scrap aluminum and get it right on both sides...

Thanks for the input. I thought about making a new fairing just to get both sides looking the same (rivet the new holes, drill out the correct holes), but the alignment of my screwed up one is only 1/8" forward of the correct left one, so I will likely just leave it as is. I have it done, with holes drilled thru the aft cover plate/longeron too, so I will go with the minimal damage option. The fairing holes are to be tapped for #6 screws so the old rivets will not be a factor since there is no plate nut to attach. It just bugs me because I really take my time and I hate screwing up. Sure enough there it says on the drawing to use the existing rivet holes in the 773 to match the fairing. Just overlooked it I suppose. The joy of plane building!

For those who haven't done this yet, just install the lower fairings first, then work on the emp fairing fiberglass. I have trimmed that fiberglass too short in a few spots, so I'll have to repair it somehow. Also, figuring out how to properly trim the fiberglass at the forward root of the HS is tricky. Still trying to figure that out.

Once I trimmed the extra bit off along the HS and VS screw holes on top, the hole thing fitted better so my clecoe holes need to be patched and move, and everything I trimmed earlier is off.

A little procedural guidance from Vans would be really helpful here.

I guess it beats having to lay it up the old fashion way.
 
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