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How many Rivets are in a RV?

TASEsq

TASEsq

Well Known Member
Patron
Don’t they say you are required to finish 20,000 rivets to complete an RV?

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I'd always heard that it was North of 14,000. Looks like the tribal knowledge for the -7/-8 says about 16,000.

There are a number of posts on VAF about rivet counts.
Here's one: http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=68915
and another: http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=58984

In 2010 Chad Jensen posted:
"There's the number! 16,225 rivets in my airplane to the point of being ready for inspection! I will have a few more when I get to the plate nuts for the wheel pants, but I don't know when that will be. So...to build an RV-7 to inspection readiness, one will use approximately 16,225 rivets, plus or minus a hundred or so depending on mods I would say."
 
Last edited:
I lost count..

Took 15 years to build my -4, and since I shot rivets all day at my day job, I never really counted. I did how ever remember a significant number of parts storage boxes that have B..dlight on the side and thinking I handled more labeled aluminum cans than aircraft parts. The -4 required much pondering between productive construction..:D
 
David Paule said:
Well put! Applies to the -3B, too.

As for the number of rivets, do we have to count the ones drilled out and replaced, too?

Dave
Click to expand...

And what about the ones that you drop and finally give up trying to find and just grab another one?
 
After finishing my -4, I learned that its not the time to drive 12,000 (or whatever) rivets, it's not the time drill, de-burr, countersink or dimple 24,000 holes that makes a -4 a big project. It's all about how long it take to determine where to put those holes and working up the nerve to drill that first hole in each row!
 
I thought I read somewhere on the Van's website when I was first interested, that there were 17,500 in an RV-9.
I have no reason to doubt that number.
I had tennis elbow for a few years during the process.
 
I've been counting my rivets since the beginning - I'm done up to section 28 on the RV10 (except fiberglass parts), QB wings, slow-build fuselage, and I'm 9319 rivets in. Probably a few thousand more coming up when I rivet the side skins (rib+bottom skin sections had about 2000).
 
Dean Pichon said:
After finishing my -4, I learned that its not the time to drive 12,000 (or whatever) rivets, it's not the time drill, de-burr, countersink or dimple 24,000 holes that makes a -4 a big project. It's all about how long it take to determine where to put those holes and working up the nerve to drill that first hole in each row!
Click to expand...

ABSOLUTELY! having constructed my tail and one wing, I've spent more time laying out holes than drilling/deburring. The challenge with a non-punched kit is not in the drilling operations, it's taking the time to accurately lay out the holes. It is VERY satisfying to stand back and look at a completed wing, all riveted up.
 
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