Section: 10
Hours: 8

Deb helped me rivet the rest of the skins on the tail cone. I was able to reach all the rivets from the open ends and didn't have to resort to crawling into the tail cone. However, it might have been more comfortable to crawl in and lie on my back. Deb again did an excellent job- no skin dents or smilies. I did have to drill out and reshoot a couple rivets, but that was my fault for not getting the bucking bar in the right place a couple of times.

Section: 10
Hours: 8

I spent the last couple days at a formation flying clinic at Visalia, CA.

The vertical stabilizer has to be match drilled to the rear bulkhead. I ran into some fit problems - the nut plates on the side skins run into the vertical stab. The only way to get the vstab into position is to push the side skins out leaving a noticeable bulge in the skins. I looked at several other builders pictures and they all have the same problem. I'll contact Vans tech support before final assembly to see what they say about this.

I attached the upper skins and Deb helped me rivet one side.

Section: 10
Hours: 8

After attaching the side skins you install the rear deck. I was able to squeeze most of the rivets in this area, but there were some AN470AD3 rivets that I had to shoot with the rivet gun. A couple of those were really squirrely and I had to drill them out and retry a couple times. Also, be careful in this area. The rivet lengths called out in the plans are incorrect in a couple spots. Make sure you use your rivet length measure tool and grab the right length rivets.

With the deck installed I was able to straighten out some of the wire runs.

Section: 10
Hours: 8

Today I installed the static ports and static lines. I wasn't real excited about the kit provided materials for this job so I purchased the SafeAir pitot static kit that comes with nice couplers, hoses and machined static ports.

I also installed the rudder cables.

Section: 10
Hours: 8

Today Deb and I tackled the hardest set of rivets on the bottom aft skin joint area. Turned out great!

Section: 10
Hours: 8

Deb and I continued riveting the tail skins today.

Section: 10
Hours: 8

I wasn't able to reach to where the side skins join the bottom skin so I enlisted my wife, Debbie to handle the rivet gun. She took the sheet metal class at Oshkosh last year, so she already had some training. I inserted rivets in every other hole and put a square of rivet tape on to hold them in place. Then we went down the row, me on the bucking bar and Deb on the rivet gun and we finished the job in record time. Not a single smiley or skin dent in the whole row!

Section: 10
Hours: 8

More riveting on the side skins today. It was basically a repeat of yesterday but on the other side.

Section: 10
Hours: 8

I riveted the side skins to the longerons, side stiffeners and the bulkheads.

The tail wheel spring mount must be shimmed properly between the rear bulkheads and then bolted in place.

I was able to pull the skins at the junction of the aft bottom skin piece after riveting. It turned out better than I thought it would.

 I was able to reach over the top of the side skin to buck the rivets along the stiffer and longeron.

 Here's some shots of the shop heads along the longeron and stiffener.

 The tabs on the bulkheads pulled down nicely to the skins after riveting.