I installed the nutplates on all the seat ribs. Since the screws generally fit quite tight in nutplates, and because there isn’t much room for a screwdriver on the outboard edges of the floor skins, I ran a 8-32 tap through the nutplates to make it easier to install the screws. I was careful to use a lubricant on the tap.
I attached the rear half of F-704 center section bulkhead to the F-716 and F-715 seat ribs being careful to have the modified ribs in the proper place. The F-716 ribs were clecoed, but the F-715 seat ribs were not drilled to the center section until later, so I held them in place with clamps for now. As I was going to install the optional steps I cut the F-725 baggage ribs with a 1 5/8″ hole saw using the prepunched hole as a guide.
I clecoed the F-725, 726, and 727 baggage ribs to the F-705 rear spar bulkhead. I then clecoed the F-705 bulkhead and ribs to the aft ends of the F-715/716 seat ribs. I then inserted the F-916C spacers at the necessary stations and clecoed the F-776 center bottom skin to the center fuselage assembly. The skin held the F-715 and F-716 seat ribs in correct alignment.
Time: 3 hours.
Leonard's RV-7A Build 