It was time to join the aft and center sections of the fuselage. I placed the tailcone assembly upside down on a couple of sawhorses and added another sawhorse on the forward side of the tailcone assembly approximately where the F-704 bulkhead would rest. I set the F-718 longeron assemblies on either side of the aft fuselage and removed just enough clecoes from the F-773 side skins to allow the longeron to be slipped into the notches in the bulkheads. I aligned the vertical leg of the aft end of the longeron with the aft end of the flange of F-712. I then notched the longerons to fit around the F-711C bars as shown on DWG 18.
I was careful to notch the longerons, not the F-711C bars! With the longerons in place I re-clecoed the side skins to the bulkheads. I added a few clamps to keep the longerons aligned with the top of the side skin.
I then placed the center fuselage in position. I placed the top of the F-704Cs so they rested on the third sawhorse. I slipped the F725, 726, and 727 baggage ribs and the F-776 center bottom skin into place over the F-706 bulkhead and F-778 aft bottom skin. I then clecoed the F-725, 726, and 727 baggage ribs to the F-706 bulkhead from the rear and clecoed the F-776 center bottom skin to the F-706 and the F-778 aft bottom skin.
Time: 5 hours.
Leonard's RV-7A Build 