Tuesday, July 15, 2014

RV14 Knife edge to accommodate some riveting.

Tailwheel spring mount!


Basement is getting smaller!

Friday, July 4, 2014



Aft belly skin all trimmed out for the tailwheel.

Bulkheads clecoed to the tailbone belly skin
Here, I use the template to mark where to cut out the aft lower skin for the tailwheel mount.

Riveting stiffeners to the tailbone belly skin.
The Dimpler is a pleasure to work with.




Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Here, I am match drilling the horizontal stabilizer attach bars.



Riveting bulkheads together.


Dimpling tailcone bulkheads.

My son Zak got his tailwheel endorsement from airshow pilot Jerry Wells!

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Starting on the tailcone.  This bulkhead is match drilled and deburred and dimpled.
Elevator counterweights are installed.
Elevators are fun.
Ready to rivet!
This is how I rooooollllll...elevator leading edges.


I inherited my Uncle's WWII bomber jacket...the real deal!




My Bücker buddy Jerry was in town so we went to visit John Downing and his amazing Jungmann.

Friday, May 23, 2014

This is where the RV will be based one day.

Weight is added to the aft elevator skins to keep everything in contact while the pro seal dries for a few days....taking Memorial Day weekend off from building.

After applying pro seal to the foam elevator aft ribs, and 3M tape to the trailing edge wedge, I clecoed the trailing edge together.

Here I use a special bucking bar, specially situated to rivet the Elevator skin to the spar.


Here I attach an elevator skin on the right elevator.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

The trim motor doubler goes in.

Back Riveting elevator skins.

Trim tab hinge half installed.

Took some time off working on the RV to host the Bu BBQ, an event for Bücker aircraft.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Elevator trim tab complete.

Here I rivet the elevator tip ribs together.

Weight to hold the trim tab together while the proseal on the ribs cures.

Clecoing the trim tab actuator doubler.

Dimpling the elevator trailing edges.

Looks can be deceiving.  The elevators go together for match drilling, then come apart for debarring, scuffing and priming.  So I get to assemble them twice.

Saturday, April 5, 2014



Installing pulled rivets in the HS rear spar.  I  love this pneumatic pop rivet gun.  And I didn't go crazy.  $80.00 from  Northern!

Hiding out!


The Horizontal Stabilizer went together fairly quickly.
HS skin goes into the cradle.
The Horizontal Stabilizer going together.
Here I countersink a HS spar.





This is REAL airplane building.  Brian Karli and Richard Epton hand form a Sopwith Camel cowl.  No pre punched holes here!

Monday, March 17, 2014

I love my DRDT2 dimpler.

Here, I am dimpling a horizontal stabilizer skin.

Countersinking Horizontal stabilizer spars.  I must have countersunk a gazillion holes!