The F-1225L&R seat floors required some attention prior to attaching them onto the F-1215 seat ribs. The previously prepared and painted F-1237E seat back hinges were riveted onto both F-1225L&R seat floors followed by the attachment of a few nutplates on each of the seat floors. As mentioned in a post very early on in the project, every nutplate installed has a screw lubricated with paste Boelube run into the threads to make sure the nutplate is not excessively tight. This is probably total overkill … but when helping Pete with the assembly his RV-9A (which he just loves flying), there were some excessively tight nutplates that were chewing up the threads on the screws, so I feel it is good insurance even though it takes a few extra minutes.
Riveting the F-1237E seat back hinges onto the
F-1225R seat floor with the pneumatic rivet puller.
Return from the future - fellow builders beware,
in the haste to beat the weather and prep as many parts as possible as quickly
as possible a big time error was made with the F-1237E seat back hinges. The
two center eyelets on all four of the E-1237E seat hinges require removal. On
page 21-06 step 8 it says to make the hinge but does not mention to remove the
two center eyelets … however, the figure step 8 refers to does say to remove
the eyelets. Missed that altogether ... darn! Fellow builders looking at photos
of my RV-12 build for reference please take note: The F-1237E seat hinges shown
in photos posted between now and August 24, 2014 will be incorrect in that they
show the two center eyelets in place on all the F-1237 seat hinges.
A nutplate set in a jig having a screw lubed
with paste Boelube run into it to check the tightness of the nutplate.
Riveting nutplates onto the F-1225R seat floor.
After the nutplates and seat back hinges were in place on the F-1225L&R seat floors, the remaining F-1215 L&R seat ribs with the seat belt lugs previously attached were Clecoed to each of the seat floors. The left seat floor assembly was mated with the flaperon mixer bracket/seat rib assembly … and the right seat floor assembly was mated with the pulley bracket/seat rib assembly. Both assemblies were then riveted per the plans.
Securing the remaining F-1215L seat rib assembly
with the seat belt lug onto the F-1225L seat floor with Clecos.
Mating the left seat floor assembly with the
flaperon mixer bracket/seat rib assembly.
Using the pneumatic rivet puller to rivet the
F-1225L seat floor onto the flaperon mixer bracket/seat rib assembly.
Once the F-1225L seat floor is riveted in place onto the flaperon mixer bracket/seat rib assembly, there were a few nutplates to install on the assembly and a small strip of metal called the F-1253 seat floor support to rivet onto the outer edge of the seat floor assembly. This marks a momentous occasion … as it’s the making of the Eagle’s pilot perch.
The assembly procedure is repeated again for assembling the right seat assembly. Both seats are mirror images of each other so there were no differences in the assembly except the time it took to assemble the right seat assembly was far less than it was for the left. Doesn’t look like much, but the Eagle now has two perches for viewing the world from high above.
Attaching nutplates along the edge of the F-1225
right seat floor assembly with the pneumatic squeezer.
With the completion of the left and right seat floor assemblies, the fuselage is about to get big quickly. The next step in the instructions has the builder mate the two assemblies onto the center section. Sounds like fun … not. Think there will be a lot of close quarters riveting on the horizon.
