Riveting Of The RV-12 Roll Bar Begins

Riveting of the RV-12 roll bar begins with splicing the forward left and right halves and aft left and right halves together with F-1231E splice plates. Elected to rivet together the aft section first and decided to look into using solid rivets. Access was good, so used the pneumatic rivet squeezer to rivet the aft roll bar halves onto the splice plates using AN470AD4-5 solid rivets in place of pop rivets. The two outermost upper holes on each side (marked with blue tape in the photo below) are left open at this time because the roll bar brace will be attached to them in the not to distant future. The canopy latch also gets riveted onto this assembly but will wait until all the 4-5 rivets are installed in both forward and aft roll bar halves before changing the setting of the squeezer because the four canopy latch rivets will be a longer AN470AD4-7 rivet.

Using the pneumatic rivet squeezer to rivet the left and right aft roll bar halves together onto the F-1231E splice plate using AN470AD4-5 solid rivets in place of pop rivets.

After riveting the aft roll bar halves together (minus canopy latch), moved onto riveting the forward left and right roll bar halves together onto the remaining F-1231E splice plate. Here again, used the pneumatic rivet squeezer to rivet the assembly with AN470AD4-5 rivets. The DOG Aviation RV-12 will have a cockpit light, so the light bracket is being riveted in place at this time so solid rivets can be used to keep a harmonious look. The two inboard holes in the light bracket that are common with the F-1231E splice plate will receive AN470AD4-6 rivets the remaining two rivets on the light bracket will be AN470AD4-5 rivets.

Forward roll bar halves riveted together with AN470AD4-5 solid rivets in place of pop rivets. The light bracket still needs riveting.

Got another very late start today, so did not get the cockpit light bracket or the canopy latch riveted onto the roll bars … that will be the next task in the shop tomorrow.