5.0 Hours -
My Dad came over today to help me rivet the top wing skins. I have to hand it to builders that were able to rivet these skins solo, but I just couldn’t figure out how to do that. Before my Dad and I started on the skins, I set up a couple of pieces of scrap for some riveting practice. We were doing tag-team riveting, so I had him shoot while I bucked. Within a couple of practice rivets, he had it figured out, so we drove a few more and then started on the wings.
The first couple of ribs went fairly slow, but we progressively sped up from there. We finished the left top skins, had some lunch, and then riveted the right top inboard skin. At that point we called it a day, but he is going to come back tomorrow to help finish up the right wing. On both wings, I’m leaving the trailing edge row and the inboard rib unriveted. Since those can be reached with my squeezer, I’ll get them after all the rivets that need to be bucked are done.
Except for the bottom row and inboard rib, the left top skins are riveted.
The forward overlap of the two left top skins could be better, but I'm happy and I know the right wing will be better.
Some of the shop heads on the right wing.
The top inboard skin on the right wing is riveted. We'll rivet the outboard skin tomorrow.
