Vans Aircraft RV-12 Build, Section 22: FWD Lower Fuselage (part 1)

Reference: page 22-02, 3 hours

If you are just joining this blog we're building a RV-12 aircraft which is a Light Sport Design by Van's Aircraft.This section deals with building the lower front part of the fuselage.Please note some of the steps were preformed out of order as I am alodining and priming all the parts, and this is why sometime a part will be primed in a picture and then the next shot will show it without primer.

Step 1: Dimple the #40 holes in the nutplate attach pattern Labeled "Return Line Clamp" in the F-1201C Firewall Bottom, flush aft side. See figure 4 on page 22-02 of the RV-12 plans.



Step 2: Machine countersink the nutplate attach holes in the sloped upper flange of the F-1217A-L & _R Tunnel Ribs as shown in figure 1 of the RV-12 plans. Machine countersink all the nutplate attach holes in the F-1272 Fwd Fuse Skin flush on the bottom side. Machine sountersink the upper most hole in the F-1288 Cooler Stiffener.







Step 3: Rivet nutplates to the F-1217A-L & -R Tunnel Ribs and F-1201C Firewall Bottom per the callouts in Figure 1 and Figure 4 of the RV-12 aircraft plans.



Step 4: Cleco, final drill #30 the WD-1204 Engine Mount Brackets to the Tunnel Ribs. Rivet the engine mount brackets to the web of the tunnel rib (not the fwd flange, installed from the bottom side.





Step 5: Machine countersink #30 the holes in the forward flange of the Tunnel Ribs that correspond to the flush rivets called out in Figure 4 on page 22-02 of the RV-12 plans.



Step 6: Cleco the rivet, the Tunnel Ribs to the Fwd Fuse Skin (DO NOT RIVET THE AFT MOST HOLE!.) To this assembly cleco then rivet the Firewall Bottom & Fwd Corner Skin to create the Fwd Lower Fuse Assembly ( Do not rivet the locations labeled "DO NOT RIVET in figure 1 of the rv-12 plans.)







Step 7: Trim the flange of the F-1288 Cooler Stiffener as shown by Van's Aircraft on page 22-02.



Step 8: Rivet the Cooler Stiffener and corresponding nutplates to the firewall bottom.

Builder's note: I completed this step before step 6 of riveting the Lower Firewall assembly together.It worked well and seemed easier to work with.



This completes this entry of the fuselage nothing real exciting just one of those plug and chug projects. Enjoy!