Vans Aircraft RV-12 Build, Section 24 Rollover Structure (part 2)

Reference: page 24-03; 3.5 hours

Step 1: Bolt the Roll Bar Bases to the Roll Bar Attach Plates using the hardware called out in figure 1 of the RV-12 airplane plans on page 24-03.



Step 2: Cleco the Roll Bar Assembly to the forward face of the Roll Bar Bases. Cleco the Support Frames to the Roll Bar Assembly and Canopy Deck.





Step 3: Match-Drill #30 the twelve holes in the sides of the Roll Bar Assembly into the Roll Bar Bases.



Step 4: Remove, deburr, prime and reinstall the Roll Bar Bases to the Roll Bar Attach Plates.



Builder's note: After torquing the bolts to their final values I like to put orange torque seal on them to remind me I did torque them down.

Step 5: Rivet the Roll Bar Assembly to the Roll Bar Bases per the callouts in figure 1 on page 24-03 of the RV-12 airplane plans.



Step 6: Separate the Baggage Bulkheads into left and right part.

Builder's note: Mine came separated to there was no need to complete this step.

This completes page 24-03.

Vans Aircraft RV-12 Airplane Build, Section 24 Rollover Structure (part 2)

Reference: page 24-02; 4.5 hours

CAUTION: Do not rivet the locations marked with a triangle in figure 1 of Van's Aircraft's plans page 24-02 for the RV-12.

Step 4: Rivet the Latch Plate to the Roll Bar Frame and aft Splice Plate as shown on page 24-02 by Van's Aircraft.

Builder's note: LP4-4 are used for some of the rivet holes not just the standard LP-4-3.



Step 5: Rivet the Roll Bar Frames to the Roll Bar Straps and the Splice Plates per the callouts in figure 1 of the RV-12 plans to create the Roll Bar Assembly.



Step 6: Remove the hatched areas shown in figure 2 of the RV-12 plans on page 24-02 from the flanges of both the Support Frames.



Step 7: Deburr then dimple both holes indicated in Figure 2 for the head of a #8 screw.



Step 8: Remove the hatched areas shown in figure 3 on page 24-02 of the RV-12 airplane plans. to separate the Roll Bar Brace Bracket into left and right parts.



This completes page 24-02 of the RV-12 airplane plans. Next we will get into trial fitting the Roll Bar for the RV-12.

Vans Aircraft RV-12 Build, Section 24 Rollover Structure (part 1)

Reference: page 24-02; 3.5 hours

This entry starts a new section for the RV-12 airplane project. Building and installing the Roll Bar assembly. No longer will neighbors think I an building an aluminum boat, but a genuine airplane!

Step 1: Study Figure 1 in the RV-12 plans on page 24-02 to determine the forward edge, top and bottom of the Roll Bar Straps. Run the roll bar strap back and forth over the edge of a table to add a curvature to the parts. Be careful not to let the parts kinks across the rivet holes. The curve does not have to be the final installed shape but enough to allow easy assembly of the roll bar. Deburr the edges of all parts used to create the Roll Bar Assembly. Cleco all of the parts of the Roll Bar Assembly together.

Builder's note: I deburred the roll bar parts first and tried the table edge idea mentioned in the plans. This didn't work so well so I went to bending them a little at a time by hand. This required several passes over the entire lengths of the straps but worked very well.Just don't kink them.



Step 2: Final-Drill #30 all #40 holes in the flanges of the Roll Bar Frames and Roll Bar Straps.





Step 3: Disassemble the roll bar parts, then machine countersink the outer flanges of the Roll Bar Frames for the head of the rivets that will eventually lay underneath the canopy except holes common to the Roll Bar Bases. Machine countersink the two holes on the inside lower center face of the roll bar taht will get flush blind rivets.

Builder's note: The RV-12 plans don't call out a countersink to use, however since the rivets are all CS4-4 blind rivets I used a #30 120 degree countersink.



The rest of the time for this work session was spent preping and priming the roll bar part. Next time I'll assembly the roll bar for the RV-12 aircraft.