Fuselage - Forward Section

2005-12-11 - Installing the aux longerons (F-719). (2.0 Hrs).

I looked at a number of other builder sites, and only a few showed the F-719/F-719B installation. It looks like Dan C. did not pre-drill the Angle Clips, so he was able to drill through the F-601B into the Angle Clip. Jim and Carolina's website showed the angle Clip pre-drilled, like mine, and they just pulled back the side skins and then drilled through F-719B into the F-601B. No big deal.

Here's what I did. I drew a centerline on F-719, and lined that up with the holes in the F-770 side skin. I drilled the AFT hole in F-770/F-719/F-704. This anchors the AFT end of F-719. Slide the F-719B Angle Clip all the way forward and mark where it aligns with F-719. Drill the F-719B Angle Clip to F-719 and attach with clecos. Mark where F-719/F-719B intersects the F-601B firewall stiffener. Now, remove enough clecos from the FWD end of the F-770 side skins so you can peel back the side skins far enough to drill the hole between F-719B and F-601B. Before drilling, reattach the firewall to the longerons so the firewall is held in place with the proper distance from F-704. Make sure F-719/F-719B aligns with the mark on F-601B, and drill F-719B to F-601B. Cleco F-719B to F-601B, and reattach the side skins. Now, we can drill F-719 to the F-770 side skins. Lot of work, just to attach F-719 to the side skins and firewall. Or, you could just not pre-drill the holes in F-719B and do what Dan did. Either way works.

Note, make sure that you do not drill the holes in F-719 until after the angle clip is drilled to F-601B. This way, if the F-719/F-719B parts move at all before being drilled to F-601B, then you don't have to worry about the holes in the side not matching up.

F-719B clamped to F-719, so you can mark where F-719B needs to be drilled to F-719.
F-719/F-719B lined-up with F-601B, and the F-770 side skin is pulled back, ready to drill.
Close-up.
Now we can drill F-719 to the F-770 side skins. Note, that the centerline has dropped down just a tad here. If this had been drilled before drilling F-719B to F-601B, we would be in trouble.
FWD end with F-719B.
AFT end of F-719 cleco'd to F-704 FWD.
Inside look at F-719/F-719B, drilled to the side skins, F-601B, and F-704.