RV8 cros braces..802T and N

[stanman]

have just rolled my rv8 fuse...and have not yet rivetted the gear box cross braces...ie 802T and 802N...They linke each gear tower and have a series of AN3-4A and An3-5A bolts plus a number of AN470-AD4-5 rivets...i thought they would be easier to get with a/c right side up....but given the difficult access of the gear tower...i find it almost impossible to get a bucking bar..and my fat hand in the very confined area at the top of each tower...vans said i could probably replace all rivets with screws....have any of yu rv8 builders done this or any other solution...thanks stan

[Wicked Stick]

I had no trouble riveting them on with the rivets called out for in the plans.
What made it easier for me was that I modified my gear towers so that the bottom 2/3 of the face plate was removable via screws instead of rivets. That made it alot easier to get your hand and bucking bar in there to rivet them.

Here's a picture showing how much access you get doing it this way.




Spike, you may want to move this into the RV-8 category.

[Spike]

Yeah man.

Neat idea going with screws instead of rivets.

[stanman]

tks all for replies.....nice job on the towers..mr stick.....i thought about something like that mod...but went with plans...and have already rivetted the 802c faceplate on...that was hard enough..along with all the bolts ..screws..and internal rivets.....later on when i turn the fuselage again...i.ll try and lay it on its side to get those rivets ...or go with screws....tks .. stan

[AntiGravity]

I also went with the plans on the gear tower mods; right up until I started working on the final riveting and screws and whatnot; then I retro-fitted the mod! It is *awkward* working in there! Especially on the left side where the fuel pipes are.

[Wicked Stick]

I'll be thanking myself I made this mod while building it.
Every time you have to go inside there to check and torque the landing gear bolts

Do the mod, it's only platenuts and screws and a couple of re-inforcing angles to make. Heck, drill out the rivets and re-do with screws and nutplates... you'll thank yourself every other time you have to work inside them for running stuff when building, and like I said before, torqu'n the landing gear bolts.