This hasn’t been my favourite part of the build but it’s finished. Riveting the baggage ribs to the bulkhead presented an issue where I couldn’t get the gun on the baggage rib side due to the Routing Angles. Normally, the manufactured head goes on the thinnest material but I had to reverse the rivet so that I could use the gun from the seat rib side. I’m sure this is better than having badly set rivets the right way round.
The final step in the chapter is to rivet the baggage ribs to the bottom skin except where marked. I had to wait for my assistant to be hungry enough to come home for Sunday lunch which is normally agreed as a fair swap. I kept the assembly upright on the bench and fortunately the boy is 6’4″ so he could reach all the way to the top whilst I knelt awkwardly on the bench using the bucking bar. Today was the warmest it has ever been in the workshop.
The very final part of the chapter is to add a stiffener to the baggage bay. I had already added the nutplates but my heart sank when I saw how it was joined to the structure with what looked like impossible rivets. Relief was instant when I saw that it just took two LP4-3 blind rivets – job done.
Section 26 complete.
Great job Chris … I’m still deburring & prepping rib 22 of 28!