Before CNC pre-punched parts, a person had to be careful to cleco, drill, cleco, rivet in a particular order to enable the skin to pull tight.   With the pre-punch you don’t, apparently, have to do this.   The instructions do tell you where to begin riveting, but that’s more to ensure you can get to the rivets as you go.

You’ll need plenty of clecos for the Tailcone, so get at least 400 now.   Use plenty here to keep the skin locked down.   Make sure you have the hole next to the one you’re about to rivet clecoed, and have at least every other hole clecoed as you move along.

Otherwise, just follow the riveting instructions they give and get someone to help when you feel your reach is too great for good control.  I really dinged mine up (and therefore might build another, making this my practice kit) because I was pressing too much to get it done, and because of the warning below. 

Warning!   Check that you don’t have your rivet gun turned up too high! 

This can result in big dents in the skin from too much power.  How do you know what’s too high? Use a simple click type regulator at the gun and turn it clockwise until the gun barely works. Then back it off two or three clicks at a time until your practice rivets are forming nice shop heads with a single burst, just shy of a full second.   If it takes longer, then you are work hardening the rivet.  Shorter and you may lose control of the gun and end up with a smiley or two.  With the AN426AD3 rivets that are 3 or 3.5 in length, you should not have to have much force at all.

Steps 1 thru 5.  Since you now have plenty of clecos, use them.  If you don't, you need to have at least every other hole clecoed so the skin is secure. 

Start by removing the VS-1005 bottom nose rib to gain access.  Try to rivet in an order that moves from leading edge towards the center, then the center towards the edges. 

Take your time! 

07/16/05  -  2 hours

Steps 7 thru 9:  Finish riveting by sealing it up with the bottom inspar rib, and then riveting the skins to the spar flanges and spar caps. 

07/17/05  -  1 hour