Ordering wing hardware.

[Cbuttery]

I ordered spar and ribs from Avipro to start my wings, but where do I start to compile a list of rivet sizes to order given the varying thickness?

[mswain]

I know I used a bunch of AN470-3-3.5 to attach the angles to the ribs

My method probably wasn't real efficient if you are trying for absolute minimum cost, but I estimated the lengths based on material thickness in an Excel spreadsheet then ordered some on either side of my estimate. I also ordered some long ones 16? in each size and used a rivet cutter if I came across an odd size I didn't have.

I use ((1.5*Rivet Diameter)+Material Thickness)/.0625 to determine rivet length.

I most often rounded up to nearest whole (or some are available in half sizes). ie. 3.162 I would order 3.5.

I also primed all of my parts and in the case of my spars topcoated everything......so I made an allowance for paint thickness, which can add up when stacking 4 capstrips together.

[Bcone1381]

I took out my plans and counted rivets, but my numbers are of little use, since it was for a Patrol. That seems a bit anal retentive, doesn't it. Other than that, I had no idea what to order....How many pounds of Rivets do I need, 1, 2 5???

To give you an idea, My count was 1300 rivets size AN470-3's, and 600 rivets size AN470-3.5's That required .43 pounds of the -3's, and .23 pounds of the -3.5's confirming what with what mswain shared. I did not think about the added thickness of the corrosion coating. I might be off.

An added benefit of doing a hardware count is a much deeper understanding of Bob Barrows' drawings.

Brooks Cone
Patrol #303