Panther Sport Aircraft Forums

I have waffled all over the place on this one, but am now convinced by my making mistakes on the build and having to drill out rivets. I am sticking with my original plan to install nut plates. Drilling out rivets may or may not do damage, but if it does, I am thinking this will be very bad. I am also going to use nut plates for all my wing and other tips, so they can be removed and replaced if necessary. I hope this is my final waffle, speaking of waffles, I am hungry, so time to go get some breakfast.

Posted by Dan Heath on 8/3/2014
Feel a bit silly replying to my post, but since I have all the hardware for removable, I am going to build it that way, just in case I ever need to remove it for maintenance or any other reason.​

Posted by Dan Heath 6/21/2014

Wish we had this discussion. I guess I also will have extra nutplates in my inventory. Y'all make very good points and I am not in the mood to complicate things any more than they already are.

I am sure this required ordering more rivets?

Posted by Dan Heath 6/21/2014
I don't have personal experience, but an RV friend of mine had a bird strike that did considerable damage to his leading edge and thus the fuel tank. Therefore, I ordered the anchor nut kit for my fuel tanks and will be building it so it can be removed for repair

Posted by Tony Spicer 6/20/2014

Will,

The prints are very clear as to what gets drilled and what doesn't.

Note that the paint cutter reduces chipping, it doesn't eliminate it. The other issue I've observed is the screw slots seem to collect paint. The odds that you'll get every last screw out without having to drill at least one out are slim. Especially if you use #6's instead of #8's.

Tony

Posted by Glen Robinson 6/20/2014

When I get to that point, I was considering nutplates. After reading these posts, it doesn't make sense to use nutplates. I'll rivet the tanks.

Glen​

Posted by Will Mensink on 6/20/2014
Well, I guess I'm going to have a lot of spare nutplates in my inventory;-) You all make valid points to change my mind. That should be a win/win saving time and a few more ounces. Can someone clarify when riveting the tanks to the wing does one rivet ALL the overlapping holes with the aft skin or just use the same holes specified for the nutplates?

Of the screwed on tanks you all have seen removed did any use this product and still have paint chipping ?http://www.averytools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=6525​

Posted by Paul Salter on 6/20/2014
Ercoupe tanks had screws, but believe the Piper Cherokee series had rivets. Same guy designed both, maybe he learned after the Ercoupe Rivets on mine also, Aluminum rivets are easy to drill out and 1/3 of the number of holes in the wing spar (in that area).

Posted by Rachel Weseman 6/20/2014
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I agree with Tony. Backing out nut plates will certainly ruin the paint job. You might as well just drill out the rivets.

We riveted in the tanks and would do it again - simple because the cost and time versus the benefit is not that great.

In the end it is up to you and your wallet.

Posted by Tony Spicer 6/20/2014

I too have an RV background. That's why I used nutplates on the tanks when I built the first set of wings. Then came the second time around. Came to the realization that Dan was a pretty smart feller and he had riveted his tanks. So I riveted mine. Should a tank ever need to come off it will take all of 30 minutes to drill out the rivets. The few times I've seen tanks removed from an RV, backing the screws out has screwed up the paint just as much as drilling out rivets would.

Are there certified aircraft with RV/Panther style tanks? If yes, how are they attached?

Tony