Wing Rivet SB 0014
(Aug 16-17, 2025) I completed the wing rivet service bulletin #0014 on the port wing. The service bulletin was issued after I completed the port wing, but I built the starboard wing later so it already has the high strength SS rivets. The SB was issued to address fretting of the rivets observed on planes that had accumulated a number of hours. The stainless steel rivets are noticeably stronger than their aluminum counterparts; I noticed that my Milwaukee rivet gun has to work quite a bit harder before the mandrels snap on these rivets.
The service bulletin broadly allows for using “any suitable faying surface sealant” for installing SS rivets into the aluminum structure, so I dipped the rivets in Sikaflex 221 sealant. Removing the drilled-out rivets tails inside the wing was a major pain as access is quite limited, especially between the wing spar and the fuel tank.
