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Bend firewall and sub panel?

Girraf

Well Known Member
Friend
RV-7 Tip up sub Panel, DWG 24A

Building up the sub panel assembly and noticed there looks to be a bend line about 2-3" up form the bottom of the sub panel to accommodate the slight tilt forward of the sub panel. This forward bend is also reflected on the upper portion of the firewall. I haven't been able to find anything in the plans or other builders saying anything about making a defined crease in either the sub panel parts (F-768) or the firewall. Are they fine to just be flexed into the right orientation or should I be providing strain relief and a crisp bend line to accommodate the geometry?
 

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Yes

The subpanel needs to get bent. I did it before assembly using a log aluminum angle and clamped to the bench and it worked out OK; a large brake would have ben better.

I never bent the firewall before assembly because I didnt know I needed too. But once I assembled the front fuselage with the subpanel, I realized it should have been done before the firewall angles were assembled. I tweaked it as best I could when doing the upper forward fuselage. It came out fine.

I think the subpanel bend is more important to do before assembly than the firewall bend; bending the firewall after assembly is easy due to the thinness of the material. In my opinion, there will be no way to bend the subpanel into the proper form once assembled.
 
Not critical to have precise bend, you could clamp an angle to the panel & tap a slight bend into it with a rubber mallet, deflection is only a few degrees.
 
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