Mistakes are inevitable and I uncovered a couple of them back to back.  With the longerons fitted and finessed, the other structure went together pretty easily.  More bending was required as four forward channels required a good twist using the vise and a strong arm.  There are also quite a few other pieces that fit along the side forward of the spar.

A lot of match drilling comes next, as the longerons need holes drilled for the sill and skins.  A drilling template is used to drill holes for the rudder pedals and is where the first mistake was uncovered.  The longerons are not an exact science, so the guide didn’t line up perfectly.  A quick email to Van’s gave me guidance to line the template up with the edge of the longeron and all was well.  

Unfortunately the next mistake was not as easy to correct.  The engine mount brackets tie into the twisted channels and get drilled using the holes on the flange already riveted to the firewall.  I realized that three of the holes weren’t in the flange completely.  This is a major component providing support for not only the engine but the landing gear and forward fuselage, so certainly a cause for concern.

Van’s stated that it’s pretty common to have thin edge distance on these but all holes did need to be in the flange.  What I don’t understand and never got any response from is why the holes didn’t line up.  The mount is welded from the factory and cannot be bent or adjusted by the builder in the direction that is needed to correct the issue.  Replacement was my only option so an order to  Van’s was placed.  I am proud of my skills at removing the rivets, as I did not want to mess up the firewall.  All went well, though, and I’m just waiting for the replacement part to come in.