John,

I did exactly as the manual said...."Do not rivet the aluminum strips to the ribs till after the wings have been covered. Rivet them after the fabric has been shrunk but before applying finishing tapes . This will conceal the rivet heads for a smooth professional finish"

I'd add, if done this way it (finishing tapes and final finish) also seals the rivets to prevent water from getting into the rivet bore holes and corroding the rivets or rotting the ribs.

Very happy with the final result. IMHO - the manual speaks from experience as to what works out best most of the time.

Sincerely,

Dave Syverson
KF7 Trigear - Flying
912ULS Warp Drive