Rudder cable splicing

[cubdrvr]

Never have seen this before......looks safe enough but.......is it legal?
On a Pawnee that came in today. Cables in great shape otherwise. I'm kinda assuming that someone got lazy
and didn't want to remove the fairleads when the cables were installed since spliced on both sides.
Thoughts from the Peanut Gallery ( for you old timers)??

 

[DJ]

Looks painful at the very least

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[ak49flyer]

Legal, but why? You don’t have to remove fairleads or pulleys to change- snip end off old cable, heat-shrink tube new cable to old, pull through, crimp one end, rig, crimp other.

 

[behindpropellers]

Never have seen this before......looks safe enough but.......is it legal?
On a Pawnee that came in today. Cables in great shape otherwise. I'm kinda assuming that someone got lazy
and didn't want to remove the fairleads when the cables were installed since spliced on both sides.
Thoughts from the Peanut Gallery ( for you old timers)??
View attachment 60929View attachment 60930

I forget the exact numbers, but I think it cannot be within 2" of a fairlead or pulley.

 

[courierguy]

Ugly, but perfectly safe, at least I hope so as I did the same thing on my RANS. I may have a bit more faith in 1/8" and 3/32" wire rope than some, being an old hang glider and UL pilot and dealer, I used to buy the stuff by the multiple rolls. Plus, I have pulled it to destruction using my crane's load indicator, (accurate +- a couple hundred pounds) and with a SINGLE nico sleeve the cable broke before the splice gave way, right at it's listed yield load. The potential bad thing is you lose some flex in the cable, so for sure only in an area with a straight pull. I never did it in the rigging, but for my rudder? I have other things to worry about. No one can see it also.

 

[bob turner]

A set of amphibs came from CC with splices like that on water rudder cables. Looked like crap, but still work. It was a new installation, but as I recall, used Wips.

 

[supercrow]

No way of knowing for sure without further examination, but I would be more concerned with the looks of the lower longeron.

 

[wireweinie]

This is from the AC43.13-1B, section 7-148:

Web

 

[Steve Pierce]

Dave, I remember when you did that, your getting old and forgot. wireweinie got it, AC43.13 is the bible.

 

[cubdrvr]

If I didn't remember doing that how could I forget?

 

[Steve Pierce]

If I didn't remember doing that how could I forget?

Just don't forget who you willed those hardware drawers to, sounds like I might be getting close to getting them.

 

[Scott A]

My question is on the ugly (and painful) part.

My cables came prebuilt and there is no way to get heat shrink tubing over them.

What (type of tape?) is best to wrap the #$@n pokey ends with? Thanks!
View attachment 60930

 

[Steve Pierce]

I have seen safety wire used, electrical tape, thread and rib stitch cord.

 

[cubdriver2]

My question is on the ugly (and painful) part.

My cables came prebuilt and there is no way to get heat shrink tubing over them.

What (type of tape?) is best to wrap the #$@n pokey ends with? Thanks!
View attachment 60930

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Heat-S...+shrink+tape+electrical&qid=1681144687&sr=8-4

Glenn

 

[dgapilot]

While the ends might be ugly and able to stick you, they have a purpose! As long as you can see the end you know they aren’t slipping! Cover them up and you can’t inspect them.


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[BC12D-4-85]

I had a floatplane with rudder cables like that. Never broke, but I got tired of moving under the tail and getting clothing caught on the exposed wire brush. Had it replaced. And check the lower tubing on that plane?

Gary

 

[courierguy]

Slipping? I have never, ever seen a nicopress "slip." Assuming it's crimped with the proper tool and checked with a go/no go gauge, I'd be, and have been in the past, when splicing in a similar fashion, very comfortable with leaving the cable ends flush with the swedge. In the HG and UL world, we ALWAYS used two sleeves, the ONLY reason to use 2 was not for the extra grip, it was soley to cover up the ragged ass end. That may not conform with some FAA directive, but if it didn't work I wouldn't be here to type about it. ONE crimped sleeve maintains full cable strength after all.

There was one time when an off brand model (POS) of UL suffered a structural collapse from a rigging failure, and remember when talking about them and HG's, cables are holding the entire aircraft together, it was traced to using sleeves for 1/8" cable over PVC coated 3/32" cable. They were too ignorant to know how to safely remove the coating from the area to be crimped, so they just used the next bigger sleeve, that's always amazed me.

 

[WhiskeyMike]

Making a field repair in an airplane that’s usually operated as “urgent need” is way different than hobby planes. Chances are there may be another piece of cable on that plane on the other end. Not pretty, but mighty handy when your annual revenues are decided by a short season.

 

[Mr. Ed]

My question is on the ugly (and painful) part.

My cables came prebuilt and there is no way to get heat shrink tubing over them.

What (type of tape?) is best to wrap the #$@n pokey ends with? Thanks!
View attachment 60930

May be setting myself up for a public flogging but……What I do with these wild ends is take a single edge razor blade and slide it between the cable and the frayed ends right up to the sleeve. Then use a dremel tool with a thin cutoff wheel and trim off the frayed ends. The cable wires cut easily but the razor blade does not so it protects the cable from damage. Just make sure you hold the razor blade in place snuggly or the cutoff wheel will send it flying and you’ll nick/ruin your cable.