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Safety Cable Installation Questions

Mine is experimental. Hasn't come into play yet, fortunately.
LG Safety Cable.JPG
 

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Well if you think about it, the cables are a flexible doubler or backup for the cabane V / hsorbs & shock struts. This is the center structure that allows the landing gear to absorb and pivot. This is also the reason why you only install the safety cables as designed by Atlee. The cable length is designed to allow the gear full travel. By changing where the cables attach, you have changed the travel length. Strength is another design function, the cables form an X. The geometry of the X is important to maintain. Putting new gear on doesn't effect the strength of the center section or safety cables.
 
OK Mike, I'm willing to be proven wrong (shoot, thats pretty normal for me).......tell us about a set of "new" gear that failed, or..... are you saying that the gear attach fitting on the fuselage is what fails?

Bill
 
Bill, I think he means that the cables won't help if the gear legs themselves fail, however the cables can prevent the gear from splaying uncontrollably outward if the cabane, hydrosorb, or shock strut fails. Then again, maybe you were referring to the entire landing gear assembly, including cabane and shock struts, not just the gear legs?
 
Mike is a professional mechanic in Alaska. He has seen more gear failures that I will ever even hear about so I was seriously trying to learn what his experiences are. The failures I have heard about, and actually seen, are usually where the axle attaches to the down tubes, and/or various places on the shock struts. The cables will definitely help in these instances. These failures were all in old gear, thus my comment that it might be better to buy (or at least consider buying) new gear. I am not against safety cables but I wanted to make the point that new gear legs, shock struts, and cabane V's might be a better "insurance" option.

Bill
 
MLG attach fittings would be the primary suspect area. I have lots of friends and acquaintances that beat the snot out of their Cubs and don't recall any failures that safety cables saved. On the other side of that I have lots of friends and acquaintances who use their Cubs less roughly. No failures there, either, and since I fit into that category I'd have a much lower expectation of trouble than a guide with a working plane.
 
I remain comfortable with my decision to leave my cables on the bench, from what I'm hearing here so far. I almost never regret leaving more weight and drag off the plane, Air streaks, wheel skis, swiss muffler aside!
 
Well if you think about it, the cables are a flexible doubler or backup for the cabane V / hsorbs & shock struts. This is the center structure that allows the landing gear to absorb and pivot. This is also the reason why you only install the safety cables as designed by Atlee. The cable length is designed to allow the gear full travel. By changing where the cables attach, you have changed the travel length. Strength is another design function, the cables form an X. The geometry of the X is important to maintain. Putting new gear on doesn't effect the strength of the center section or safety cables.

I agree that the cables must be installed as the installation manual describes. But there is a way to fix the cables on the upper side to avoid hanging below the struts.
I have fixed them that way and it works for me. In case of a lower strut failure the mounting plate of the cables is installed according STC and the plastic ties will break if the cables are stretched to full length.

Happy landings, Anthony
 

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You need to go back and read what Mike and Nanook have pointed out. The cables are there to prevent the prop from smacking the ground if there is a failure in the gear suspension. Expanding the argument to include failure of attach points and gear attach fittings is above and beyond what they are designed for. Install the cables as designed. Stop. Install the correct length cables. Stop. They will protect the prop in case of failure of a bungee/hydrosorb assembly or cabane vee. End of argument.

I personally don't believe the center tab attaching 'up' or 'down' makes much difference. But installing the wrong cables will. There is a set for standard gear and extended gear. Installing the wrong ones will allow the prop to contact the ground before tightening up or will restrict the travel of the suspension.

Whether you install them or not is completely up to the owner. Do they cause undue drag? Of course not, when compared to the big tires, gear legs, struts, jury struts, flying wires that fly with you every time. Do they add weight? Some. But if this worries you, leave out a quart of oil from you fly away kit and it cancels out. But when you have a suspension failure and you end up rebuilding an engine and installing a prop, take a look in the mirror and no where else. It's a free country, so far, so make your own decision and take responsibility. And if you make up your mind, say so and don't look to others to validate your decision.

My decision is to install them. I've seen many incidents that were the result of, or resulted in gear failure. The cables will prevent engine and prop damage in some, but not all, of these. If I can bolt on a cable set that will allow me to install a new cabane vee or suspension leg and fly home, I choose to do so. Especially when the decision to NOT install the cables means that the aircraft will most likely come home under a helicopter and require extensive repairs/engine replacement.

Push the odds in your favor, or not. YOU chose.

Web
 
... well pointed out Wireweinie :up
I assume that everybody knows which gear (3" or standard) is installed to use the proper length :roll:
Otherwise the modification makes no sense ...
 
If you fly with CC Joe you could but the cables in the back seat and the will still have grass stuck in them :lol:

Glenn
 
OregonCub
I seldom am a buy the book guy,but for this one I would follow the Attlee instructions. Skywagon makes a very good point. I had not considered the angles involved until he pointed it out . Just call Steve at Attlee and see what he says! CC are not bad guys but on this one they may be going more for looks than trying to save your wing and prop. If you really want to find out put the cables on the CC way than hang the cub or use wing jack, pull bolt from bottom of gear leg and lower cub until cable is tight check prop and wing clearance if you are happy go for it. This test should be done before the gear failure not after:oops: Steve will also know the right length for 3 inch vs stock gear.
DENNY
 
The fence seems to be tipping in the direction of the "cheap insurance" for me so what is the appropriate size/diameter cable for a 1,700 lb airplane with broken suspension slamming into the dirt at 30 kts?? Just in case I overload a tad and taking into consideration Sky's flattened triangle issue.

I'm thinking the cable can be routed from the bottom of the gear up thru any fairing that I might put on the gear which would serve the same function as the wire ties to keep them out of the weeds and reduce drag.
 
I’m to the point of installing Attlee safety cables on their PA-12 I’ve been restoring and wanted to ask some input about the airframe cabane cable attachment. The directions say to attach it to the aft side of the bolt. However, the tab hits a small gusset that’s part of the fuselage attachment fitting. The tab would have to be almost point straight down to work or 3 washers would have to be added for spacing to push it away from the fitting and clear the gusset. I tried that and it still looks like it’s touching. If I mount the tab on the front side it clears just fine. Is this acceptable? I’ve seen several PA-12’s with PA-18 gear and safety cables installed with the cabane cables mounted on the front and not aft. Big deal?0559778D-CE37-485C-9E34-E96FD7314296.jpeg
 

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That gusset is always on the front of the 18 gear fitting. Never seen one on the rear. Maybe that is a 12 thing. Mike will know.
 
That gusset is always on the front of the 18 gear fitting. Never seen one on the rear. Maybe that is a 12 thing. Mike will know.

put it on whatever side it fits...

I'd have to go back to my pictures of -12 stuff, but i think like was mentioned they have gussets both sides?
 
Yep, this 12 has gussets on both sides but somehow the tab doesn’t hit the one in the front....maybe that the fitting is longer on the front side. I looked at it with he washers and grumbled a bit then removed them and moved it to the front side. I see washers stacked up and it makes my head ache! Thanks fellas!

PS - I just signed up for some cloud storage and have been in the process of moving a couple decades of pictures to the cloud! It is for sure a chore!
 
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I think mine were on the back. Definitely on the back on the Cub. It just seems better than stacking the safety cable tab and ski tab on the same side. Probably doesn't make any difference. The bolt is in shear, not tension.
 
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