CABLE SYSTEM

Aircraft control cable is available in both corrosion-resistant steel and carbon steel. The
corrosion-resistant steel is somewhat more expensive and has a slightly lower strength, but its
longer life makes it the better of the two cables for use where corrosion may be a problem, such
as in agricultural aircraft and seaplanes.
CABLE CONSTRUCTION
There are three types of steel cable used for aircraft control systems: nonflexible, flexible, and
extra-flexible. Nonflexible cable may be of either the 1 x 7 or 1 x 19 type. This designation
means that the 1 x 7 cable is made up of seven strands, each having only one wire. The 1 x 19
cable is made of 19 strands of one wire each. Nonflexible cable may be used only for straight
runs where the cable does not pass over any pulleys. Flexible cable is made up of seven
strands, each of which has seven wires. Flexible cable may be used only for straight runs or
where the pulleys are large. When cables must change direction over relatively small diameter
pulleys, extra-flexible cable must be used. This type of cable is made up of seven strands, each
having 19 separate wires. All aircraft control cable is pre-formed, which means that the wires
were shaped in their spiral form before the cable was wound, and they will not spring out when
the cable is cut.

This cross-sectional drawing illustrates the construction of various

types of aircraft control cable.

TERMINATION
Woven Splice
Control cables were originally terminated with a handwoven splice. Both of these systems were time consuming
and produced a termination that was certificated for only
75% of the cable strength.
Typical woven splice is seldom used because of its low strength and high cost of production.

Nicopress Process
Copper Nicopress sleeves may be compressed onto the cable
with a special tool. The cable is put through the sleeve and
around, the thimble, and the end is passed back through the
sleeve and it is compressed. The center compression is made
first, then the compression nearest the thimble, and finally the
compression at the end of the sleeve. After all three
compressions are made they are checked with a special gauge.
If they are properly made, the sleeve will exactly fit the slot.

Running splices may be made to join two

lengths of cable using two Nicopress sleeves.
When two sleeves are used, the splice is
approved as having the full cable strength.
A splice using two Nicopress sleeves has the full strength of the cable.

Swaged terminal
The vast majority of aircraft control cables are terminated with swaged terminals. To install one of
these terminals, cut the cable to the proper length using a cable cutter or a chisel rather than
cutting it with a torch. Bend the end of the cable so it will not slide out of the terminal during the
swaging operation, and then slip it into the terminal until it bottoms at the end of the hole, or until
it is almost even with the end of the hole if the terminal is drilled all of the way through.

When installing a swaged-on terminal, first bend the cable to

prevent it slipping out, and then push it in, almost to the end of
the hole.

Various types of swaged-on control cable terminals enable the designer to

use the termination method most suitable for a specific application

CABLE INSPECTION
Since the cables are such a vital part of an aircraft control system, they should be carefully
examined at each required inspection. Cables usually wear or break where they pass over
pulleys or through fair-leads. Wear and corrosion are the two most common problems with of
control cables. To inspect for cable breaks, hold a rag in your hand and wipe every portion of the
cable within reach. The rag snags on any broken strands that stick out of the cable. Move the
controls and check the cable as near the pulleys as you can reach. If there is any possibility of
corrosion, disconnect the cable and bend it into a loop to make any broken strands pop out.

When inspecting a steel cable for broken strands, bend it into a loop and
check for wire ends that pop out of the cable.

Both seaplanes and agricultural aircraft operate in an

environment that is highly conducive to corrosion in the
control cables, and both of these types of aircraft normally use corrosion-resisting steel cable.
However, it is still a good idea to wipe these cables with Par-al-ketone, a waxy grease to protect
the cable from moisture and corrosion.
PULLEYS AND FAIRLEADS
Aircraft manufacturers route the control cables in the most direct manner possible, and at each
point where a change in direction is required, they use a pulley. At any point within a run of
cable where there is the likelihood of the cable contacting the structure, it is run through a
fairlead made of some form of relatively soft plastic or fiber. The cable may touch or rub on a
fairlead, but fairleads must never be used to change the direction of the cable.

A fairlead prevents contact between a control cable and the aircraft structure to
prevent wear on the cable and damage to the structure.

Maintenance technicians can detect a variety of

control cable adjustments problems by observing
control cable wear patterns on the pulleys in the
system

PUSH-PULL ROD SYSTEM

Many airplanes and almost all helicopters

use push-pull rods rather than control cables for the flight control systems. The tubes
themselves are usually made of seamless heat-treated aluminum alloy tubing with threaded rod
ends riveted into the ends, and fittings are screwed onto these threads. To be sure that the rod
ends are screwed far enough into fitting, each of the fittings has a small hole drilled in it. If you can
pass a piece of safety wire through the hole, the rod end is not screwed in far enough. A check
nut is screwed onto the rod end, and when the length of the rod is adjusted, the check nut is
screwed up tight against the end of the fitting to hold it in place.

Push-pull control rods are frequently used to connect cabledriven bell cranks to the adjacent control surface and may
provide a simple means of adjusting the control surface
travel. This is a typical push-pull rod using a clevis rod end
and a rod-end bearing.

Helicopters use so many push-pull rods in their control systems that only a small amount of wear
in each of the fittings will be amplified and can cause serious control vibration. It is important
when checking the rigging of a helicopter that there be no slack in the control rods.
Bell cranks are used extensively in push-pull tubing systems to change direction of travel and to
gain or decrease the mechanical advantage of the control movement.

Bell cranks are a common component in push-pull

control systems.

Typical rudder-control system

A typical aileron control system also consists of cables, bell cranks and push rods. Rotation of the control wheel pulls
causes one aileron to rise and the other to lower.

A typical elevator-control system consists of cables connecting the control wheel with a bell crank in the rear fuselage.
The bell crank is connected to the elevator control horn by a push rod.