VAF Forums - Building Tip - Rudder Cable Exit Fairings

Some folks will look at this as a lot of extra work for nothing. I don't disagree. But there are some builders that just can't stand to see the plastic tubing for the rudder cables sticking out into the wind. I just happen to be one of those builders. Here's how I handled it.

I have seen them just riveted to the outside of the fuselage and also just riveted flush. I thought about this but I couldn't find a way to remove the rudder cables after assembly. The swaged end of the cable will not fit through the opening in the fairing. So I will attach mine with some #4 screws. I don't foresee a reason to ever remove the cables, but it would be just my luck that I would someday.

I ordered a package of cable fairings from Avery. You get three of them in a package. The first step is to trim them to the desired size. I left an even area all the way around, just enough for the mounting screws. Be sure to mark a left and a right one when your done.

Next I cut holes in the side of my fuselage using the fairing as a guide. That's why it is important to mark both a left and a right fairing so the holes will match each part closely. I used some scrap to fabricate a reinforcing ring. In the middle of the ring I cut a slot for the plastic cable tubing. The slot ends just a little short of the end of the fairing so that the plastic tubing will be squeezed by the fairing when it is screwed in place.

After a bunch of drilling and riveting, I screwed the fairing to the reinforcing ring. I then positioned the ring in the skin opening so that I could center the fairing in the opening evenly. I then drilled the attach holes through the skin and ring. After cleaning and dimpling, I riveted the ring in place.

On the inside, all that was left was to make an attachment for the -6 hose clamp to secure the end of the plastic tubing. I made a couple of L brackets from scrap and riveted them to the longeron. I used a nut and bolt to hold the clamp to the bracket.

When I was all done, this is what it looked like. Now I like that much better than just a slot.