Tail Nav Light Routing

[sglynn]

Nice discussion on wire routing for the tail light on the 7A. I see on the last entry you are holding down the wires in the plastic tip with a tie down. I want to make my rudder bottom tip rivetted on permanatly. And I'm thinking of putting a connector at the forward end so I can disconnect the wires when I remove the rudder.

So question: how do you hold down the wires in the plastic tip as they run aft to the light? Or do I need to? Can the wires and connector just run thru the tip without being held down?

thanks

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by sglynn

Nice discussion on wire routing for the tail light on the 7A. I see on the last entry you are holding down the wires in the plastic tip with a tie down. I want to make my rudder bottom tip rivetted on permanatly...

When I first built my plane I riveted the tip on but with the prop strike my tail spring was pushed into the rudder bottom and it had to be replaced.

The new rudder bottom has plate nuts, which I should have done from the start. The reason is, if you ever have to replace the tail light, you will probably want access to the rudder bottom.

Also, if you ever have to remove the rudder, say for painting, you will have to disconnect the wires stuffed in there.

[Rupester]

I riveted the rudder bottom on, but put a Molex connector at the aft end that allows removal of the strobe/pos'n light assembly. I put heatshrink the entire lenght of the wire bundle through the rudder bottom to offer abrasion resistance in the event it want to rub around in there. At first I tried clamping the wires inside the rudder bottom, but it became clear that would be most "unhandy" in the event of rudder removal. This way, the rudder can be removed by simply extracting the wire bundle after the Molex is unplugged.

[jmjula]

I ended up fiber glassing in an aluminum anchor that could zip tie the wires in place. I put a small hole in the fiberglass underneath it so I could cut the zip tie in the event the rudder needs to be removed. I also riveted my bottom on, it worked out pretty well.

Originally Posted by sglynn

Nice discussion on wire routing for the tail light on the 7A. I see on the last entry you are holding down the wires in the plastic tip with a tie down. I want to make my rudder bottom tip rivetted on permanatly. And I'm thinking of putting a connector at the forward end so I can disconnect the wires when I remove the rudder.

So question: how do you hold down the wires in the plastic tip as they run aft to the light? Or do I need to? Can the wires and connector just run thru the tip without being held down?

thanks