Electrical Cable Routing

Always looking for the better way.

1. Is there an official word from Van's regarding where you may penetrate the fuselage spar box for a battery cable, etc? Or is anywhere along the neutral axis of the beam is ok?

2. Anyone care to relate where (and why) they routed wiring runs that go to the rear fuselage area? These might include tail lighting, autopilot pitch, antenna cable, etc.

With a past -8 project, I ran the big battery cables under the floor and through the spar box. Autopilot pitch and antenna cables went under the right canopy rail, along with some intercom wiring part way back. I didn't want them in proximity to anything with any amps. Flap and master contactor wires went up the left side. Trim servo too I guess; I've slept since then <g>

There was no tail strobe, so no electrical interference concern with the HV cable. Practical reports please; any reason to be concerned with the strobe cables on a Whelen system #6, or does the twisted/shielded cable keep it quiet? I see the Whelen manual prohibits proximity to "ADF, flux gate compass", etc. And where have you guys been parking the power supply?

wire routing on an 8

Dan,

Vans drawing OP-11 shows the places on the spar web where the routing holes should be drilled. That drawing shows two holes on the left side and one on the right. One of those on the left is for the battery cable run aft. If you are mounting your battery on the firewall or in the forward baggage compartment, that gives you an extra hole.



I put my strobe power supply on a plate attached to the longerons on the right side of the fuselage under the rear baggage compartment.



I hope this helps.

Tony

See the following thread. I found Mickey Coggins site helpful. The link is inin one of the posts.

Do a forum search of wiring runs and you might find some other helpful hints.

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=7668&highlight=wiring+runs

Ken Stanton