Tail light wiring route.

[Captain Avgas]

I'm interested in recommendations for a PROVEN route for the wires that exit the most rear bulkhead on an RV7A and enter the lower rudder fairing (for the Whelen Nav/strobe light).

Does any body have any pix of their successful set-up.

I've checked the archives and I've seen a few pix of taildraggers with holes drilled through the spar of the vertical stabiliser. That of course will present a problem if the rudder needs to be removed.

At any rate I'm interested in the nose gear model solution.

[hevansrv7a]

Originally Posted by Captain Avgas

..I've checked the archives and I've seen a few pix of taildraggers with holes drilled through the spar of the vertical stabiliser. That of course will present a problem if the rudder needs to be removed...

I don't see why that is a problem for rudder removal. Mine is through the VS just below the lowest hinge. The wires to the tail light(s) should have a disconnect plug in them. My rudder was removed for painting. No issues. Allow slack which will lay in the rudder bottom. Allow for rubbing issues, too, of course.

[Captain Avgas]

Originally Posted by hevansrv7a

I don't see why that is a problem for rudder removal. Mine is through the VS just below the lowest hinge. The wires to the tail light(s) should have a disconnect plug in them. My rudder was removed for painting. No issues. Allow slack which will lay in the rudder bottom. Allow for rubbing issues, too, of course.

Ooops sorry, I meant to say running wires throught the VS spar would be a problem for removal of the vertical stabiliser.

I'm still a bit perplexed as to how you get your rudder off. I am imagining that you have a disconnect plug(s) for the tail lights inside the lower rudder tip. If so, how do you get the plugs out throught the rear of the tip. I am imagining that a hole for a grommet would not have sufficient diameter to pull the plugs through.

On the other hand you might have the disconnect plugs located between the rear bulkhead and the fairing. Is that a reasonable place for a plug.

Do you have any pix of your installation.

[hevansrv7a]

Originally Posted by Captain Avgas

Ooops sorry, I meant to say running wires throught the VS spar would be a problem for removal of the vertical stabiliser.

I'm still a bit perplexed as to how you get your rudder off. I am imagining that you have a disconnect plug(s) for the tail lights inside the lower rudder tip. If so, how do you get the plugs out throught the rear of the tip. I am imagining that a hole for a grommet would not have sufficient diameter to pull the plugs through.

On the other hand you might have the disconnect plugs located between the rear bulkhead and the fairing. Is that a reasonable place for a plug.

Do you have any pix of your installation.

Sorry, can't find any pics of that. The tail lamp is the combo from Whelen and comes with plugs if I remember right. If not, just install on the wire ends. I cut a large enough hole (>1"?) in the aft surface of the rudder bottom to allow the lamp base housing to stick through it and that was large enough to extract the plug(s) through, too. I left enough wire inside the rudder bottom to come out through the end. I must have threaded the wires through the VS spar and lowest hinge bottom half before attaching the plugs. There is plenty of room at the forward end of the rudder bottom to draw the plug out completely for rudder removal. I just used some stiff wire to pull the real wires through. You are right that the plug would have to come off for VS removal, but I did all this after the VS was installed.

[Captain Avgas]

Originally Posted by hevansrv7a

I must have threaded the wires through the VS spar and lowest hinge bottom half before attaching the plugs.

Thanks for the info.

If you drilled through the bottom half of the lowest rudder hinge then I am presuming that you also drilled through the rear fuse tie-down extrusion that is rivetted inside the last bulkhead. That's pretty tight in there....and maybe too thick for a bushing.

I'm also presuming that you did not drill a hole and use a grommet in the forward end of the rudder tip....rather you simply let the wires hang over the top edge of the tip. If so, are you concerned about the tip edge chaffing the wires.

[hevansrv7a]

Originally Posted by Captain Avgas

Thanks for the info.

If you drilled through the bottom half of the lowest rudder hinge then I am presuming that you also drilled through the rear fuse tie-down extrusion that is rivetted inside the last bulkhead. That's pretty tight in there....and maybe too thick for a bushing.

I'm also presuming that you did not drill a hole and use a grommet in the forward end of the rudder tip....rather you simply let the wires hang over the top edge of the tip. If so, are you concerned about the tip edge chaffing the wires.

Correct on both deductions. I protected the wires where they go over the lip of the rudder bottom - some corrugated conduit. Easy to inspect, too.

[zkvii]

Hi,

We have 7A with whelen stobe / light in the rudder tip. What we have done so far....

Drilled and snap bushed the rear bulk head




And after trying a simple snap bush on the rudder tip - I've evolved it to a 'funnel' duct.



The strobe and 2 nav light wires go through and I may well add some heat srink / sleaving just to help any chaffing. The plugs connections are in the rudder tip - will require removal of the pin from the connectors to remove the rudder - but not something I expect to do often..... Not flying yet - but looks good on the ground.....

HTH,

Carl

[lrfrey]

Excellent photo's Carl. I just finished mine a few days ago, I came thru the VS exactly as you did. I used a 1" hole and rubber gromet with a large opening. To guide the wires to the exact center, I used an adel clamp attached with the lower left bolt. It sits at a small angle, probably would vary depending on the relationship of the VS hole and Rudder hole.

Larry

[Captain Avgas]

Originally Posted by lrfrey

Excellent photo's Carl. I just finished mine a few days ago, I came thru the VS exactly as you did.
Larry

Hi Larry, it seems from Carl's pix that he did not in fact come through the VS...he drilled through the aft bulkhead MISSING the the VS. Is that what you did also. This is one of those threads where a photo would be worth a 1000 words.

[zkvii]

To clarify - For us - the snap bushing is lower and outboard of the VS spar - the VS comes on and off without affecting it. The disadvantage of being that low is the cables have a real Z form. I'm don't know if there is a 'right' - just what Ive done so far....

Carl