Aircraft cable question

[aadamson]

Does anyone know of a fitting that can be used to "end" a rudder cable. I'm building a composite airplane and the rudder pedal cables, end at the firewall, but the default setup is to use a thimble, loop the cable around it, and then swage it around the thimble. Then you use bolt to secure that to the firewall. I saw one done that I like better, you pull the cable thru the firewall and a large flat washer. Then I saw a round ball about .75 to 1" that was a clamp, I'm sure it was a two piece with tongue in groove type locking mechanism. You screwed it together with two or 4 allen screws and nuts. This provided the stop, then they pull a little bit of the cable into a loop as swaged it so they would have something to pull to adjust the tension if needed.

It doesn't have to be a round ball type clamp, it could be a barrel type.... But I've yet to find any on my web searching. perhaps I dont know what they are called? Or maybe the just don't exist?

Any help appreciated.

Alan

[jcoloccia]

Originally Posted by aadamson

Does anyone know of a fitting that can be used to "end" a rudder cable. I'm building a composite airplane and the rudder pedal cables, end at the firewall, but the default setup is to use a thimble, loop the cable around it, and then swage it around the thimble. Then you use bolt to secure that to the firewall. I saw one done that I like better, you pull the cable thru the firewall and a large flat washer. Then I saw a round ball about .75 to 1" that was a clamp, I'm sure it was a two piece with tongue in groove type locking mechanism. You screwed it together with two or 4 allen screws and nuts. This provided the stop, then they pull a little bit of the cable into a loop as swaged it so they would have something to pull to adjust the tension if needed.

It doesn't have to be a round ball type clamp, it could be a barrel type.... But I've yet to find any on my web searching. perhaps I dont know what they are called? Or maybe the just don't exist?

Any help appreciated.

Alan

I'm just curious...why do the cables get bolted to the firewall? Is it just a travel stop?

[aadamson]

There are 2 cables for a pair of rudder pedals. They go to different sides of a bellcrank in the back. This bellcrank pushes and pulls a single pushtube to the rudder. At the front, the cable snakes thru a large S curve in the pedal (each pedal has it's own curve and it's own cable coming from the bellcrank). The cables at the front, then attach to the firewall with thimbles and swage fittings and the associated hardware. The bolt that goes thru the firewall, you leave the nut at the end of it when you pull all of this together for the first time, then you can tighten that nut to pull more tension on the cable.

I'd just like to not have to swage fittings on the inside of a cramped area and try to get everything tight. The other way, by just poking the cable thru the firewall and using some sort of adjustable clamp stop seems way easier.

Maybe I'm inventing work?

Alan

[Jim P]

They do make swaged ends that are slipped over the cable end and swaged, but these require special tools and you'd be better off having a shop do these.

Jim
-7 Fuse

[wingtime]

There are ends that can be swaged onto the end of a cable but it will never be as strong as the cable looping around a thimble then swaged.

[aadamson]

The round swaged ends are relatively small. I know they will be stronger, but I'm looking for a largish type clamp end. 1" in diameter is no problem. I'm hoping that there is something like a barrel that is split in half length wise that you'd fit the cable between the two halfs and then screw it back together to create a clamped stop. The larger the better as I'd let it ride against the large flat washer and bear the tension load with it's face against the washer and firewall.

I could probably make something or have something made, but I'm curious if this exists in the public purchase space

Alan