N941WR
Legacy Member
When building my -9 I took great care FwF to make sure the wires, hoses, etc. were secured and didn’t touched anything I didn’t want them to. This has paid off in that after 150 hours the FwF section of the plane looks as good as it did the first day I flew.
However, the same can’t be said for the tail cone. I’m in the process of installing a two axis autopilot which required access to the tail cone.
When I installed my wires and manual trim tab I glued zip-tie pads to floor with automotive trim adhesive from Goop rather than relying on the self stick pads they come with. This seems to have been a good plan as they are holding up well.
With 150 hours on the plane I notice that in some places the wires running down the tail cone were touching the floor and had rubbed the primer off. It was simple enough for me to add another zip-tie pad or two under these wires, since I had access.
What I’m point out is that I thought the wires would be just fine, lying on the inside of the skin like that. Boy was I ever wrong. Over time I, suspect those wires would have either worn through the skin or the wire insulation would have been compromised (I’m betting on the insulation), either way, it would have been a pain to correct the problem had it not been caught.
The advice for you builders is to secure all wires and make sure they do not touch any part of the structure.
However, the same can’t be said for the tail cone. I’m in the process of installing a two axis autopilot which required access to the tail cone.
When I installed my wires and manual trim tab I glued zip-tie pads to floor with automotive trim adhesive from Goop rather than relying on the self stick pads they come with. This seems to have been a good plan as they are holding up well.
With 150 hours on the plane I notice that in some places the wires running down the tail cone were touching the floor and had rubbed the primer off. It was simple enough for me to add another zip-tie pad or two under these wires, since I had access.
What I’m point out is that I thought the wires would be just fine, lying on the inside of the skin like that. Boy was I ever wrong. Over time I, suspect those wires would have either worn through the skin or the wire insulation would have been compromised (I’m betting on the insulation), either way, it would have been a pain to correct the problem had it not been caught.
The advice for you builders is to secure all wires and make sure they do not touch any part of the structure.
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