PIA TRAINING CENTRE (PTC) Module 7A - MAINTENANCE PRACTICES

Category – A/B1 Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

MODULE 7A
Sub Module 7.13

CONTROL CABLES

ISO 9001:2008 Certified For Training Purpose Only

PTC/CM/B1.1 Basic/M7A/01 Rev. 01
7.13 Nov 2017
 PIA TRAINING CENTRE (PTC) Module 7A - MAINTENANCE PRACTICES
Category – A/B1 Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

Contents

CABLE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
SWAGING OF END FITTINGS --------------------------------------------------- 3
INSPECTION AND TESTING OF CONTROL CABLES ------------------------- 3
BOWDEN CABLES AND AIRCRAFT FLEXIBLE CONTROL SYSTEM -------- 6

ISO 9001:2008 Certified For Training Purpose Only

PTC/CM/B1.1 Basic/M7A/01 Rev. 01
7.13 - i Nov 2017
 PIA TRAINING CENTRE (PTC) Module 7A - MAINTENANCE PRACTICES
Category – A/B1 Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

Page Intentionally Left Blank

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 PIA TRAINING CENTRE (PTC) Module 7A - MAINTENANCE PRACTICES
Category – A/B1 Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

CABLE Grit

A wire cordage of great strength or heavy metal chain used for Precautions should also be taken to protect the cable from grit
hauling, towing, supporting the roadway of a suspension bridge, and moisture and from damage in transit.
or securing a large ship to its anchor or mooring.

Cable handling

Precautions

Kink / Loop prevention

Cable may be permanently damaged, or its working life may be

considerably curtailed, by careless handling and unwinding.
Care is necessary to prevent the cable from forming itself into a
loop, which, if pulled tight, could produce a kink. A kink is
shown by the core strand leaving the center of the rope and
lying between the outer strands or protruding in the form of a
small loop.

Reels

Cable should always be stored on suitably designed reels. The

diameter of the reel barrel should be at least forty times the
cable diameter.

Moisture prevention

British Standards stipulate that reels should be made from a

wood which will not corrode the cable and that interior surfaces
should be lined with an inert waterproof material.

ISO 9001:2008 Certified For Training Purpose Only

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 PIA TRAINING CENTRE (PTC) Module 7A - MAINTENANCE PRACTICES
Category – A/B1 Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

Cable removal from reel Emergency use

To remove cable from a reel, a spindle should be placed When a cable is found to be unserviceable and a spare cable is
through the centre of the reel and supported in a suitable stand. not available, an exact duplicate of the damaged cable may be
Cable may then be removed by pulling the free end in line with prepared. This will involve cutting a length of cable to the proper
the reel, allowing the reel to rotate. Cable should not be length, attaching the necessary end fittings, and testing the
unwound by paying off loose coils, or by pulling the cable away assembly.
from a stationary reel laid on its side.
To determine the proper length to which the new cable will be
When a long length of cable has been cut from a reel and it is
cut, you should first determine the overall length of the finished
necessary to coil the cut piece, the coil diameter should be at
least 50 times the, cable diameter, with a minimum diameter of cable assembly. This may be accomplished by measuring the
150 mm (6 in). Care must be taken to prevent dust, grit and old cable assembly or by reading the measurements provided in
moisture, from coming into contact with the coiled cable. the AMM for the aircraft concerned.

The ends of stored cable are whipped to prevent fraying and if a Replacement of cables in aircraft
length has been cut from the reel, the remaining free end should
be whip. When a coil is being unwound, the coil should be Replacing cables in the aircraft, especially those routed through
rotated so that the cable is paid out in a straight line inaccessible spaces, can be difficult. One method is to secure a
snaking line to the cable to be replaced, remove the pulleys
from the brackets, and pull out the old cable while pulling the
snaking line into the cable system run at the same time. Attach
the new cable assembly to the snaking line, and pull the
snaking line out to pull the new assembly into place. Replace
the pulleys and attach the new cable in the system.

Cable handling accessories

ISO 9001:2008 Certified For Training Purpose Only
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 PIA TRAINING CENTRE (PTC) Module 7A - MAINTENANCE PRACTICES
Category – A/B1 Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

SWAGING OF END FITTINGS INSPECTION AND TESTING OF CONTROL CABLES

All cables, used in aircraft controls runs, have some form of end Once in service, the cables will be inspected regularly for a
fittings attached to each end of the cables. These end fittings variety of possible faults, whilst the swaged end fittings will
are usually ‘swaged’ onto the cable, meaning that the end fitting require minimal inspection. In some installations, red paint is
is slid over the cable before being squeezed, to reduce its applied at the junction of the end fitting where the cable
diameter, and cause it to grip the cable very tightly. emerges, leading to a gap showing if the cable has slipped
within the swaged end fitting during normal service. Some
During production of these cables, the completed end fitting will individual ferrules, fitted to non-critical cables, may be inspected
be carefully checked, using a Go/No-Go gauge, to ensure that for signs of cracking whilst in service.
the cable has been gripped satisfactorily. The finished cable
assembly will also be proof tested to confirm its suitability for It is rare for cables to be removed from service to have a
use as an aircraft control cable. scheduled proof load test. If there is any doubt to the possibility
of the cables lasting a long time in service, they will be either
checked for stretch by measuring their length under load, or
they will be given a finite life and replaced when that life is
reached.

Cable systems have to receive regular inspections due to their

being subject to a wide variety of environmental conditions and
wear. Their degradation, due to wear, can take the form of
wire/strand breakage (which is fairly easy to detect), or may
exist as less visible (internal) wear, or as corrosion and
distortion.

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 PIA TRAINING CENTRE (PTC) Module 7A - MAINTENANCE PRACTICES
Category – A/B1 Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

Cable wear

Critical areas for strand breakage are where the cable passes Generally, any signs of internal wear within a cable will mean its
over pulleys or through fairleads. Examination of cables will replacement.
normally involve passing a cloth along the length of the cable,
which will both clean any dirt from it and detect broken strands if Broken strands on a cable at a location not adjacent to a pulley
the cloth ‘snags’ on the projecting wires. or fairlead could be an indication that the breakage was due to
corrosion.

There will be limits, published by the manufacturer, which say The inspection of a cable for internal corrosion should be done
how many strands per unit length can be broken. Removed off aircraft, and will involve rejection of the cable if corrosion is
cables can be bent through a gentle radius, which may show up found.
broken internal strands that would not be visible when installed
and tensioned.
Side View Side View
External wear (refer to Fig. 1) will extend along the cable, equal
to the distance the cable moves at that location and may occur
on one side of the cable or over its entire circumference. The
limits of permitted wear will be found in the AMM.
Plan View Plan View
Internal wear occurs in similar places in the wire to external
wear, around pulleys and fairleads and is much more difficult to
detect. Separating the strands, after removing the cable, is the
only way to detect internal wear and this only permits limited
inspection.

Cable Worn < 50% Diameter Cable Worn > 50% Diameter

External Cable Wear

Fig. 1

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Category – A/B1 Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

The maintenance carried out on cable runs usually involves

both regular inspections and preservative measures. With the
majority of cables being steel-based, it is vital that cables,
passing through high risk areas such as battery bays, toilets
and galleys, receive regular rust preventative treatments in
addition to visual inspections.

Most cables have external corrosion preventative compounds

applied in varying amounts, whilst internally they will have been
soaked in some form of thin grease or low-temperature oil to
resist the formation of the difficult to detect internal corrosion.

Normally in dry and desert atmospheres, the application of

certain compounds to cables is not permitted. This is because
the adhesive properties of these compounds will cause the sand
and dust to stick to the cable and, thus, cause extremely high
rates of wear.

All controls will be monitored, by the flight deck crew, on a day-

to-day basis but, during maintenance, more subjective tests
must be completed. The tension of the cables will be measured,
as will the rigging of the complete runs, to ensure that the
controls remain accurate and precise in their operation.

Whilst it is not usual to find faults on the cable end fittings, these
should all be checked for any signs of damage, corrosion and
stressing of the cable at the end fitting. Items checked will
include turnbuckles and ball end fittings, to ensure that the
cable is operating at the designed angle, tension and over the
correct range. .

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 PIA TRAINING CENTRE (PTC) Module 7A - MAINTENANCE PRACTICES
Category – A/B1 Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

BOWDEN CABLES AND AIRCRAFT FLEXIBLE CONTROL

SYSTEM

A typical Bowden cable control might be a brake lever on the At longer intervals, it might become necessary to inspect the
control column operating a remote brake control valve. outer conduit for signs of damage or kinking; which can cause
the control to become tight or ‘notchy’.
Maintenance of Bowden cable systems is usually restricted to
cleaning and lubrication of the inner cable at regular intervals
and adjustment of the outer conduit (e.g. if the brakes needed
adjustment). The lubrication would keep moisture out of the
cable to prevent it freezing at low temperatures.

The Teleflex cable system is more complex than the Bowden

cable system in that the operating cable, within the conduit, is
actually a number of spirally wound cables which surround a
core tension cable, giving it support. This allows the cable to
transmit a push force as easily as a pull force, doing away with
the need for any form of return spring.

A typical use of a Teleflex system might be a throttle lever to

engine fuel control system connection.

The Teleflex cable system is a snug fit within the conduit and,
because there might be the chance of it becoming seized, due
to foreign objects, dirt or freezing, it is vital that the inner cables
are regularly removed, cleaned and lubricated with low
temperature grease. It is also important that the conduits are
thoroughly cleaned using a form of ‘pull-through’, prior to the
inner cable being installed.

ISO 9001:2008 Certified For Training Purpose Only

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 PIA TRAINING CENTRE (PTC) Module 7A - MAINTENANCE PRACTICES
Category – A/B1 Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

Inspection of control cable pulleys

When inspecting cables for the previously mentioned wear and

breakages, the complete cable runs must be examined for
incorrect routing, fraying, twisting or wear at fairleads, pulleys
and guards.

Pulleys must be inspected for wear (refer to Fig. 2), to detect

indications of seizure, flat spots, embedded foreign material and
excessive tension. Any signs of contact with adjacent structure,
pipe-work, wiring and other controls must also be thoroughly
investigated.

Excessive Cable Tension Seized Pulley Bearing

Pulley too Large for Cable Cable Misplaced or Incorrectly Installed

Types of Pulley Wear

Fig. 2
ISO 9001:2008 Certified For Training Purpose Only
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7.13 - 7 Nov 2017