PIATRAININGCENTRE(PTC)

Module 7 MAINTENANCE PRACTICES

Category A/B1

Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

MODULE 7
Sub Module 7.13

CONTROL CABLES

ISO9001:2008Certified
PTC/CM/B1.1 Basic/M7/03
7.13

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Rev. 00
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 PIATRAININGCENTRE(PTC) Module 7 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

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Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

Page Intentionally Left Blank

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 PIATRAININGCENTRE(PTC) Module 7 MAINTENANCE PRACTICES

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Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

CABLE

Grit

A wire cordage of great strength or heavy metal chain used for

hauling, towing, supporting the roadway of a suspension bridge,
or securing a large ship to its anchor or mooring.

Precautions should also be taken to protect the cable from grit

and moisture and from damage in transit.

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 centre 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.

ISO9001:2008Certified
PTC/CM/B1.1 Basic/M7/03
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For Training Purpose Only

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 PIATRAININGCENTRE(PTC) Module 7 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

through the centre of the reel and supported in a suitable stand.
Cable may then be removed by pulling the free end in line with
the reel, allowing the reel to rotate. Cable should not be
unwound by paying off loose coils, or by pulling the cable away
from a stationary reel laid on its side.

When a cable is found to be unserviceable and a spare cable is

not available, an exact duplicate of the damaged cable may be
prepared. This will involve cutting a length of cable to the proper
length, attaching the necessary end fittings, and testing the
assembly.

When a long length of cable has been cut from a reel and it is
necessary to coil the cut piece, the coil diameter should be at
least 50 times the, cable diameter, with a minimum diameter of
150 mm (6 in). Care must be taken to prevent dust, grit and
moisture, from coming into contact with the coiled cable.

To determine the proper length to which the new cable will be

cut, you should first determine the overall length of the finished
cable assembly. This may be accomplished by measuring the
old cable assembly or by reading the measurements provided in
the AMM for the aircraft concerned.

The ends of stored cable are whipped to prevent fraying and if a

length has been cut from the reel, the remaining free end should
be whip. When a coil is being unwound, the coil should be
rotated so that the cable is paid out in a straight line

Replacement of cables in aircraft

Replacing cables in the aircraft, especially those routed through
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

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 PIATRAININGCENTRE(PTC) Module 7 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
fittings attached to each end of the cables. These end fittings
are usually swaged onto the cable, meaning that the end fitting
is slid over the cable before being squeezed, to reduce its
diameter, and cause it to grip the cable very tightly.

Once in service, the cables will be inspected regularly for a

variety of possible faults, whilst the swaged end fittings will
require minimal inspection. In some installations, red paint is
applied at the junction of the end fitting where the cable
emerges, leading to a gap showing if the cable has slipped
within the swaged end fitting during normal service. Some
individual ferrules, fitted to non-critical cables, may be inspected
for signs of cracking whilst in service.

During production of these cables, the completed end fitting will

be carefully checked, using a Go/No-Go gauge, to ensure that
the cable has been gripped satisfactorily. The finished cable
assembly will also be proof tested to confirm its suitability for
use as an aircraft control cable.

It is rare for cables to be removed from service to have a

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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Category A/B1

Sub Module 7.13 - Control Cables

Cable wear
Critical areas for strand breakage are where the cable passes
over pulleys or through fairleads. Examination of cables will
normally involve passing a cloth along the length of the cable,
which will both clean any dirt from it and detect broken strands if
the cloth snags on the projecting wires.

Generally any signs of internal wear within a cable will mean its
replacement.

There will be limits, published by the manufacturer, which say

how many strands per unit length can be broken. Removed
cables can be bent through a gentle radius, which may show up
broken internal strands that would not be visible when installed
and tensioned.

The inspection of a cable for internal corrosion should be done

off aircraft, and will involve rejection of the cable if corrosion is
found.

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.

Broken strands on a cable at a location not adjacent to a pulley

or fairlead could be an indication that the breakage was due to
corrosion.

Side View

Side View

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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 PIATRAININGCENTRE(PTC) Module 7 MAINTENANCE PRACTICES

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 dayto-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.

ISO9001:2008Certified
PTC/CM/B1.1 Basic/M7/03
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 PIATRAININGCENTRE(PTC) Module 7 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
control column operating a remote brake control valve.

At longer intervals, it might become necessary to inspect the

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.

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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.

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7.13 7

Excessive Cable Tension

Seized Pulley Bearing

Pulley too Large for Cable

Cable Misplaced or Incorrectly Installed

Types of Pulley Wear
Fig. 2

For Training Purpose Only

Rev. 00
Mar 2014