THAKUR INSTITUTE OF AVIATION TECHNOLOGY

Module 7.13: Control Cables

CAR 66 Level
Objective
Reference B1
Control Cables 7.13 2

• Swaging of end fittings;

• Inspection and testing of control cables;
• Bowden cables; aircraft flexible control systems.

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CONTROL CABLES Control cables, their make up and their
associated components were discussed in Module 6.
Consideration is given, here in Module 7, to the inspections
relative to control cables and components of various types.
13.1 SWAGING OF END FITTINGS 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. 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.
13.2 INSPECTION AND TESTING OF CONTROL
CABLES 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
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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. 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. 13.2.1
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.
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. External wear 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
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limits of permitted wear will be found in the AMM.
Fig 7.13.1
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. Generally any signs of internal wear within a cable
will mean its replacement. 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. The
inspection of a cable for internal corrosion should be done off
aircraft, and will involve rejection of the cable if corrosion is
found.
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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.
Bowden and Teleflex Cable Systems A typical Bowden cable
control might be a brake lever on the control column operating a
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remote brake control valve. Maintenance of Bowden cable breakages, the complete cable runs must be examined for
systems is usually restricted to cleaning and lubrication of the incorrect routing, fraying, twisting or wear at fairleads, pulleys
inner cable at regular intervals and adjustment of the outer and guards. Pulleys must be inspected for wear to detect
conduit (e.g. if the brakes needed adjustment). The lubrication indications of seizure, flat spots, embedded foreign material and
would keep moisture out of the cable to prevent it freezing at excessive tension. Any signs of contact with adjacent structure,
low temperatures. The Teleflex cable system is more complex pipe-work, wiring and other controls must also be thoroughly
than the Bowden cable system in that the operating cable, within investigated.
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. 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 Fig 7.13.2
‘notchy’.

13.3 INSPECTION OF CONTROL CABLE PULLEYS

When inspecting cables for the previously mentioned wear and

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