Rudder cable covers

[svyolo]

I was looking at what I wanted to use to cover the rudder cables as they go through the rear seat/cargo area. I was going to bed some .020 or .025 at a 45 degree angle to cover them, and rivet them to either the interior panels or floor boards. Anybody just use a tube of some sort?

[zkelley2]

I used vinyl tube.

[svyolo]

I was kind of thinking some kind of tube, put a few SS hose clamps around it, and screw the bitter end of the hose clamp to the AL floorboards. Or something a little nicer, but along the same lines.

[Nev]

As an aside, are they ok if left uncovered?

[Mark Goldberg]

Yes. Most Bearhawkers do not cover the rudder cables. Perhaps someone has had a problem that I am not aware of - but as far as I know they have been fine uncovered. Mark

[Battson]

As an aside, are they ok if left uncovered?

Emphatically "YES". Uncovered is fine.

Having carried practically everything back there from live animals and fencing supplies, to diving equipment and harvested game - we have never noticed the cables. There's no need to load equipment more carefully or anything. Just throw it in.

I should qualify that by saying, we have rudder cable fairleads at all stations. I know a tiny few aircraft don't have as many fairleads.

Where they DO become annoying is the front passenger foot-well. You'll be flying along quite calmly and suddenly the aircraft tweaks to the side - for a brief moment you wonder whether you hit a bird or if something in the stabiliser has broken. Then you notice the passenger has re-positioned their legs and hooked the rudder cable, again. A few minutes later your heartbeat has returned to normal

[svyolo]

Good to know, thanks Mark and Jon

[Nev]

Thanks Jon.

[zkelley2]

Emphatically "YES". Uncovered is fine.

Having carried practically everything back there from live animals and fencing supplies, to diving equipment and harvested game - we have never noticed the cables. There's no need to load equipment more carefully or anything. Just throw it in.

I should qualify that by saying, we have rudder cable fairleads at all stations. I know a tiny few aircraft don't have as many fairleads.

Where they DO become annoying is the front passenger foot-well. You'll be flying along quite calmly and suddenly the aircraft tweaks to the side - for a brief moment you wonder whether you hit a bird or if something in the stabiliser has broken. Then you notice the passenger has re-positioned their legs and hooked the rudder cable, again. A few minutes later your heartbeat has returned to normal

Ya that last part happens all the time. On the aileron cable also. I've had rear pax put a foot on the rudder cable before I put a tube on them.

[svyolo]

All the standards I have to learn to get an airplane to pass inspection, but for some reason exposed primary flight controls thru the pax and baggage area are OK. Sometimes I have to laugh. Oh well. Good enough is good enough.

[zkelley2]

All the standards I have to learn to get an airplane to pass inspection, but for some reason exposed primary flight controls thru the pax and baggage area are OK. Sometimes I have to laugh. Oh well. Good enough is good enough.

Well there is a lot about a bearhawk that would never pass certification. A lot of builders get away with a lot of things that would never be allowed on certified airplanes. Some good(as in the regs are stifling safety) some really bad. Can also depend on the DAR. Some will rightly look at things and say no one in their right mind would consider that safe and require best practices. Some just had out airworthiness certificates for money.

No where is this more evident than the people who pay someone to build their airplane and then somehow get it airworthy.

I think no one really cares because you can only kill so many people and its incredibly below the FAAs give a crap level.

[svyolo]

I went to 2 SNF and 2 Arlington airshows before the Wuflumania kicked in. Previously it was Oshkosh in the very early 80's. The experimentals looked a whole lot more airworthy than most of the 40-70 year old "certified" aircraft.

[zkelley2]

It's very rare something you can see on the surface is an issue. Ime a lot of experimental are built with something that makes you just shake your head. Wtf were they thinking. And it's way below the surface. Where things really matter.

How common the disregard for prop strike inspections happens is mind blowing.

I mean, the partially built one I bought had things I found that I have no doubt would have lead to an accident. Probably fatal. Had they not been corrected.

[svyolo]

Under the surface, I heard the bit GA companies built magnificently crafted airframes 40-70 years ago. I guess that is why they are still flying.