Wing Root wiring break Pros/Cons?

[rodsmith]

I wired my wings with enough length of wire to reach the cockpit with small service loops in case the wings ever need to be removed. Now I am looking at what a pain it is going to be dealing with all the wire when attaching the wings. There is a lot of wiring as I am taking all grounds back to a ground bus on the firewall. Landing, strobe/position lights, fuel pumps, magnetometer and roll servo in right wing, heated pitot, OAT, and com antenna in left wing. I won't have a connection in the can bus wiring coming from the magnetomer and roll servo as Garmin discourages it. Likewise the coax and pitot/aoa tubing. If I make connections for everything else, will use a couple 9 pin DSUB connectors in each wing root, plus some molex connectors for the larger wires. Lots of extra work, so I would like thoughts from other builders.

[svyolo]

I am making every single connection breakable at the wing root.

Garmin and every other company will tell you to do everything ridiculously perfect so they can claim no liability if you fail to do so. Every piece of electronics needs it own separate, isolated ground, for instance. I am using something similar to Weatherpack connectors, which are similar to Molex. I only use D-sub when I have too.

None of the wiring in my wing will make the plane fall out of the sky. I don't like spade connectors but I also wouldn't hesitate to use them for the stuff in my wings.

I do try to keep signal wires, and anything cyclical (strobes) away from other wires. That is about it.

[svyolo]

I might make an exception for the CANBUS wire(s). I never used them before.

[zkelley2]

I ran most all of it without connections. If I need to take a wing off someday I can cut the wires then if I have to and put in connections. The only time a wing will be coming off is in the event of a crash, so there will be plenty of time to re-wire things.

[Battson]

I put in connections, it's an easy job - wire everything into one big plug. Did the same with pitot lines.
You will thank yourself when installing / removing wings for any reason.

Sometimes unforeseen things happen, like accidents... The ability to disassemble quickly in a remote location can be priceless. Cutting stuff in an unplanned way is not likely to lead to good outcomes.

[JimParker256]

A friend of mine bought a Bellanca Viking that had an off-airport landing due to an engine failure. There was very little damage done to the airplane by the accident, so my friend purchased it. Turns out the idiots who extracted the airplane from that field cut the wiring bundle at the wing root – 3 inches from the cannon plug the factory installed so that the wings could be pulled without difficulty... It took something like 3 weeks of expensive ($118 per hour here in the Dallas area) for an avionics shop to re-wire everything they destroyed in 10 seconds...

So, even if you do install quick disconnects (which I think is an EXCELLENT idea), make sure to put a label near those wires that makes it obvious there is a connector there! It's impossible to make something totally idiot-proof, but it just might help!

[robcaldwell]

I am using Deutsch connectors. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Deutsch-DTM...72.m2749.l2649.

As well as CPC (Circular Plastic Connectors) https://www.te.com/usa-en/products/c...nnectors.html?

We discussed these in a previous post here: https://bearhawkforums.com/forum/bea...ss-harness-diy

[rodsmith]

Thanks Rob. The deutsch connectors look good, but looking at their catalogue, seems they require a special crimper for the pins?

[robcaldwell]

I used a crimper like this that was already in my toolbox on the Deutsch connectors. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1