Rudder cables

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stephunk
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 10:20 am

Rudder cables

Post by stephunk »

Could someone please describe how you threaded the rudder cable from the rudder pedals to the rudder. A picture would be better, of course, but at this point I'm not picky. Seems such a simple task, but I know my solution is severely lacking.

Thanks, very much!

Stephen
Plano, Texas
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taildrags
Posts: 637
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:39 pm

Re: Rudder cables

Post by taildrags »

Here's how the rudder cables are routed on 41CC. Series of five pix below. I'm not sure why or how the server manipulates the pictures, but despite my best efforts, some of them get rotated a different way than I want them to. Sorry about that.
cable1.JPG
First shot is looking at the left rudder bar, where two cables come off the end of it. One goes to the rudder, the other goes to the tailwheel horn. The red thing in the picture is the toe brake pedal on that side, and of course on the right side is a fuel sampler in a spring clip on the backside of the passenger's seat.
cable1.JPG
Second shot shows the cables running aft and then disappearing under the pilot's seat. No, that's not coarse ground black pepper on the floor... it's crumbled insulation that fell off the wires of an old headset I was trying to make work but couldn't. I'm a hopeless collector of old stuff.
cable3.JPG
Third shot shows where the cables emerge from under the aft edge of the pilot's seat. There is a direction-changing pulley for the rudder cable since it has to start upwards after passing under the seat, while the tailwheel steering cable doesn't need a pulley and continues aft. Grounding cable is from the VHF COM antenna that is mounted to the metal ground plane (green color) behind the pilot's seat along with the ELT whip antenna sharing the same ground plane.
cable4.jpg
Fourth shot shows the two cables headed back into the tailcone. The rudder cable passes through a nylon fairlead on the diagonal member because the cable has to be offset a bit to miss the elevator bellcrank walking beam. Then right before it exits the side of the tail, there is a Micarta fairlead that steers the cable to the outside of the fabric to clear the wood upright. The tailwheel steering cable also passes through a fairlead on the floor crossmember before heading out the bottom of the tailcone where a small patch of light is visible.
cable5.JPG
Last shot shows where the rudder cable exits the tailcone on its way to the rudder bellcrank, clearing the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power
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cable2.JPG
stephun
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue May 23, 2017 9:44 am

Re: Rudder cables

Post by stephun »

Oscar, thank you so very much for the time and effort to post these wonderful photos. They definitely clear up a number of questions I had, and I truly appreciate it!

May I add, I also admire the workmanship on your airplane. A grade of quality I'm not capable of, yet, but am striving for.

One last thing......thank you also for all the work you put in on this forum. I know the amount of time you have devoted is considerable; your dedication to our "hobby" is admirable, and much appreciated.

Best wishes,

Stephen
Plano, Texas
User avatar
taildrags
Posts: 637
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:39 pm

Re: Rudder cables

Post by taildrags »

Stephen; your remarks are welcome; thank you. However, I did not build 41CC... it was first begun by Joe Czaplicki and constructed up through complete fuselage on the gear and with an A65 and mount on the airplane; ribs and tail surfaces completed. Joe used resorcinol glue on the parts of the airplane that he built. Last I heard from Joe was in 2018, at which time he was 80 years old and still restoring older airplanes for fun and enjoyment, but no longer flying. He sold the project to the late Corky Corbett of Shreveport, Louisiana, who finished it and got the airworthiness certificate in about August of 2002. Test flights were conducted by test pilot Edwin Johnson. I purchased the airplane from Corky in June of 2004 shortly after the test flights were completed because Corky despaired of ever getting his airman medical again. In September of 2004 the Sport Pilot rule was enacted and Corky could have flown his Piet without a 2nd class airman medical, but by that time he admitted that he most likely would not have been able to get in and out of the airplane very easily due to knee and back problems.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power
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