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Trim Cables - Not for Use on Aircraft

Russell Hilton

I'm New Here
I did a search before posting this but didn’t find anything. It was a little disconcerting to learn that the trim cables were “Not for use on Aircraft.” I suspect I know the answer to this, but have they always had that disclaimer? Has anyone used something else?


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Lots of routine parts of experimentas come with that wording, seems that everyone is scared of aircraft parts except airplane folks.
 
I had to have a custom cable made up, and went to our local Cablecraft fabricator/distributor. I asked for the exact same configuration as the cables Van’s sells for trim and engine controls, and the finished product looked exactly like them - right down to the “Not for aircraft use” tag.....which apparently is Cablecraft’s position on the matter....

Paul
 
Years ago, I stopped thinking of it as an "Aircraft" but as an "Off Road Vehicle" and when asked what vehicle the part I was buying was used on, I told them an off road vehicle.
 
Once I wanted to buy a bolt in a local hardware store to fix my camera mount on a glider. After telling the guy that it was for an airplane he wouldn’t sell me the bolt ... . Since then I always say for a lawnmower.... .

I do think though there is a more serious note for any builder of experimental airplanes. We do accept a slightly higher risk in the parts we use. The parts generally lack the paper trail to ensure they used the correct materials and fabrication techniques all the way from the raw source to the final product. So it is up to us to decide if the part is good enough for the application in mind. For none critical applications like a camera mount that’s easier then for others like your wing bolts where you really can’t see or test if the correct steel was used and you solely rely on the person which sold it to you. You might not want to buy those from the cheapest source... .

Obviously I found those risks acceptable. Otherwise I wouldn’t have build my RV and am now building a DR-1 but it is something worth while thinking about as you buy some of your airplane parts in the home depot airplane isle.

Oliver
 
Once I wanted to buy a bolt in a local hardware store to fix my camera mount on a glider. After telling the guy that it was for an airplane he wouldn’t sell me the bolt ... . Since then I always say for a lawnmower....

Funny... I always say "it's for an RV."
 
Was told by another kit manufacturer that they have a “shell company” to buy a lot of supplies, because several of their suppliers wont deal with an aircraft company.
 
Gates as in fan belts, won’t sell for aircraft use either. I was doing engineering for an STC for an air conditioner on a King Air and one of my guys mentioned that the belt was for an aircraft, and we got a bevy of letters from them, they returned all amounts paid for belts and demanded that we destroy the belts. We had 100 belts, so we had enough for the project. They have very good belts, but tell them the project is something for farm machinery.

Legal beagles…..😟
 
More than just cables..

I learned long ago, never disclose what you are buying for when in Aviation section of Auto parts store, hardware store ect..Some will flat out refuse to sell to you. I have an RV "Rat rod" when I go to auto parts store. Even Batteries Plus tried to VETO my purchase once. I'm sure the cable vendors love the business and not the liability. Plenty of Teleflex cables are certified and likely no different in manufacturing, but you pay the liability premium.
 
Use 'air boat' or air cooled engine for a generator or something along those lines instead of aircraft use.

Tom
 
Really kinda sorta shameful to get the parts that we need that we are forced to be deceitful or pay the extortionist rates for the exact same products that are used on every other mechanized contraption made :mad:
 
Really?

Seriously? I mean this is very strange.....I have never bought a bolt at a hardware store or other vendor and was asked what I was going to use it for. If I did I would reply “None of your business!” If that isn’t good enough for them I will find another business to get one!

Don’t give into the over reaching “Boltitburo” :D
 
Seriously? I mean this is very strange.....I have never bought a bolt at a hardware store or other vendor and was asked what I was going to use it for. If I did I would reply “None of your business!” If that isn’t good enough for them I will find another business to get one!

Don’t give into the over reaching “Boltitburo” :D

Well in my case it was at a small local hardware store where you chitchat with the owner while picking your stuff. So it came up in the conversation and I had never thought it was an issue before. Never got asked about it at home depot.

Oliver
 
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