Looking for Flap Cables

edasmus · #1 09-10-09, 05:23 PM

My shop removed the flap cables from one wing today. Here is what was found. The cables looked fine before they were removed. They looked fine when they were in our hands but you could clearly see a bend in the cable where they were running across the sharp turn on the pulley. Untwisting the cables in our hands revealed one broken strand and when my mechanic cut the cable and completely unraveled it, two or three more broken strands were apparent.

My mechanic was concerned enough about what he found that he mentioned he was going to file a "Service Difficulty Report." I'm not really sure what that all means but he did mention it. I did not get the impression that he felt the cables were anywhere near failure but he and I are happy they are out.

I am certainly no cable expert but two things were apparent to me today. The wear process in the cables was clearly underway and the process begins on the inside of cables.

Based on what I saw today, an external examination of the cables on the airplane could have never revealed what was found after the cables were removed, and twisting an intact cable after it is removed from the airplane makes it difficult at best to see the inside of the cable. Unraveling the cable after it was cut (and obviously destroyed) is when the best look could be had.

My airplane is a 1973 337G with 2480 hours total time.

When the other side comes off I will report the findings.

Ed Asmus

hharney · #2 09-10-09, 10:42 PM

Ed
Photos would be a great help and maybe what is involved in accessing these cables would help the readers too.

tropical · #3 09-10-09, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hharney

If helicopters are so safe, how come there are no vintage/classic helicopter fly-ins?

Hey Herb,

I've been reading your signature line and as a helicopter pilot myself find it rather ridiculous.

BTW, there are several classic/vintage helicopter fly-ins held around the country, Rotorfest will be coming up soon in PA to name one.

Sorry for getting off topic.

edasmus · #4 09-11-09, 11:20 AM

I'll work on photos.....It will be a few days before I can get them.

hharney · #5 09-11-09, 03:40 PM

Signiture changed, just having a little fun. I really do like helicopters :-)

Paul462 · #6 09-11-09, 07:56 PM

I really like Herb's siglines - some of them are deceptively shallow, yet obviously deep - for the most part (some of them).

edasmus · #7 09-23-09, 10:07 AM

I have nothing major to report on the flap cables from the other wing. They looked just like the first set. There was nothing obvious from the outside and we did not bother to take the time to cut them open figuring the worst case would be a few broken strands like the first set.

I do have a photo of the first set that I will post here shortly but I left the camera somewhere else and will not have it back until this weekend. I have never posted a photo so if anyone has any advice I am all ears. I can say that I have seen pictures on this forum of other people's flap cables and some of them were very alarming looking to me. The cables that were removed from my airplane did not display wear patterns that looked anything nearly as bad as some of the scary pictures that were posted on this forum. My wear patterns were not nearly as advanced as some of the other photos but mine were in the same location as those photos revealed.

Thanks Ed