What type of wire is used in aviation?
Shielded wire harness. For many years, the standard wire in light aircraft has been MIL-W-5086A, which uses a tin-coated copper conductor rated at 600 volts and temperatures of 105 °C. This basic wire is then coated with various insulating coatings.
How is aircraft cable size determined?
Stranded wire gauges should be measured by calculating the equivalent cross sectional copper area. First, measure the bare diameter of a single strand and locate the circular mils value in the row that matches your measurement. Second, multiply the circular mils by the number of strands in the cable.
What is the size range of the electrical wire for general aircraft use?
Typical wire sizes range from a number 40 to number 0000. Gauge numbers are useful in comparing the diameter of wires, but not all types of wire or cable can be measured accurately with a gauge.
What is aircraft wiring?
A wire, in order to be effective, must be secured to a reliable connector at each end. In aircraft, electrical connections are made using insulated crimped terminals. Although soldered connectors are also used, they are utilized primarily for making avionics installations.
What is aircraft open wiring?
Open Wiring. An electrical wiring installation in which the wires are tied together in bundles and clamped to the aircraft structure rather than being enclosed in conduit.
What is the difference between aircraft cable and wire rope?
The term cable is often used interchangeably with wire rope. However, in general, wire rope refers to diameters larger than 3/8 inch. Sizes smaller than this are designated as cable or cords. A group of strands laid around a core would be called a cable or wire rope.
What are the two requirements for selecting the correct wire size?
To meet the two requirements for selecting the correct wire size using Figure 9-116, the following must be known:
- The wire length in feet.
- The number of amperes of current to be carried.
- The allowable voltage drop permitted.
- The required continuous or intermittent current.
What are the two most generally used conductor material for aircraft wiring?
The two most generally used conductors are copper and aluminum.