Wing root connectors: free-hanging inline vs. skin mounted?

Hi VAF,

I'm just starting to pull wires in the fuselage and have decided to use CPC connectors between the fuselage and wing. Any thoughts on whether to use (a) connectors mounted firmly to the fuselage side or (b) free-hanging connectors inline with the wires?

I'm leaning towards the free-hanging approach as it seems it might be easier to add wires or make other changes in the future if necessary, but the skin mounted connectors do seem very neat and tidy.

David

I used a d-sub mounted to the fuse side for the roll servo, and free hanging connectors for most everything else.

I used knife splice connectors for most of the wires. Good solid connection, and light weight. Heat shrink over the exposed metal part. Tie wires in a bundle to help support, or make a long enough service loop that you can snub it off to something solid.



For something like the CPC connector, I would want it mounted to something due to the weight-------no need to stress the wire connection at the crimp/solder joint as could happen if free hanging.

I thought long and hard about what type of connectors that I would be using and I came to the following conclusion. My wings will not be coming off unless there is something really bad that has happened. Connectors is this area are exposed to moisture and this will potentially be a source for a bad conductivity. I have elected to run my wires into the fuselage with a 1 foot service loop. In the event that I need to remove the wing I will cut the wires. I have already labeled the wire on both sides of the imaginary cut. This way there will be no connection issues. I also saved a few bucks on connectors.

I used CPC connectors (plastic circular cannon plugs) for my wing disconnects. The wire bundles are wrapped in 'snake skin' to protect against chaffage. I wrapped the locking connectors with cold fusion tape and also put UHMW tape on the wing rib and fuselage skin to protect both surfaces from any rubbing. There isn't a lot of room there so I am not too concerned about vibration/rubbing. I need to remove the wing root fairing for the condition inspection this month and will be able to examine if there is any rubbing.

TCONROY said:

There isn't a lot of room there so I am not too concerned about vibration/rubbing.

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Havent seen the room in a 10 wing root, have you

Mine has CPCs mounted to the fuselage skin. I'm not concerned about moisture because CPCs do a good job of sealing the connection. And I don't intend to ever remove the wings once they are on permanently. But then, I didn't intend to redo my firewall forward on my 6A, either. Lesson learned: the universe does not care about my intentions so I will follow the Boy Scout motto and be prepared.

+1 with Paul. No connectors, I'll add them if the wing has to come off.

Wing mount

I'm getting ready to do this. I've been planning to mount a CPC on the fuse as others have done.

But just wondering if anyone has mounted the CPC to the wing instead. There's so little access to do this at the fuse. I'm just imagining it might be easier to simply bring the wires out of the fuse through a snap bushing or rubber grommet and let the "pig-tail" be on the fuse side while the mounted CPC would go on the wing side.

Any thoughts on this configuration?

BobTurner said:

+1 with Paul. No connectors, I'll add them if the wing has to come off.

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Ideally this is a better better solution, I think, than using connectors. However, using connectors allows us to get the wiring complete and all buttoned up in the fuse (and the wings) while we build in out garages. When it's time to mount the wings it'll be plug-n-fly (more or less) as opposed to mounting the wings followed by a whole lot of fishing wires through the fuse. ... If I were building in a hangar and my wings were mounted already I would do it the way you did.