RV-10 Question on Wiring Run's through Wing Ribs

On the RV10 Plans Section 14 pg 04, I'm finally finding myself being forced to learn more about aircraft construction, than just sheetmetal working / riveting!

I'm wondering if some of you VAF users, would be willing to just tell me explicitely, what holes I ought to drill through my wing ribs, if I told you that I wanted a Cross Country Capable, IFR capable RV-10.

Essentially here is my requirements list:

LED Nav/Strobe Wiring Runs.
HID Landing/Taxi Lights Wiring Runs
Auto Pilot Servo Wiring Runs
Angle of Attack Wiring Runs
Pitot Tubing Runs
Pitot Tube Heat Wiring Runs
Flap Motor Wiring Runs
Fuel Tank floats Wiring Runs
And anything else that I can't think of, that you think I ought to add.

(Perhaps from this requirements list you might suggest all of the necessary wire run holes to drill.)


Note: Here are a couple of pictures to help you understand what I'm asking, a little bit more clearly:


Direct link allows you to zoom in and out ---> https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zdeLlvoutpLj0_TfNTMfCBas8ZD2SvsSugjWQRt7ZyM?feat=directlink

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sgJz-6Jg3ts/TlKgBw29XgI/AAAAAAAAAdY/jmGtLmhXE8g/s1280/rv10_plans_sec14-pg04%252520with%252520ed%252520godfrey%252520mods%252520and%252520Andrew%252520Comments.jpg[IMG]



Direct link allows you to zoom in and out ---> [url]https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vqLh8d43Ngf1HHobxvC9khas8ZD2SvsSugjWQRt7ZyM?feat=directlink[/url]

[IMG]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-faSe9bMxiwY/TlKPRL_znMI/AAAAAAAAAc4/8ex5sOyN584/s1024/RV10_Plans_sec14-pg04%252520with%252520Questions.JPG[IMG]




Best Regards,

Andrew

The flap motor, and the fuel gauges dont have any wiring going through the wing ribs.

AOA is hoses not wires, at least the ones I know of.

Some folks go with tip mounted antennas for com, nav, apars, etc.

Far as I am concerned, the best thing to do is figure out the absolute max you expect you could ever need, then put in about double the capacity.

Some folks feel it is a good idea to make a separate run for antenna wires, and other things like strobe wires.

There is way more room than needed to put in sufficient conduits so just go ahead and do it.

Lots of prior threads on the subject, get familiar with the search function.

Wire runs

Since your strobes and navs are LED there is really no issue running them with the rest of the wiring. I used the regular conduit that everyone else uses and I have the same list as you except 4 HID's and there was still enough room. I did have a second nav antenna on the wingtip but ran air-line hose that fit down the J-tubes so the power wires didn't run next to the coax. A lot of my pitot wires run from a circuit board mounted close the the pitot so only the power wires ran back to the fuse.

VANS have a section on their website concerning just this issue. There is plenty of room to run the wires you need. The fuselage is much more challenging!

If you will have wing mounted magnetometer(s), be sure to allow for ground returns - twisted pair works best for these - for the power wires; you should not use airframe ground. I have magnetometers in both wings of the -10 and their harness is separate from the rest and near the rear spar. Van's conduits barely hold the rest (standard Whelen strobe cable accounts for much of the bulk). I also used 1/4" ID grommets to run my Safeair pitot line in one wing while the other has 3/8" ID split conduit along the main spar to route the AOA lines. I didn't like how floppity (technical term) the AOA lines were, hence the conduit.

Here is what I did.

Left wing
Dynon Heated Pitot/AOA #14 power #14 Ground # 20 Sense
Bob Archer Nav Antenna - RG58U
Whelen Strobes - Provided Shielded Wire (Grey)
Rudder Trim - (6 conductor shielded provided with kit)
Nav lights -#16 power and return ground
One spare #18 wire
Landing light #14 (wing is return ground)
I did not add any holes beyond what VANS provided. The two pneumatic tubes run under the J-channel using caterpillar grommet at each rib. The Whelen runs by itself in the Vans provided pitot pneumatic tube hole.

Right Wing
Dynon Magnetometer - #20 shielded multi-conductor wire
Nav lights - #16 power and return ground
Whelen Strobes - Provided Shielded Wire
Autopilot - Shielded multi-conductor
Landing light - #14 (wing is return ground)
Bob Archer Nav Antenna - RG58
Bob Archer Marker Beacon Antenna - RG58
In the right wing I added one additional hole.




I suggest you decide what you need for avionics and lighting before you start drilling. I don't think you need as many holes as you have shown in your drawing. You can create the bundles out of short pieces of wire in advance to determine your hole requirements. Then route all your wires and run prior to the skin attachment.

Hey Bill,
OT but I'm looking at your pics at your torque tube assemblies. It's hard to tell but is doesn't look like any threads are past the nuts, particularly on the left one. There probably are, but just wanted to be sure. I had to switch to AN 364 low profiles instread of the stock 365s on those assemblies in order to get some threads exposed.

Little food for thought.

Just an observation here, but the manner in which you ran the wires does not lend itself to future repair/replacement of a bad wire, or if your decide to change things around, or add a new gadget later that requires additional wiring.

I prefer using conduits so I can add/remove/replace wires in the future.

Todd, you are correct, the nuts are finger tight in this shot. I had to remove the torque tube assy to rivet final skin.
Mike, believe it or not, you can add a wire fairly easily. Ask me how I know! You can reach everything, you just have to be a contortionist. The wings are done and the left wing was attached today!!

Here's what I did for RV-10 wing wiring conduit

After reading Mike Starkey's "Far as I am concerned, the best thing to do is figure out the absolute max you expect you could ever need, then put in about double the capacity.", and after talking to many at OSH about conduits, here's what I did...made provision for two conduits (3/4 outer diameter for Van's conduit) per wing. Even if I don't use the 2nd one, it won't contribute much to the weight of the wing. Please see the attached pic...

Also, I have been reading this RV-10 forum for the past two years, but this is my first post. This forum is great...and so is RV-10 matronics list which is also like online tech support. I just registered today and I'm posting... Hopefully the image shows up. Thanks.

Bill, nice meeting you, Jane and Chuck (your dad) at OSH'11 (near Tim Olson and Scott Schmidt's camp spots).


vj

Vj,
Great meeting you also. It looks like you will surely have enough room to run everything you need!
Bill

Welcome to the forums, VJ. That conduit plan looks good. Again, though, if you have something sensitive (magnetometers) you will probably want some separation for their wiring runs. A small conduit near the rear spar covers that nicely.

Welcome to VAF!!!!

vijaypisini said:

Also, I have been reading this RV-10 forum for the past two years, but this is my first post.

vj

Click to expand...

VJ, welcome aboard VAF.

Good to have you aboard the best place on the net for things of an RVish nature

Enjoy.....

Here is what I ended up doing.

Note: In these pictures the aluminum colored ribs are the Left wing, and the "white colored" ribs are the right wing.

In other words the right wing is farther along than the left.


click here ---> https://picasaweb.google.com/drewho...authkey=Gv1sRgCPbFl8Pz3Iix5wE&feat=directlink


-Andrew

I did the same and will probably use the remaining holes with the snap bushings for coax and AOA tubing.

Bill.Peyton said:

Click to expand...

Off topic, but I happened to notice that the aluminum reflection looked like part of the trim for the car. If you could airbrush that onto the car, what a conversation piece it would be.

Wiring Runs

I'm doing somewhat similar runs in my RV-9A wings. Closest to the spar I'm just running the wiring through the snap fittings and at each inspection panel I have a nylon tie-wrap bracket screwed through the spar into a nutplate. Aft of the spar and large lightening hole in the rib for the antenna runs I'm using aluminum tubing 1/2" OD x .028 wall.

My only caution about wiring runs further aft than the large rib lightening hole nearest the spar is that some day you might have to replace/repair the wiring or tubing runs. All of mine are clustered around the large rib lightening hole for this reason.