EWIS failure and the MQ-1B Predator incident

August 22, 2014 Michael Traskos

On May 2013, a US Air Force MQ-1B General Atomics Predator aircraft crashed north of Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. The estimated loss was over $4.5 million. This is a good example of EWIS failure. Below are some of the key EWIS-related findings from the United States Air Force Abbreviated Accident Investigation Board Report. […] Read more

Aircraft wire degradation and looking in the arc

August 15, 2014 Michael Traskos

Those who have witnessed electrical arcing and aircraft wire degradation first hand know the feeling of the intense heat radiating from the arc location, the screeching sound (AC arcs), and the bright flash that leave you visually stunned for several moments. The problem with recording these events is that the arc flash is often so bright […] Read more

7 tenets of aircraft wire systems installation

August 8, 2014 Michael Traskos

There are a number of considerations when designing the installation of EWIS on aircraft wire systems. They include part selection, system integration, routing, safety and separation, regulation considerations, operational environments, maintenance, and obsolesces planning. In other words, a lot to consider. Back in 2004, Lectromec released, Ten commandments of Wire Maintenance. Below, Lectromec lists, the 7 […] Read more

Takeaways from the 2014 UL Wire and Cable International Conference

July 29, 2014 Michael Traskos

Interest in wires and cables is not limited to the United States. Every year Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) conducts a trade show in the People’s Republic of China in a city called Humen, which is close to Hong Kong. In July, UL recognized Lectromec’s expertise by inviting them to present at the 2014 UL Wire and […] Read more

Lessons learned from NASA: Wire identification, harness clamping, and more

July 10, 2014 Michael Traskos

Learning from the mistakes of the past is critical for ensuring reliability of systems created today. These lessons may be contained in industry standards documents with little or no explanation as to why the requirements were created (such as AS50881). This lack of historical knowledge and the loss of the answer to ‘why’ can leave […] Read more

Heat shrink tubing application and aircraft EWIS components

June 30, 2014 Michael Traskos

Heat shrink tubing can be found in nearly every location on aircraft and can interact with aircraft EWIS components. These materials protect wire repairs, provide additional abrasion protection, and prevent the ingress of fluids (and in a pinch, may be used as a secondary harness support when other options are not viable). Although this product […] Read more

Life prediction of aircraft EWIS components

May 29, 2014 Michael Traskos

Aircraft vehicle reliability rests on well-designed components maintaining full functionality through the entire life cycle, or at the very least, maintaining full functionality until a predictable life limit is reached so that sustainment activities can be performed. Selection of wires and EWIS components is no different. The selection process starts with the functional requirements (electrical […] Read more

Considerations for Electrical Bonding

May 15, 2014 Michael Traskos

Electrical bonding is the practice of connecting equipment cases or structure to ground to prevent electric shock. This provides a return path for any stray voltage that the case may be exposed to via component failure (e.g. wire shorted against case). The reason why proper electrical bonding techniques are so important is that it protects […] Read more

EWIS: A 13-minute summary of MIL-HDBK-525

April 30, 2014 Michael Traskos

This Lectromec presentation provides a brief summary of MIL-HDBK-525, “Electrical Wiring Interconnect System (EWIS) Integrity Program.” It provides a starting point for those involved in Mechanical Equipment and Subsystems Integrity Program (MECSIP) or those new to the EWIS service life extension efforts. This fifteen minute presentation is a good description of Electrical Wire Interconnect Systems […] Read more

Aircraft circuit protection: A review of 5 technologies

April 29, 2014 Michael Traskos

Two weeks ago we posted a blog on the selection process for circuit protection/wire pairs. Today, we produce a grid to help you understand common aircraft circuit protection types that can be found on aircraft. The five device types talked about here are the thermal circuit protection, fuse, magnetic circuit protection, Arc Fault Circuit Breaker […] Read more

By: Michael Traskos