Aircraft wire selection, harness protection devices, and aircraft wire systems topic Q&A

November 7, 2008 Lectromec Team

Answering Reader Mail Third Quarter 2008 November 7, 2008 From time to time, I get some basic questions about aircraft wire systems. To accommodate this, I have answered some of these questions and have posted the responses below. What are some of the steps that exist which people should take when selecting wire? First and […] Read more

When applied to aircraft wire systems technology, what is “delamination”?

January 1, 2007 Lectromec Team

Some failure mechanisms in aircraft wire systems technology are easy to find. Among the failure mechanisms faced by a wire, one is often overlooked: the failure of the layer to layer bond of wrapped wire insulation. When the bonding material fails to hold together the successive wraps of insulation, this is known as delamination. The basic construction […] Read more

Understanding series and parallel arcing for aircraft engineers

September 1, 2006 Lectromec Team

Aircraft engineers should know that in recent years have shown increased talk of arcing and the possible damage to aircraft. There have been many examples of these events on aircraft. Recently compiled data from the FAA indicates that between the years 1999 and 2004, there was an average of more than 20 reported electrical arcing […] Read more

Understanding aircraft wire differentiation to improve EWIS

July 1, 2005 Lectromec Team

The amount of aircraft wire on a civil aircraft has increased in recent decades such that today’s typical aircraft has hundreds of miles of wire connecting all of its subsystems. The increase in the amount of wire on an aircraft, coupled with weight concerns, has lead to progressively thinner and lighter insulation materials. Wires used on […] Read more

Insertion Loss and Attenuation

March 14, 2024 Michael Traskos

Insertion loss and attenuation are similar concepts, but one is assigned to a single component (insertion loss) whereas the other is assigned to generalized performance (attenuation). In this article, we will discuss the similarities and differences of these concepts and how proper testing of each can ensure reliability in signal transmission. Read more

The Use of Splices

February 20, 2024 Michael Traskos

Though useful in repairs and modification, overuse of splices can lead to serious electrical and mechanical problems in an electrical system. This article discusses the applications and restrictions of electrical splices on aircraft. Read more

Forced Hydrolysis

January 10, 2024 Michael Traskos

The goal of forced hydrolysis testing is to represent decades of wet/humid environmental exposure on polyamide-insulated aircraft wiring. This article discusses forced hydrolysis testing in detail, including history, applicability, and performance of the test. Read more

Superconductors and Wire Qualification

December 5, 2023 Chris Wollbrink

Discovery of a room temperature superconductor would have a tremendous impact on the aerospace industry and could result in lighter aircraft. In this article, we consider this impact and discuss steps that would need to be taken by the industry before a superconductor could be practically incorporated into aerospace applications. Read more

Heat Shrink Volume Resistivity

October 3, 2023 David Lloyd

Heat shrink tubing is used throughout an aircraft’s Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS) and must withstand the stresses set upon it in the standard testing. Volume resistivity is just one of many properties that are evaluated while qualifying heat shrink tubing. Read more

Voltage, Current, and Thermally Rating Connectors

September 13, 2023 Michael Traskos

While electrical component qualification is nothing new to the aerospace industry, the emerging trend toward full aircraft electrification requires every component to be electrically connected; for most equipment, this means incorporation of electrical connectors. Weight, cost, reliability, and performance are the four most common elements initially considered in connector selection, but the finer details of electrical connectors use must also be considered. Here, we discuss how one might go about qualifying an electrical connector, specifically, to address its voltage, current, and thermal limitations. Read more

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