I am still not sold on the idea of teleflex/bowden cables for the control system.....
anyone know of any other failures? I know that the Cavalon uses them.

After using them in Marine applications, I will NEVER use them for ANYTHING on a flying machine.
Even the chopper, I'll come up with something for the tail rotor.

I only have good things to say about them....except...that one time when.....

Yeah well I guess you didn't know your own strength, you big brute!

I think Muz likes 'em, but you know He is......Auzzie.....

True.....he is weird....and talks funny.... and likes cables!

I had them on the Bulldozer. They sure smoothed out the control system. When I rebuild it, they'll probably come off though in favor of something else. 44 hours on that machine without a control problem. Everything else went wrong, but the cables were good.

I will say that I'd feel better about cables with a three-cable system. The standard two, plus one additional for pitch only. That way, if you lost any single cable you could still manage with any combination of the other two. Losing the additional pitch cable would be a non-issue. Losing either one of the normal controls would make roll over-sensitive, but it would still work.

Rotor way uses them in pairs to remove the control slop, Never had a problem. used them for decades [all over] (heavy duty) Hughes MD & Airbus helicopters used them (light duty) and had issues. just a few years [tail anti torque controls]

I used the red jacket, genuine teleflex Morse cables, but had one cable in line with the mast only pushing the head up and down... then a bracket out from the head with the cable inline with the mast only tilting the head left and right.... it worked well. They are very 'direct' with no slop in the system.

By direct, I also mean that the stick movement is directly straight forward and straight back.... left and right are directly across at 90 degrees to the keel.... unlike a chrome moly 2 pushrod type where depending on where the stick is forward or backwards, which might not be directly straight with the keel.... the stick might go in a slight angle.... or a pump stick, the handle goes forward and down and back and up.... and left and right stick can be anywhere on the left or right....

People tend to use what they are used to, or what they had first.... each to their own... whatever works, as long as it is reliable. I wouldn't trust chinese copies (knock offs)

How I see it, is if quality push pull cables can push a pair of 225Hp outboards around on the back of a boat at full throttle with bugger all servicing.... they are plenty strong enough for a gyro.

As with all head/stick setups tho.... the head has to run out of movement BEFORE the stick does....I have seen people use the stick stops to limit the head movement.... which puts all sorts of strain on tubes or cables in compression (which can bend cable inner or pushrods in sudden compression)

One of our guys over here had a pushrod bearing/rose joint break at the bottom in an open Bensen type and he reached around behind him and managed to grab the pushrods.... then flew about 25 miles back to Caboolture airfield and he and the machine survived

He started by holding them behind the seat.... when his arms got tired, he changed to holding it at about neck level. That was our mate who eventually had the yellow radial little wing....

My airplane uses them, they are very smooth for sure.

How many hours you done in your plank now Scotty?

Any video if it or your dominator now it is painted? How is thepaint holding up on the gyro? Still looking good?

I have not been flying much since I have been so busy, and now it is hotter than, well you know,
Maybe Saturday morning I can get up before it gets so danged hot.
I have about 15 hours so far, now I have to learn how to land on the runway again since the trees are gone.
The paint on the gyro still looks like new, holding up very well, it should, it holds up on 500 mph jets !
PPG aerospace 8000
http://www.ppgaerospace.com/Products/Co ... coats.aspx

The only thing I don't like is being pushed around by the wind and beat up with thermals and such, the gyro is still way more fun.

Got them on my Cavalon.....they do smooth out the impulses.
At least on the Cavalon....if one failed...you could still control by trim system. (Unless your compressor failed)

I've used them on my WindRyder too......very stout systems. I love them for rudder controls.....even use one on the Radial Gyro for throttle control.

I am a big fan of a third control for rotorhead.....I use a teleflex cable as a third pivot point on my SnoBird.....tested it without one push/pull tube connected and could definitely get her down if one failed.

The McCulloch J-2 used them too. They were apparently the same control cables that were used in some jetliner of the day, don't recall which one. Unfortunately because of the limited amount of time on the existing J-2 fleet when certification happened, they were limited to 700 hours before you had to replace them.

I don't really have an opinion on teleflex cables, one way or the other.

I just wanted to see my name on the screen.