Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 10 of 10 known posts recovered
When do you redo the ends of your control lines? I know if you have a bad kink you need to cut and redo them. But is there a rule of thumb as to when you should redo the ends? Every 3 months or 3000 miles?
Thanks
Paul
I am a retread, - I did C/L in my youth and did not know what I was doing then other then having fun. And not much has changed.
What type of lines do you have? Do they have crimped ends or wrapped? If the ends are crimped, they can let go at any time and you may not know it. They break at the crimp which is inside the brass "thingie". Many times they will let loose one strand at a time, and if you see one strand broken, do not use them. Cut off the ends and redo them.
That said, we have never experienced a failure of a wrapped end (we do not use solder of epoxy on the wire wrap which can cause a hard point and lead once again to failure). Usually the lines themselves get worn, dirty, and need to be replaced, and then there is no need to mess with the ends. It is just start over. Same with getting a kink in a line. Stop right there and start over.
Lines are inexpensive compared to the cost of planes (or even props). I would rather replace the lines a little too early than one flight too late.
Leonard Neumann
1. Brand new plane
2. Finally trimmed plane
3. Day before contest on contest plane, (you really should have been polishing anyways!)
4. Last flyable plane in fleet
5. Whenever a crowd is looking and the resultant crash is straight into the dirt
6. When nobody is looking and the resulting crash is a spectacular 5 minute afair resembling the Three Stooges and the Keystone Cops on acid at a Smashmouth concert.
Wrap your ends, check them everytime you roll them out for frayed lines, clean them at the end of each session, replace them once a year if they have any time on them OR cut them down a smidge for different applications.
Flying won't wear your cables out, but landings, takeoffs and storage will.
From somewhere near Parkville, Mo.
William Crane
AMA 6733
Actually, it will. Just the lines rubbing against each other (and especially when you have several twists on them) will cause slight wear on the cables. If you get any dirt or grease in them (which attracts dirt) they will wear faster through use. Some people have resorted to reversing the lines after a spell--in other words, the turn them end for end so that the handle is attached to the other end. This will put the twists and area where they wear across each other at a different spot on the lines.
Even so, at some point it is best to replace them, no matter how well you otherwise cared for them.
Leonard Neumann
If you drop your eyelets into the slot in the side of the plastic reel
and "reel in" your lines, you may be putting kinks onto the line
ends--particularly if you crimp your lines. You are, thusly, storing
your lines with almost right angle bends in them.
Over a season of flying, this does not really help your lines.
If you store your lines so as not to put right angle bends into them,
they will not be flexed back and forth at the terminations as much,
and should last a little longer. If you are wrapping your line terminations, you are probably putting in a little more flexibility and not putting in the right angles each time you reel in the lines.
Although I continue to crimp my lines, I have to admit that the wrapped terminations look much cooler.
Richard Ferrell
Hi
I would take the advice about wrapping the ends and not using crimps. I have seen a comercially available set pull out of the crimps on a line pull test but have yet to see a set that are wrapped do the same. Also avaid solder. I used to wrap with fuse wire and then solder - with the inevitable results. Here in the UK the most popular lines are the stranded stainless from your side of the pond but one or two have been using 14 thou solids. I personally use cyano on the whippings having first passed the line through fine bore copper tubing that I have anealed. They are whipped down for about 1.5 inches and the end turned back. I glue this first whipping and then start at the tubing and whip down over the turn back and on to the line for abot 0.5 inches past the turn back. This gives a very flexible joint. I have never had one of these break despite all our comps having a 20kg pull test.On the question of how often you should replace lines - well as already said they are so cheap by comparison with the cost of your model so if they show any damage or at least at 6 month intervals. Here is a tip for you - in the rain lines tend to bind together. I apply spray on furniture polish to a soft cloth and wipe the lines down with that. I then polish the lines with another soft cloth - that will stop them sticking. Some folk over here use car window demister and that also does the business.
Good luck and tight lines
Jim 
I've never glued, soldered or stained the whipping after wrapping my lines. 5 or 6 loops with the wire fed back under and pulled tight like whipping a golf club, albeit with less turns, is all I do. I'v enever had one come undone in close to 20 years of flying.
I do however like the idea of using different colors to identify up or down lines. Not that it makes any difference mind you. My lines are perfectly identical.
Oh yeah? Yo Momma!
From somewhere near Parkville, Mo.
William Crane
AMA 6733
John
I do all my neutral adjustments on the airplane, with the leadout ends clipped together and under tension. Allows you to sight down the back of the plane to make sure everything's exactly neutral. Then I never touch it (or my handle adjustments) again.
Seriously, you have been given excellent information on terminating, cleaning and inspecting your lines. Just be sure to USE the information.
George