Hangar Debrief
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3 articles tagged Tools
Tips & Tools
AC 43.13-1B, paragraphs 7-122 to 7-126: safety wire, and the rules common to every installation
The FAA's AC 43.13-1B gives the rules for safety wire: 0.032-inch minimum for the double-twist method on most parts, wire installed so it pulls in the tightening direction, taut but never overstressed, four to six turns left at the end, and ends bent under. A nut is never loosened or overtorqued to line up a hole.
11 Oct 2026
Avionics & Electrical
AC 43.13-1B, paragraphs 11-174 to 11-179: crimped terminals, studs and the crimp tool
The FAA's AC 43.13-1B prefers pre-insulated, crimp-type ring terminals, installed with a ratchet-type crimp tool whose crimp depth suits the wire size. No more than four terminals, or three and a bus bar, go on one stud, with the largest hole at the bottom and nothing between the tongues.
11 Oct 2026
Avionics & Electrical
AC 43.13-1B, chapter 11: the four requirements for sizing an electrical wire
The FAA's AC 43.13-1B sets four tests for a wire: mechanical strength, voltage drop, protection by a circuit breaker or fuse, and current. On a 14-volt system the allowable drop from bus to equipment is 0.5 volt in continuous operation. Hangar Flying's wire size calculator works the sum for one circuit.
11 Oct 2026