You don’t have to use locking wire or safety wire to secure aircraft turnbuckles. An alternative solution is to use locking clips. Once locked, the turnbuckles will no longer be able to turn. To learn more about turnbuckle locking clips and what they are used for, keep reading.
Understanding Turnbuckles
Turnbuckles are mechanical devices designed to adjust the tension of a connected cable. Many airplanes feature control cables. Turnbuckles are used to increase or decrease the tension of these cables.
A typical aircraft turnbuckle consists of several parts, including the following:
- Threaded barrel
- Right-handed threaded terminal
- Left-handed threaded terminal
Control cables connect to a turnbuckle’s threaded terminal. As the barrel rotates in one direction, the tension of the cable increases. It rotates in the opposite direction, the tension decreases. Turnbuckles essentially allow pilots and mechanics to adjust the tension of control cables without actually disconnecting the cables.
Turnbuckle Locking Clips Explained
Turnbuckle locking clips are exactly what they sound like: clips that secure or “lock” turnbuckles in place. They prevent unwanted tension adjustments, ensuring that the cable tension only changes when manually adjusted by the pilot or mechanic.
As previously mentioned, turnbuckles rotate when cable tension is adjusted. This simple, thread-based adjustment mechanism means the tension of a connected cable may increase or decrease if unintended turning of the turnbuckle occurs.
Airplanes are exposed to heavy mechanical stress, which can cause strong vibrations to travel throughout them. These vibrations may loosen threaded hardware, including turnbuckles. When this occurs, turnbuckles may rotate while subsequently adjusting the tension of the connected cable. Turnbuckle locking clips prevent this from happening.
After adjusting the tension of the cable to the desired amount, pilots and mechanics can use a turnbuckle locking clip. The clip will prevent the turnbuckle’s barrel from rotating, thereby maintaining the current cable tension. When the pilot or mechanic wants to manually adjust the cable tension again, they can remove the clip.
How Turnbuckle Locking Clips Work
Unless you’ve used them in the past, you might be wondering how turnbuckle locking clips work. While available in different sizes, most are designed to engage the turnbuckle’s barrel and terminals. Once engaged, the barrel will no longer be able to turn.
The connected cable, of course, will continue to function as normal — the only difference is that the tension of the cable won’t change. The presence of a locking clip will prevent the turnbuckle from turning.
