There are both silver and copper colored sleeves that are used when forming the critical "ends" of aircraft control cables. These are the sleeves that get swaged (crimped) onto the stainless steel or galvanized steel cables that often provide power for our flight control surfaces (ailerons, rudder, etc). The choice of components and procedures for making these cable ends is critical as any slippage of these parts can lead to loss of control.

One frequently misunderstood detail in this regard is the selection of the proper sleeve to use.  There are 3 popular sleeves available at aircraft supply houses: bare copper, zinc plated and tin plated.They are not all interchangeable! The manufacturer (Nicopress brand in our example) clearly specifies that each sleeve can only be used with an appropriate cable composition (stainless or galvanized). This specification is often listed incorrectly at major aircraft suppliers, contrary to the manufacturer's published information.

Watch this week's Tip video to see if you know the proper sleeve to use before making your next control cable termination!