On Apr 21, 10:44*am, Brad wrote:

...Does anyone know of a reason why a less costly option, like ordering
some custom cables from Aircraft Spruce, wouldn't be legal/safe/
practical? *Are there any other suggestions that might help our little
non-profit club avoid or mitigate a potential bill of $2,000.00 for 4
cables, and a month-long grounding of our Blaniks while we wait for
them to arrive?

Brad,

I would suggest that you contact McFarlane Aviation, from whom I have
sourced custom cables in the past. They also sent me a free T-shirt
with the last order, so I must have full-on BTDT.

As for the bureaucracy aspect, as usual that issue depends on who you
talk to, how, and when. My suggestion would be to get an A&P you can
work with who would be willing to install the cables as owner-produced
parts as specifically allowed under 14CFR§21.303(b)2:

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text...1.11.2&idno=14

As usual, my favorite article on owner-produced parts by Don Dodge
describes the process and offers a cautionary tale:

http://150cessna.tripod.com/parts.html

Your "owner's" contribution to the manufacture could be as simple as
creating the diagrams and specifications that McFarlane (or whoever).

Probably the greatest hurdle you will encounter is that the Blanik
will have metric cables and fasteners, and McFarlane or whoever will
probably only have inch-sized MS-series cable, swages, and fittings.
So you either have to bite the bullet and source the cable from a
metric-capable cable firm, or you have to develop some way of adapting
inch-sized cable fittings to horns with metric holes. If the horns
have generous edge clearance, it could be a simple as drilling 6mm
(0.236") holes up by .014" to 1/4". Or it could be much more
complicated. Regardless, that is the sort of thing that you absolutely
must first square away with the A&P or IA who signs off the
installation and subsequent inspections.

In the end, you may find it more effective and expedient to just pay
the $500 per cable.

Thanks, Bob K.