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As a crew chief on H-53's, H-3's, H-60's (rescue hoist) and H-1's (again, rescue hoist); my fellow crew chiefs and I became experts on our winches, 2 each rated at 10K pulling strength (H-53; can't remember what the rating was on our HH-3E's) . Never, ever, ever use anything but the exact part in the manual. If there is the slightest kink in the cable, replace it. Never ever stand anywhere along the length of the cable. The cable can snap. Why you may ask? We didn't use the cables every day so a general inspection before use won't show internal breakdown. Never over load the cable. If it's rated at 10K 10,001 lbs is overloaded, replace the cable. I realize in the aircraft world, we're a might bit retentive on certain aspects of the job; safety being the #1 consideration. Always ask yourself: is this cable worth dying for? I've had to sit through my fair share of horrible safety films with graphic pictures of muilated knuckle heads that didn't follow the book to the letter.
I'll now get off my soap box and turn this over to the regularly scheduled thread. By the way, my two winches need new cables. They're both the 10K M35 winches. Does anyone have a good source?
I'll now get off my soap box and turn this over to the regularly scheduled thread. By the way, my two winches need new cables. They're both the 10K M35 winches. Does anyone have a good source?