PIPES AND UNIONS

• Aircraft fluid lines are usually made of metal

tubing or flexible hose.
• Metal tubing (also called as rigid fluid lines) are
used in stationery parts where long relatively
straight runs are possible. They are widely used
in aircraft for fuel, oil, coolant , oxygen,
instrument and hydraulic lines.
• The Flexible hose is generally used with moving
parts or where the hose is subject to
considerable vibration.
 PIPES AND UNIONS
• Whenever replacement of tubing is required the
replacement tubing should be of same size and
material as the original line
• All tubing must be pressure tested prior to
installation and should be designed to withstand
several times the operating pressure to which it
will be subjected, If a tube bursts or fails , it is
generally because of excessive vibration,
improper installation, or damage caused by
collision with an object
• All tubing failure must be carefully studied and
the cause of the failure determined
 RIGID FLUID LINES
• TUBING MATERIALS
• COPPER:
• In early days of aviation , copper tubing
was extensively used in aviation fluid
application.
• In modern aircraft, alluminium alloy ,
corrosion resistant steel or titanium tubing
have replaced copper tubing.
 RIGID FLUID LINES
• Aluminum Alloy Tubing

• Tubing made from 1100 H14 (1/2-hard) or 3003 H14

(1/2-hard) is used for general purpose lines of low or
negligible fluid pressures, such as instrument lines
and ventilating conduits.

• Tubing made from 2024-T3, 5052 –O and 6061-T6

aluminium alloy materials is used for low and medium
pressure, such as hydraulic and pneumatic (1000 psi to
1500 psi) and fuel and oil lines.
• STEEL
• Corrosion resistant steel tubing, either
annealed CRES 304, CRES 321 or CRES
304-1/8-hard, is used extensively in high
pressure hydraulic systems (3,000 psi or
more) for the operation of landing gear,
flaps, brakes,and in fire zones.
• Its higher tensile strength permits the use
of tubing with thinner walls
• Titanium 3AL-2.5V

• This type of tubing is extensively used in

transport category and high performance aircraft
hydraulic systems for pressure above 1500 psi.
• Titanium is 30% stronger than steel and 50%
lighter than steel.
• Do not use titanium tubing and fittings in any
oxygen system assembly, as it can create
combustion.
• MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION:
• Before making repair to any aircraft tubing, it is
necessary to make accurate identification of
tubing materials
• It may be necessary to test samples of the
material for hardness by filing or scratching with a
scriber
• The magnet test is the simple method for
distinguishing between the annealed austenitic
and ferritic stainless steel. The austenitic type are
non magnetic unless heavily cold worked,
whereas the straight chromium carbon and low
alloy steels are strongly magnetic
• Methods for identifying five common metallic
materials by using the magnet and
concentrated nitric acid tests
• Material Magnet Test Nitric Acid test
• Carrbon steel Strongly magnetic Slow chemical action, brown

• 18-8 Non magnetic No action

• Monel Slightly magnetic rapid action, greenish blue

• Pure Nickel Strongly magnetic slow action, pale green

• Nickel steel Non magnetic Rapid action, greenish blue

• CODE MARKING
• It is possible to identify the material used in the original
installation by comparing code markings on the tubing with
the original markings on the tubing being replaced
• The alloy designation is stamped on the surface of large
aluminum alloy tubing
• On small alloy tubing ,the designation may be stamped on
the surface, but more often it is shown by a color code,
• Bands of color code, not more than 4 inches of
width, are painted at the two ends and
approximately midway between the ends of the
some tubing's (when the band has two colors, one
half width is used for each color)
FLEXIBLE HOSE FLUID LINES
• Flexible hose is used in aircraft fluid
systems to connect moving parts with
stationery parts in locations subject to
vibration or where a great amount of
flexibility is required
• It can also serve as a connector in metal
tubing systems
• Hose Materials and Construction
• Material:
Synthetic:
• Synthetic material most commonly used in the
manufacture of flexible hose are
• Buna-N – is a synthetic rubber compound which
has excellent resistance to petroleum products.
• Do not use for phosphate ester base hydraulic
fluid (Skydrol)
• Neoprene – Its resistance to petroleum products
is not as good as Buna –N, but it has better
abrasive resistance
Do not use for phosphate ester base hydraulic
fluid (Skydrol)
• Butyl: is a synthetic rubber made from
petroleum raw materials.
• It is an excellent material to use with
Phosphate ester base hydraulic fluid (
Skydrol)
• Do not use petroleum products
• RUBBER HOSE
• Construction:
• Flexible rubber hose consist of a seamless
synthetic rubber tube covered with layers of
cotton braid and wire braid, and an outer layer of
rubber-impregnated cotton braid
• This type of hose is suitable for use in fuel,
oil,coolant and hydraulic systems
• Are normally classified by the amount of
pressure they are designed to withstand under
normal operating conditions
• 1)Low pressure : any pressure below 250
psi, Fabric braid reinforcement
• 2)Medium pressure : pressures up to 3000
psi, one wire braid reinforcement,
• smaller sizes carry pressure up to 3000 psi,
• large sizes carry up to 1500 psi
• 3)High pressure : all sizes up to 3000 psi
operating pressure.
• TEFLON HOSE:
• It is used in modern aircrafts to withstand high
operating temperatures and pressure.
• It is covered with stainless steel wire, which is
braided over the tube for strength and protection
• Teflon hose can be used for any known fuel,
petroleum, or synthetic base oils, alcohol,
coolants, or solvents used in aircrafts.
• It is highly resistant to vibration and fatigue.
• HOSE IDENTIFICATION:
• Identification markings consisting of line ,letters and
numbers are printed on the hose
• These code markings give information like hose size,
manufacturer, date of manufacture, and pressure and
temperature limits
• Hose suitable for phosphate ether base hydraulic fluid
will be marked “SKYDROL”
• The markings are in contrasting colored letters and
numbers and are repeated at intervals of not more than
9 inches along the length of the hose.
STANDRARD TUBE FITTINGS
• Unions connect one end of tubing to another or
to system units.
• Basically there are four types
• Flared fitting
• Flareless fitting
• Bead and clamp
• Swaged fittings.
• The amount of pressure that the system carries
is usually the deciding factor in selecting a fitting.
• Flared tube fitting: It consist of a sleeve and a
nut. The nut fits over the sleeve and when
tightened draws the sleeve and tube flare tightly
against a male fitting to form a seal.
• The male fitting has cone shaped surface with the
same angle as the inside of the flare.
• AC flared tube fitting have been replaced by AN
and MS fittings
• AN 744 to AN932,
• Aluminum alloy (code D),
• Steel (code, absence of letter),
• Brass (code B),
• Aluminum bronze(code Z- for AN819 sleeve)
• Flareless tube fittings:
• The MS flareless tube fittings are widely
used in aircraft systems. This type of
fittings eliminates all tube flaring and
provide a safe , strong and dependable
tube connections.
• The fitting consist of three parts, a body, a
sleeve and a nut.
• Bead and clamp
• Used only in low or medium pressure
systems such as vacuum and coolant
systems
• The bead ,a slightly raised ridge around
the tubing or fitting, gives a good gripping
edge that aids in holding the clamp and
hose in place
• Swaged fitting:
• Swaged fittings create a permanent connection
that is virtually maintenance free.
• Swaged fittings are used to join hydraulic lines in
areas where routine disconnections are not
required and are often used with titanium and
corrosion resistant steel tubing.
• Permaswage, Permalite and Cryofit fittings are
the three types of swaged fittings.