Luxon line connectors

[Jim Svitko]

I know many would never use the Luxon-type line connectors.  I have used them in the past without failure but only on smaller planes.  I still see them in use today.

Maybe others have noticed this as well, but just in case, I thought I would mention this.  Maybe it will help someone avoid a disaster.

I recently bought line sets from Brodak.   Luxon-type connectors were included with the lines.  But, the connectors are a newer version that are junk.

The wire diameter is smaller.  That in itself is not a big deal as it is probably strong enough in this regard.  The problem is the slider locking mechanism.

The slider on these newer Luxon-type clips can move farther in either direction before the little nub on it contacts the end of the wire, thus stopping travel.  However, at the limits of travel, there is only a very small length of wire on the other side still in contact with the slider.  It might not take much for the clip to pop open.  And, the slider itself is of thinner material and more easily deformed.

So, if you must use Luxon-type connectors, the older version was superior.  Better yet, use the scissor style connectors.

I don't get it.  How much money was saved by cutting corners?  I guess that is the nature of manufacturing these days.

[Tom Niebuhr]

I agree. The Luxon connectors should be banned. Brodak sells the sissor type conectors so it is inexcusable that he has the Luxon clips on the lines that he sells.

[peabody]

The last time that I saw a certain National and World Champion fly, he was using Luxor connectors....just sayin

[Steve Fitton]

A couple thoughts:

I still use Luxon clips on all my small planes, even my Nakke I fly in classic.  Sometimes the scissors type can be a bear to use.  On my big planes I use the Hello Kitty clips, but they are expensive compared to other types.

The clips being different probably wasn't Luxon's idea, but the work of some unknown genius in China who ran out of the proper materials and substituted without bothering to tell anyone.

I ran into a great example of Chinese substitution the other day: I was building a Revell 1/144 scale Saturn V model for my son's science teacher. ( Revell has all their "old" kits made in China now.)  When it came time to decal the model, I noticed (among many other gross errors) that the decals on the Saturn that were supposed to be red were printed in black(!!!)  As my buddy Eric told me, the Chicoms probably used red lead in their decal ink, but just substituting the wrong color vs fixing the problem seems to be typical.  I would not at all be surprised if Luxor and Brodak do not have clue one about the clips having changed.

[Jim Svitko]

The last time that I saw a certain National and World Champion fly, he was using Luxor connectors....just sayin

Most likely he was using the older style Luxon connector.  I have never seen the old style fail.  If you have a sample of both, compare them.  The new version is a joke.

[Jim Svitko]

A couple thoughts:

I still use Luxon clips on all my small planes, even my Nakke I fly in classic.  Sometimes the scissors type can be a bear to use.  On my big planes I use the Hello Kitty clips, but they are expensive compared to other types.

The clips being different probably wasn't Luxon's idea, but the work of some unknown genius in China who ran out of the proper materials and substituted without bothering to tell anyone.

I ran into a great example of Chinese substitution the other day: I was building a Revell 1/144 scale Saturn V model for my son's science teacher. ( Revell has all their "old" kits made in China now.)  When it came time to decal the model, I noticed (among many other gross errors) that the decals on the Saturn that were supposed to be red were printed in black(!!!)  As my buddy Eric told me, the Chicoms probably used red lead in their decal ink, but just substituting the wrong color vs fixing the problem seems to be typical.  I would not at all be surprised if Luxor and Brodak do not have clue one about the clips having changed.

Maybe this genius in China was told to make it cheaper and got a bonus for saving maybe two cents per line clip, and a pat on the back.

It would appear that the bean counters run the show nearly everywhere, being able to overcome objections by engineers and others who know better.

[Ron Cribbs]

I use the older style Luxon as that is all I have. I tried the scissor style, but they are a huge pain for me. Is there another option?

I have yet to have a failure, but I have noticed that the slider sometimes doesn't catch. In those cases I bend the split ends up a little and that seems to fix it.

Ron

[bob whitney]

i don't know where u are getting your information  the old clips were Chrome plated Brass , Brodaks are steal ,( probably piano wire  ) which makes them harder to work with but stronger.
   i have used the old type since 1954 and never had one fail on  race planes, combat planes ,and stunt jobs. with a little work Brodaks are stronger. the slider usually needs to be made to fit better

[Brett Buck]

i don't know where u are getting your information  the old clips were Chrome plated Brass , Brodaks are steal ,( probably piano wire  ) which makes them harder to work with but stronger.

   That's correct, the originals were chrome-plated brass. The slider does need to fit to the point that there is just enough gap to let the bump fit in the gap, if it is not like that, it is not likely to be even marginally safe to use. The ends also need to be sharp edges, and the bump deep enough. The typical failure mode is that the ends wear out a bit, get rounded over, then the sliders are moved by rubbing against each other, then the tension opens them up. Sometimes the free end catches on the other leadout and locks up the controls, or, it opens up completely, and the eyelet slips off. Either is bad.

    The McMahon snaps (the original scissor type that we all like) are also brass underneath, some are chrome and some are painted black, and probably other colors, too.

    I wouldn't ever recommend using these slider clips due to the known failures that people have encountered, but I am not as hard over about it as others might be. I wouldn't ban them (new or old) but people should be well aware of the risk they take to the airplane.

    The best types I have seen for the airplane end are the current Pylon/Sullivan hard wire scissor clips, as long as you grind a wedge on the ends so they don't bind up. For the handle end, Randy's spring clips (for which I coined the term "Hello Kitty" clips due the bag they came in) are far and away the best. They are like the Luxon clips in principle with all the flaws corrected.

      Brett

[Jim Svitko]

The Luxon type connectors sold separately by Brodak (4 to a pack?) might not be the same ones that came in the line set packages that I recently bought.  The older Luxon connectors I have say "Luxon" on the slider.  The connectors in the line package have no markings.  Are there any markings on the Brodak connectors?  I have never bought any of the Brodak Luxon type connectors so I cannot compare them to the ones I now have.

I have been experimenting with these lousy connectors.  I can get the slider to move so far in either direction, without first depressing the wire on one side, that the other end pops out of the slider.  The bump on the slider does not even engage the end of the wire to lock the slider in place.

If you bought lines recently, inspect the connectors to see which you have.  It is possible that some line packs have the better Luxon connectors while others have this lousy knock off.