Definition
A small pin, bracket, or piece of wire installed close to a pulley to prevent a control cable from slipping out of the pulley groove if the cable goes slack or vibrates.
Plain English
A little piece of metal placed near a pulley that keeps the control cable from jumping off the pulley.
Context Anchor
Seen during aircraft maintenance, control-system inspections, and preflight attention to exposed control-cable areas.
Derivation
Cable' derives from Latin 'capulum' for rope or halter; 'guard' from Old French 'garder' meaning to protect. The combination indicates shielding for the rope-like control lines used in aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
A damaged control cable can cause loss of flight control authority, so these guards maintain system integrity and safety.
Intuition Check
A cable guard is not just a general protective cover for a cable. In this use, it specifically keeps the cable from leaving the pulley groove.
Example Sentence 1
During the preflight, the pilot noticed a missing cable guard near the rudder pulley and grounded the aircraft until maintenance could replace it.
Example Sentence 2
Before flight, the pilot verified that all cable guards remained secure and free of cracks.