Definition
A method of joining the ends of two electrical conductors by removing a short length of insulation from each, twisting or wrapping the bare wire ends together to form a mechanical and electrical connection, and then insulating the joint. In aircraft electrical work, core splicing is performed under controlled procedures and finished with approved insulation or sealing to restore the wire to a condition equivalent to the original.
Plain English
Joining two wires together by connecting their bare metal centers, then covering the joint so it is insulated again.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft maintenance when repairing or joining electrical wiring.
Derivation
Core refers to the inner conducting wire beneath the insulation. Splice comes from the Middle Dutch splissen, meaning to join rope ends together. Together the term describes joining the conducting cores of two wires, much as ropes are spliced end to end.
Why Pilots Care
Splices are points where electrical failures, resistance, or arcing can occur. A poorly made or unapproved core splice can cause intermittent system faults or fire risk, so technicians follow specific standards when repairing aircraft wiring.
Intuition Check
Core splicing is not just twisting two wires together quickly. It means making a proper joined connection in the exposed wire strands, then protecting that connection.
Example Sentence 1
The technician used a core splice to repair the broken navigation light wire and then sealed the joint with heat-shrink tubing.
Example Sentence 2
After core splicing, the cable was tested for proper tension and smooth movement through the fairleads.