Military, aerospace and space connectors, supplied from UK stock since 1984

IQC International supplies MIL-DTL-38999, MIL-C-26482, MIL-DTL-5015 and D-subminiature connectors, crimp contacts, tooling, backshells and accessories to design offices, harness shops and maintenance teams across aerospace, defence and space. Send a part number, a drawing or a bill of materials and you will have a price and a lead time the same working day.

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Machined metal connector shells lit from the side, showing coupling threads and the contact face

Established: 1984
Specifications: 38999, 26482, 5015, D-sub
Sectors: Aerospace, defence, space
Quotations: Same working day

Connectors, contacts and tooling we supply

Six ranges cover most of what comes through the door, from a single 26482 for a repair to a scheduled call-off of 38999 Series III for a production loom. If a part number sits outside them, ask anyway. Tracing obsolete and hard to find items is routine work here.

MIL-DTL-38999

Series I, II, III and IV circular connectors

The workhorse of modern military and aerospace wiring. We supply all four series: Series I bayonet, Series II low profile bayonet, Series III triple start threaded with scoop proof shells, and Series IV breech coupling. Plugs, wall mount, jam nut and box mount receptacles, in the standard shell sizes and insert arrangements, with the finish class your drawing calls for.

Typical applications Airframe and avionics wiring, engine and nacelle looms, radar and mission systems, ground support equipment, satellite and launch vehicle harnesses.

Series I, II, III, IV
Shell sizes 9 to 25
Contacts Size 22D to 8
Finishes Cadmium, electroless nickel, zinc-nickel, space grade

MIL-C-26482

Series 1 and 2 bayonet circular connectors

Three point bayonet coupling circulars, specified across generations of airframes, engines and ground equipment and still fitted and repaired every day. Series 1 with solder or crimp inserts and Series 2 with rear release crimp contacts, in plugs, receptacles and jam nut styles, including the MIL-DTL-26482 and 26500 equivalents.

Typical applications Legacy and in-service military aircraft, rotorcraft, engine accessories, avionics racks, test sets and ground support trolleys.

Series 1 and 2
Shell sizes 8 to 24
Contacts Size 20 to 12
Coupling Three point bayonet

MIL-DTL-5015

Threaded circular power connectors

The original threaded military circular, and still the right answer where current and robustness matter more than weight. Solder and crimp versions, environmental and non-environmental classes, from small shells through to the large high current arrangements, in wall mount, box mount, jam nut and cable connecting styles.

Typical applications Aircraft and vehicle power distribution, generators and actuators, ground power and test equipment, naval and shipboard systems, heavy industrial plant.

Shell sizes 8S to 48
Contacts Size 16 to 0
Classes Environmental and non-environmental
Styles Plug, receptacle, jam nut

D-subminiature

Standard, high density and mil-spec D-subs

D-subs to MIL-DTL-24308 and commercial equivalents, from 9 to 50 way in standard density and up to 78 way high density, plus combination D layouts for mixed signal, power and coaxial contacts. Filtered and EMI variants, metal and plastic hoods, backshells, jackscrews and hardware to match.

Typical applications Avionics and instrumentation interfaces, satellite and payload test harnesses, motorsport and rig data looms, laboratory and production test equipment.

Layouts 9, 15, 25, 37, 50 way
High density 15, 26, 44, 62, 78 way
Termination Crimp, solder, PCB
Variants Standard, filtered, combination D

Contacts

Pin and socket crimp contacts

Loose piece contacts to the SAE AS39029 series in the sizes that go with every shell we sell, in gold plated copper alloy, plus thermocouple, coaxial and high voltage types where the arrangement calls for them. Sealing plugs and unwired contact positions too, because a part-populated connector still has to seal.

Typical applications New harness build, rework and repair, prototype looms, spares provisioning and kitting against a bill of materials.

Sizes 22D, 20, 16, 12, 8, 4, 0
Types Pin, socket, sealing plug
Specials Thermocouple, coax, high voltage
Packing Loose, reel, kit

Tooling and accessories

Crimp tooling, backshells and protective accessories

Everything around the connector: hand crimp tools with turrets and positioners, insertion and removal tools, gauges, and the accessory range that finishes an assembly. Straight, 45 and 90 degree backshells, shielded and banding platform types, cable clamps, dust caps, protective covers and O-rings.

Typical applications Harness shops and loom builders, MRO and line maintenance, in-house repair benches, calibration and tool control programmes.

Crimping Hand tools, turrets, positioners
Backshells Straight, 45 and 90 degree
Shielding Banding platform and shielded types
Protection Caps, covers, clamps, O-rings

Where these connectors end up

The same four specifications turn up across every programme we supply, from a fast jet loom to a satellite ground harness. What changes is the shell finish, the arrangement and how quickly you need it.

Military fast jet in flight, a platform where 38999 and 26482 connectors are specified throughout

Military aircraft and rotorcraft

38999 Series III on new build looms, 26482 and 5015 on in-service and legacy platforms, and the backshells, contacts and tooling that go with them.

Aircraft turbine engine blades in close up, an environment demanding high temperature connectors

Engines, nacelles and hot sections

High temperature shells and contact plating, firewall rated receptacles, and finishes chosen for fluid, salt fog and vibration exposure.

Launch vehicle boosters, where space grade connector finishes and outgassing performance matter

Space and launch vehicles

Space grade connector classes with low outgassing finishes, plus D-subs and 38999 for payload, ground and umbilical harnesses.

Airliner undergoing maintenance in a hangar, where obsolete connectors and contacts are often needed

MRO, repair and obsolescence

Discontinued shells, inserts and contacts traced for maintenance programmes, with a documented equivalent when the original has gone for good.

How we help you get the right connector

A connector is a small part of a build until it is the wrong one. Most of our work is making sure the right part arrives first time, with the paperwork that goes with it.

Cable loom terminated into a control panel, showing routed harness branches and connector backshells

Military and aerospace connectors from UK stock

Popular 38999, 26482, 5015 and D-sub shells, insert arrangements and contact types are held here in Britain. Send a part number or a whole schedule of them and you get prices and lead times back the same working day, not a form response next week.

Engineer checking terminations on a wiring assembly at a bench

Cross-referencing and obsolete part sourcing

A 38999 shell that has gone end of life, a 26482 on a forty year old airframe, or a competitor number you would rather not chase: this is routine work. We identify the equivalent by specification, confirm shell size, arrangement, keying and finish will all mate and fit, and say plainly when there is no true equivalent.

Kitting, scheduled orders and call-off stock

Harness shops rarely want one connector. We supply shells, inserts, contacts, backshells and clamps as a picked kit per assembly, hold agreed stock against a schedule, and release it to your build dates.

Technical help before the drawing is frozen

Insert arrangements and contact sizes, alternate keying positions, current and voltage ratings, shell material and plating class, series compatibility, whether two part numbers will actually mate. Answering that at design stage costs nothing. Finding out at first build costs a great deal.

Cadmium free, RoHS and finish compliance

Shell finish drives your compliance file. Tell us the constraint, whether that is cadmium free for a European programme, RoHS for commercial equipment or a space grade class for a satellite harness, and we will quote a finish that meets it rather than the nearest thing on the shelf.

Traceability, certification and worldwide despatch

Parts arrive with the documentation your quality system expects, including certificates of conformity and full traceability. Next day across mainland Britain on stock items, and export shipping to Europe and beyond with the paperwork handled at our end.

Start with a part number

Type the full number or just the part you are sure of. Partial numbers work, so D38999/26W will find the whole family of Series III straight plugs in that finish.

Or send us the drawing

Email a bill of materials, a harness drawing or a photograph of the connector you need to match. We will come back with what we hold, what we can get and how long it takes.

sales@iqc.co.uk

Email the sales desk

Industries we supply

Forty years of selling connectors and very little else means the same names come back, from prime contractors and satellite integrators to two-person loom shops. All of them get the same answer on the same day.

Aerospace Civil and military airframes, avionics bays, engines, nacelles and ground support
Defence Land, sea and air platforms, mission systems, and the test equipment behind them
Space Satellite and payload harnesses, launch vehicles, ground and umbilical systems
Motorsport Loom builders working to weight, heat and vibration limits
Rail and marine Rolling stock, signalling, above and below deck where sealing matters
Industrial and test Automation, instrumentation, laboratory and production test rigs

Aircraft landing gear assembly, one of many airframe systems wired with military specification connectors

Questions we get asked

If yours is not here, email the sales desk and you will get an answer from someone who works with these parts every day.

Which connectors does IQC supply?

MIL-DTL-38999 Series I to IV, MIL-C-26482 Series 1 and 2, MIL-DTL-5015 threaded circulars and D-subminiature connectors including MIL-DTL-24308 and high density layouts. Alongside those we supply pin and socket crimp contacts to the SAE AS39029 series, crimp tooling, positioners, insertion and removal tools, backshells, cable clamps, dust caps and protective covers.

What is the difference between 38999 Series I, II, III and IV?

Series I uses a bayonet coupling, Series II is a low profile bayonet version for panel space constrained installations, Series III uses a triple start thread with scoop proof shells and is the usual choice for new military and aerospace design, and Series IV uses a breech coupling. They are not intermateable with each other, so the series has to match at both ends.

Should I use 26482 or 38999 on a new design?

38999 Series III is normally the better choice for new work, being scoop proof, environmentally sealed and available in lighter and higher density arrangements. 26482 remains the right answer when you are matching an existing installation, repairing in service equipment or working to a drawing that specifies it.

Can you supply space grade and cadmium free finishes?

Yes. Finish is a class code in the part number, so tell us the constraint you are working to. Space applications usually call for a space grade electroless nickel class with low outgassing behaviour, European programmes often require cadmium free, and commercial equipment may need RoHS compliance. We will quote a class that meets the requirement and flag it on the quotation.

Can you identify a connector from a photograph or a drawing?

Yes, and it is one of the most common things we are asked. Email a photograph, a bill of materials or a harness drawing to sales@iqc.co.uk. We will work out what the part is, whether we hold it, and what the closest current alternative is if it has been discontinued.

Do you supply obsolete connectors for older aircraft and equipment?

Yes. Sourcing discontinued shells, inserts and contacts for maintenance and repair programmes is a large part of what we do. Where the original genuinely no longer exists we identify an equivalent by specification and tell you exactly where it differs.

Do you sell single connectors or only production quantities?

Both. One connector for a prototype or a repair is as welcome as a scheduled call-off against a build programme. Nothing stops you asking about a single part.

How quickly can you despatch, and do you ship overseas?

Stock items ordered before the afternoon cut-off normally go the same day for next working day delivery in mainland Britain. Items sourced to order carry a lead time confirmed with the quotation. We export to Europe and worldwide and handle the commercial documentation.

How long has IQC been trading?

IQC International was established in the United Kingdom in 1984 and has specialised in connectors, contacts and connector tooling ever since.

Tell us what you are building

Quotations usually come back the same working day. Include quantities and the delivery date you are working to and we will price it properly rather than approximately.

Request a quote

Sales: sales@iqc.co.uk
Sales desk hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm

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