Product Overview
The MS3476L24-61SN circular connector is the straight cable plug of the MIL-DTL-26482 Series II family: a 24-61 contact insert in a corrosion-resistant metal shell, terminated by solder and locked with a bayonet coupling. The coupling ring is knurled, so it can be gripped and turned with a glove on, and the shell takes the knocks that a cable end collects in service.
As a MIL-DTL-26482 Series II connector it drops into an existing Series II panel cut-out and mates with a receptacle of the same shell size and layout. A failed plug can be changed without reworking the panel, and a new cable assembly can be built against a receptacle design that is already qualified, so an MS3476L24-61SN wholesale order does not carry a redesign with it.
It carries power and signal on the same insert, so one mated pair can serve a control run and its feedback line together, and the cable assembly builder only has to dress a single cable through the airframe. Cable assembly shops, avionics integrators and maintenance teams are the usual buyers, and they buy direct from the MIL-DTL-26482 connector manufacturer.
MIL-DTL-26482 Series II Standard
- Scope of the standard: MIL-DTL-26482 Series II defines bayonet-coupled circular connectors for harsh service — shock, vibration, moisture and temperature extremes — and this connector is built to that document by a MIL-DTL-26482 connector manufacturer, not to a general-purpose commercial specification.
- Coupling: the bayonet interface engages with a short twist of the coupling ring and stays locked until the ring is deliberately released, so a technician can mate it quickly in a crowded bay and it will not back off under vibration.
- Mechanical design: shell keying aligns the halves before the contacts touch, and contact retention keeps every contact seated, so the mating stays secure when the cable behind a 24-61 solder connector is pulled or the panel is under load.
- Electrical performance: low-resistance plated contacts keep signal integrity and power delivery consistent across the mated pair, joint after joint.
- Qualification value: a standard-referenced interface is easier to document, second-source and cross-reference than a proprietary one, and the series reference is what the qualification file for an aerospace plug socket connector is built on.
- Supplier discipline: as a military circular connector supplier we keep the series reference on the drawing and on the inspection record, so the part you receive can be checked against the specification you approved.
Construction & Environmental Resistance
Metal does most of the work. The shell is a corrosion-resistant body — aluminium alloy or nickel-cadmium plated steel depending on the finish specified — and it forms the EMI/RFI barrier around the insert as well as the physical protection. Contacts are gold over nickel, which keeps contact resistance low and resists the thin oxide film that builds on bare metal in humid air. Sealing is handled at two places: O-rings close the mated interface and a grommet closes the wire entry at the rear. Splash, washdown and driving rain therefore do not reach the contact area — which is the practical meaning of a waterproof military circular connector rather than a splash-resistant commercial part. That matters in washdown bays, on deck, and on any installation that lives outdoors. The rest of the environmental case is mechanical. The plated shell resists salt spray in coastal and shipboard air. High temperature is a materials question as much as a rating one: a metal shell and a plated contact system hold their shape and conductivity through the hot and cold swings of an engine bay or an exposed airframe location. Backshells are available in straight and elbow forms to support the bundle and take strain off the solder joints.
Critical Applications Where Reliability Is Paramount
- Aircraft and avionics: flight control, engine control, navigation and communication suites on fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. This is classic aerospace plug socket connector territory — the plug is mated and unmated during maintenance, and a loose contact shows up as a system fault.
- Naval vessels: shipboard communication, radar and weapons-control runs, where salt spray and continuous vibration are the normal working conditions rather than an exception.
- Military vehicles: tanks, armoured personnel carriers and their communication systems, on harnesses that see shock loads, rough handling and constant movement.
- Unmanned systems: UAV and UUV data links and power feeds, where the connector is often the only serviceable joint in a sealed platform.
- Test and ground support equipment: ground support for military platforms, where connectors are cycled far more often than they ever are in service, so replacements tend to be ordered on MS3476L24-61SN wholesale schedules rather than one at a time.
- Satellite and space systems: selected where weight, reliability and resistance to vacuum and radiation matter — subject to the specific space-grade qualification your programme requires.
- Industrial and marine equipment: control cabinets, deck machinery and skid-mounted plant that need the same sealing and vibration behaviour outside a defence programme, where plant engineers buy the same plug from the same military circular connector supplier.
Specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|
| Series | MIL-DTL-26482 Series II |
| Shell style | 3476 straight plug |
| Shell size | 24 |
| Contact layout | 24-61 |
| Contact type | Socket contacts (S) |
| Termination | Solder cups |
| Coupling | Bayonet, knurled coupling ring |
| Shell material | Corrosion-resistant metal |
| Contact plating | Gold over nickel |
| Sealing | O-rings at the mated interface, grommet at the wire entry |
| Backshell options | Straight or elbow |
| Contact orientation | Normal (N) |
24-61 Insert & Solder Termination
- Plan the wiring before you cut anything. A 24-61 solder connector is wired cavity by cavity, so slide the backshell, grommet and coupling ring onto the cable first — none of them can be added once the contacts are soldered.
- Strip each conductor to suit the depth of its solder cup and tin the strands. Keep the exposed length short enough that the finished joint sits inside the insert rather than standing above it.
- Solder one cavity at a time with a controlled iron. A brief, hot joint is better than a long, cool one, because prolonged heat softens the insert around the cavity walls and loosens contact retention.
- Inspect every joint for a smooth fillet and no bridging to the neighbouring cup. The 24-61 layout is dense, and a single solder bridge between two cavities is the most common fault found at final test.
- Give each wire a light pull test, then fit the grommet and backshell — the seal that turns a wired insert into a waterproof military circular connector — and confirm the bundle is supported by the backshell rather than hanging from the solder joints.
- Record the wire-to-cavity map and keep it with the wiring drawing, so the next build or a field repair of the MS3476L24-61SN circular connector matches the original routing.
Part-Number Decoding
| Code element | Meaning |
| 3470 | Narrow flange receptacle |
| 3471 | Cable connecting receptacle |
| 3472 | Wide flange receptacle |
| 3474 | Jam nut receptacle |
| 3475 | RFI shielding plug |
| 3476 | Straight plug (this part) |
| A / L / W / S / B | Black anodized / electroless nickel / olive drab cadmium / stainless steel passivated / olive green cadmium |
| 08 to 24 | Shell size |
| 24-61 | Contact layout |
| P / S / PL / SL | Pin / socket / PCB pin / PCB socket |
| N / W / X / Y / Z | Contact orientation |
Ordering & Delivery
- Quantities: we work with flexible MOQs, so a repair quantity and a production batch can both be quoted — tell us the first release and the annual figure and we will price against the real demand.
- Repeat supply: for ms3476l24-61sn wholesale schedules, the same build sheet, plating callout and inspection routine are used on every release, so the second batch matches the first.
- Delivery: stable global delivery keeps your line on schedule; shipping method, trade term and destination are confirmed on the quotation.
- Ordering by code: send the full code — shell style, finish, shell size, layout, contact type and orientation. On ms3476l24-61sn wholesale orders we read it back against the drawing before production starts.
- Documentation: if your incoming inspection needs the drawing set, plating detail or the standard reference, ask for them with the quotation so they arrive before the goods do.
- Direct contact: quotations are priced at the plant, so a technical question and a commercial one reach the same team. Lead time, payment terms and packing requirements are confirmed with your sales contact.
Technical Support & Model Matching
Selecting the right connector is rarely a one-line decision. Send us your drawing, part number or a sample, and our engineering team will confirm the matching shell size, contact arrangement, coupling and mounting style, cross-reference discontinued or alternate part numbers, and advise on sealing and flange options for your environment. We also help troubleshoot fit, mating and signal problems, and give installation and commissioning guidance so your line stays up. As a direct manufacturer, our answers come from the people who build the parts — from first enquiry through after-sales support.
The case for this plug starts with compliance. It is built to the MIL-DTL-26482 Series II interface, so the qualification work already done on the series carries over instead of starting again. The standard reference stays on the drawing and on the inspection record — the two documents a programme auditor actually asks to see. Durability is the second argument. A connector that holds its contact resistance through vibration, salt spray and temperature swings removes a maintenance line item. Every replacement you do not make is a teardown, a re-test and a grounded platform you do not pay for. The third is manufacturing depth. These plugs are built in our own plant, so a question about plating, contact retention or a cross-reference goes straight to the people who make the part rather than through a reseller.
FAQ
Is this the plug half or the receptacle half?
It is the plug. In an aerospace plug socket connector pair, the plug is the half that travels with the cable while the receptacle is fixed to the panel or equipment shell. Because the code carries an S, the contacts inside this plug are sockets, so the mating receptacle carries pins. Order the receptacle as its own part number in the same shell size and contact layout, and check that its orientation letter matches this plug.
Who actually builds this connector?
We do. As a MIL-DTL-26482 connector manufacturer, we machine, plate and assemble these plugs in our own plant, and the engineering team that answers a fit or plating question is the same team that built the part. Ask for the build detail that matters to your programme — shell material, contact plating, sealing arrangement — and it comes from the production record. We also supply the matching receptacles, backshells and spare contacts from the same family, so the whole mated pair can come from one source.
How much water and salt can it take?
Sealing sits at the mated interface and at the wire entry, and the shell plating is chosen for salt-spray exposure, so washdown, rain, coastal air and shipboard conditions are everyday duty rather than a special order. That is the difference between a waterproof military circular connector and a splash-resistant commercial part. If your exposure is specific — immersion, a salt-spray duration, a particular cleaning chemical — tell us the condition and we will confirm what the build covers.
Can I replace an existing plug on a wiring assembly I already have?
Usually yes, provided the shell size, contact layout, contact type and orientation letter match what is on the existing cable assembly now. Send the marking from the old ms3476l24-61sn circular connector, or the line from your drawing, and we will cross-check the replacement against it before it ships. If the marking is worn away, a photograph of the insert face and a measurement across the shell are usually enough for us to identify it.
Does this need a special crimp tool?
No. The contacts are solder cups, so termination is a bench soldering job with a controlled iron and a wire stripper rather than a proprietary crimp tool. That suits a 24-61 solder connector that is wired and inspected on the bench before the wiring assembly goes into the airframe. Confirm with us whether contacts ship with the plug or are ordered separately for your build.
