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LED Nav and Strobe light options

tbone

Registered User
Twin Cities, MN KANE
Has anyone converted from stock nav lights to LED? I am considering AeroLEDs as I have had a great experience with the taxi and landing lights.
I believe my certified PA-12 has the original stock wing tips and lights. Suggestions, thoughts or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
I would love to upgrade with minimal work and no wiring changes.

See pictures for current light setup reference.
 

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If they are PMA's parts, and fit,.. just put them in with your A&P's logbook entry.
I don't believe anyone will say another word from there on...
 
If you do change to a new model light save that old stuff someone will want it for a original restoration one day.
DENNY
 
If they are PMA's parts, and fit,.. just put them in with your A&P's logbook entry.
I don't believe anyone will say another word from there on...

I agree. Does anyone know the legality of converting from a tail mounted white position light to wingtip lights that incorporate the white rear facing position light?
 
Does anyone have a link to LED nav light bulbs that are a direct replacement for the standard bulbs?
 
I agree. Does anyone know the legality of converting from a tail mounted white position light to wingtip lights that incorporate the white rear facing position light?

The nav lights with rear facing white light navs are designed for canard type aircraft without a 'tail'. When you install them on a typical aircraft, the rudder and wing position will cover them in certain maneuvers.

Web
 
Aircraft Spruce. Web

Yeah, I figured out that much.
I was hoping for a more-specific link, maybe like this one:

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/el/ledlighting_replacement.html?pageno=2

Has anyone had any experience with any of these?
Several appear to be switchable from steady to flashing--switch on for steady, on-off-on for flashing.
I don't know that I see much advantage to that, or even want it.
Rather have just plain old "on".
When nav lights are required, after dark, I think they need to be on steady.
 
If you are experimental you can just buy them at an auto parts store.

I have never understood why such things are dangerous on certificated aircraft, yet acceptable on an experimental - a failure could affect non-experimental operations.

And I agree - I want flashers on a separate switch. My nav lights are steady, and I never taxi with strobes on.
 
I've got the 7.5 watt LED replacement bulb on the tail and it is pretty bright. It is only supposed to flash if you cycle the power within three seconds. Flash in the day, steady at night.
 
If you are experimental you can just buy them at an auto parts store.

I have never understood why such things are dangerous on certificated aircraft, yet acceptable on an experimental - a failure could affect non-experimental operations.

And I agree - I want flashers on a separate switch. My nav lights are steady, and I never taxi with strobes on.

But for an Experimental homebuilts to fly in other than day VFR, the operating limitations say they need equipment specified in 91.205. 91.205(c)(2) says to fly night you need “approved” position lights! For all the homebuilts I issue certificates for, if the don’t have approved lights or can’t show evidence that the lights meet AC20-30B, the won’t get anything more than day VFR.


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But for an Experimental homebuilts to fly in other than day VFR, the operating limitations say they need equipment specified in 91.205. 91.205(c)(2) says to fly night you need “approved” position lights! For all the homebuilts I issue certificates for, if the don’t have approved lights or can’t show evidence that the lights meet AC20-30B, the won’t get anything more than day VFR.
Yes it says: (2) Approved position lights.
It does not say approved by who or under what standards. Can't you as a DAR "approve" the lights as long as they comply with AC20-30B?
 
The reg says it must be mounted as far aft as possible!

I agree. Does anyone know the legality of converting from a tail mounted white position light to wingtip lights that incorporate the white rear facing position light?
 
I too never taxiied with strobes on in any airplane be it fighter or airliner!


Taxing with strobes on used to be a reason to leave someone a stinky message in their flight kit. Unfortunately tablets have destroyed that communication channel.
 
CFIs are teaching that - yesterday I mistakenly lined up with a Cherokee on the warm-up pad. Asking politely has never worked, so I don't bother. I just move. Good thing I no longer fly at night - I would go blind and get flicker vertigo all at the same time.

I am sure " approved" means TSO, but auto lights are approved by a heavy duty regulatory body - SAE, or JAS, or something. None of my bulbs say anything about approval, and since 1946 there has been no entry regarding lights.
 
Yes it says: (2) Approved position lights.
It does not say approved by who or under what standards. Can't you as a DAR "approve" the lights as long as they comply with AC20-30B?

As a DAR, I represent the FAA. The Mantra goes “the applicant shall show, and the FAA shall find”. It is on the applicant to show that the lights meet color, angle of view and brightness as specified in the AC. If the have documented evidence that test were done and those tests show it meets the requirements, they get op limits allowing night. I think it is far easier just to go buy TSO or PMA bulbs and light assemblies, and mount them appropriately.


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I've installed Kuntzelman twice, cheap and easy. Once I headed to Grafton, knowing Jim would orbiting with Kuntzelmans. I picked up his orangey-yellow wings long before the strobes. You get what you pay for.
 
Has anyone converted from stock nav lights to LED? I am considering AeroLEDs as I have had a great experience with the taxi and landing lights.
I believe my certified PA-12 has the original stock wing tips and lights. Suggestions, thoughts or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
I would love to upgrade with minimal work and no wiring changes.

See pictures for current light setup reference.

I believe lighting requirements are different depending on when the airplane was TC’d. https://www.whelen.com/pb/Aviation/System Requirements/Anit-Collision Systems.pdf

Nav lights are pretty boring. If you want to get seen you should up the ante and add strobes. That’s where the LED advantage really makes sense. My Cub uses Whelen Orion tip lights. They work just fine, but old school Whelen Cometflash strobes are still the king for light output and effectiveness for my eyes. Beacons are where I found the biggest variation among LED lights.

My kit came with wingtip combo nav-strobes. I added an Aveo tail strobe/white position light on the vertical edge of the rudder and a Whelen beacon on top of the rudder. And two VisionX lights on a MaxPulse flasher facing forward. I want other pilots to see me and I appreciate it when other airplanes make it easy for me to see them.

Whatever you choose today will be outdated next year.
 
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….If you want to get seen you should up the ante and add strobes. That’s where the LED advantage really makes sense. My Cub uses Whelen Orion tip lights. They work just fine, but old school Whelen Cometflash strobes are still the king for light output and effectiveness for my eyes......

I have seen strobes on an airplane after I had the airplane in sight,
but I have never spotted an airplane in daytime by their strobes.
I have however spotted oncoming aircraft a long ways off by the wig-wag landing lights.
I have a strobe on top of the fuselage of my 180 which I run in daytime, just for good luck I guess.
I leave the strobe switch on all the time- makes for a pretty good reminder if I walk off and leave the master on.
I added an LED landing light and a flasher for daytime recognition, works well per comments from others.
 
Nope. That’s why they are so expensive. The special incandescents above. I don’t think any of the LED bulbs are directional.
 
I believe lighting requirements are different depending on when the airplane was TC’d. https://www.whelen.com/pb/Aviation/System Requirements/Anit-Collision Systems.pdf

Nav lights are pretty boring. If you want to get seen you should up the ante and add strobes. That’s where the LED advantage really makes sense. My Cub uses Whelen Orion tip lights. They work just fine, but old school Whelen Cometflash strobes are still the king for light output and effectiveness for my eyes. Beacons are where I found the biggest variation among LED lights.

My kit came with wingtip combo nav-strobes. I added an Aveo tail strobe/white position light on the vertical edge of the rudder and a Whelen beacon on top of the rudder. And two VisionX lights on a MaxPulse flasher facing forward. I want other pilots to see me and I appreciate it when other airplanes make it easy for me to see them.

Whatever you choose today will be outdated next year.

Your setup sounds great! Can you share a picture or two?
 
Whelen Orion wingtip position/strobes, Aveo position/strobe on the rudder, Whelen all red beacon on the rudder top, and VisionX lights (2) facing forward with a MaxPulse flasher control in the panel.

All are very effective. I went with floods for the forward lights to improve the visibility area in front of me. These are recognition lights, not landing lights. Spots would limit recognition to planes in line with the spot beam.


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