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New LED landing light


MV Aviation

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I have the regular Parmetheus. Thought of upgrading to the Parmetheus Plus as they claim it's 80% brighter but someone on another thread said while you should definitely buy the "plus" over what I have, to upgrade it probably isn't worth it. I hear the AeroLED that Raptor mentioned is the best but comes at a price.

I changed mine myself and made an entry in the logbook.

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Quick update regarding the EASA part of the question:
I just talked to a certified mechanic/inspector. He told me that I can swap it on my own (according to part M annex VIII) and no minor change is necessary if the aircraft manufacturer approved the item in question as replacement part. However, it is highly unlikely that I'll find any LED light that is approved by Mooney. Hence, I can still swap it on my own, but have to go through the certification process. :-(

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1 hour ago, MV Aviation said:

Quick update regarding the EASA part of the question:
I just talked to a certified mechanic/inspector. He told me that I can swap it on my own (according to part M annex VIII) and no minor change is necessary if the aircraft manufacturer approved the item in question as replacement part. 

Did he mention how this would be done, is there some official government form Mooney would have to write up.  Or, if you can find what they use on the new planes, and just use that.  I hope Mooney uses LEDs these days.

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47 minutes ago, teejayevans said:

Did he mention how this would be done, is there some official government form Mooney would have to write up.  Or, if you can find what they use on the new planes, and just use that.  I hope Mooney uses LEDs these days.

He didn't get specific on that. I assume it has something to do with the aircraft specifications. They for example state that you have options a, b, and c for the breaks and options a and b for alternator and so on. If you buy something that is approved, you can chance it on your own and if it's something else, you'll need a STC and a minor change.

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I have done things in the reverse order before.  German aircraft, American part not approved in the states for that aircraft, but in about every German E300.. FAA said I needed a letter from the factory before they would issue a field approval. I was able to get a letter stating the device would not affect any system of the aircraft... Signed By Walter Extra himself! Pretty cool!!

Call Mooney, and see if they'd sign a letter for you...

-Matt

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Marco,  see if this sounds familiar...

quick suggestion regarding your existing landing light...

When you say it is bugging you, I can guess based on experience and that of others around here...

My '65C's landing light wouldn't stay lit during flights...

The CB switch would trip and turn itself off.

This pain in the neck was also enhanced by the instrument panel drooping from above it.

Circuit breakers of this type are sensitive to temperature and age related wear.

A lowish cost solution is swapping out the CB switch with a new one.  It is amazing how well the landing light can work after that change.  And how nice new rubber IP mounts make the panel look.

If there is no space between the lower edge of the instrument panel and the light switches, the panel is drooping...

If you can barely feel a click when you operate the toggle, that is a sign of the wear... 50 year old landing light CB switches are worn out... see how old yours is?

Have you got any of these experiences..?

Best regards,

-a-

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Matt, thanks for your report. I'll look into that.

Carusoam, I believe the problem you're describing, is not the one I have. The switches aren't blocked by the panel.
When the AC came out of annual recently, the landing light didn't work. The mechanic opened the cowling and did something I did not observe (unfortunately) and the light was working again. Now, a few weeks later the light is dead again. From looking at the bulb I can't tell with certainty that it is or is not the bulb this time. I'm typically keeping the light on during flight for safety reasons, but I have no experience whether a continuous operation may fry the bulb in this aircraft (it shouldn't, I guess).

Anyhow, I just thought before I start doctoring around with the old landing light, I might as well get a LED replacement.
Best,
Marco

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On 07/12/2016 at 10:53 AM, MV Aviation said:

Quick update regarding the EASA part of the question:
I just talked to a certified mechanic/inspector. He told me that I can swap it on my own (according to part M annex VIII) and no minor change is necessary if the aircraft manufacturer approved the item in question as replacement part. However, it is highly unlikely that I'll find any LED light that is approved by Mooney. Hence, I can still swap it on my own, but have to go through the certification process. :-(

Exchange of anti-collision lights, position lights and landing & taxi lights by LED type lights is covered by EASA CS-STAN CS-SC031a.

If your new installation complies with CS-SC031a, there is no need of minor change or STC.

You should tell your mechanic that EASA CS-STAN has been in force for more than a year...

I installed a LED landing light PAR46 on the M20J based on CS-STAN last year.

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26 minutes ago, Guillaume said:

Exchange of anti-collision lights, position lights and landing & taxi lights by LED type lights is covered by EASA CS-STAN CS-SC031a.

If your new installation complies with CS-SC031a, there is no need of minor change or STC.

You should tell your mechanic that EASA CS-STAN has been in force for more than a year...

I installed a LED landing light PAR46 on the M20J based on CS-STAN last year.

Thanks. But you cannot sign it off as pilot/owner according to point 6: "This SC is not suitable for release to service by the Pilot-owner."

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37 minutes ago, MV Aviation said:

Thanks. But you cannot sign it off as pilot/owner according to point 6: "This SC is not suitable for release to service by the Pilot-owner."

That's correct. You need at least a Part-66 mechanic (or any approved Part-M/F or Part-145 organisation) to sign the release to service.

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Landing light bulb issues that have been an issue in the past....

is the bulb aligned with the filament in a vertical or horizontal position?

Some times the bulb is aligned horizontally it may suffer failure because of excessive vibrations.

If you are handy with a volt meter, you can test if electricity is being delivered to the bulb. (While stationary on the ground)

If the filament is broken, you can probably see it.(?)

For additional ideas, the POH has the basic wiring diagram in it.

The only other thing I can think of in the cowling area are the knife style connectors that may be worn or broken.  These get disconnected when taking the cowl off while the bulb is still in it.

If power isn't getting to the bulb, check the switch/CB, find the knife connectors under the cowl.  Overall the circuit is pretty short and simple.

hope this is helpful...

Solely PP advice, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

 

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I had problems the first time I changed my landing light. Seems a hole wore in the insulation on the wire, and when I turned on my landing light one evening to land, it took out my radios. They came back on but wouldn't stay until I turned off the landing light. So that night, with my CFII, I logged a night landing wearing my prescription sunglasses, with no landing light. Not long afterwards, I bought a cheap pair of glasses and put them in the seat pocket. It was bright daylight that day after work, I wasn't thinking that we would still be up after dark.

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2 hours ago, carusoam said:

Landing light bulb issues that have been an issue in the past....

is the bulb aligned with the filament in a vertical or horizontal position?

Some times the bulb is aligned horizontally it may suffer failure because of excessive vibrations.

 

 

1

Mine is aligned horizontally, with the black shield aimed towards the engine. How would I go abouts correcting the alignment? Does the shield aim up or down?

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My first action will be to open the cowling and have a look. Maybe it's just a loose cable.

Update on the EASA side of things:
cs-stan cs-sc31a works, however, it involves a mechanic for the release. He estimated 150-250€ + tax (without installation). And this is exactly what I didn't want. Spending 250€ for a landing light and the same amount for "paperwork". Therefore it would have been nice to make it work with a pilot/owner sign-off, especially since the mechanic is not located in my area.

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On 8.12.2016 at 7:08 PM, carusoam said:

Some times the bulb is aligned horizontally it may suffer failure because of excessive vibrations.

If you are handy with a volt meter, you can test if electricity is being delivered to the bulb. (While stationary on the ground)

If the filament is broken, you can probably see it.(?)

I had a closer look today and it turned out to be not just one issue.

1. Looks like the filament is broken :-( However, power/volts is measurable at the socket.

2. The switches seem to be worn out a little. The landing light switch not so much, but I recognized the nav lights switch to be somewhat unstable in the "on" position.

3. I opened the cowling and one of the cables slipped off the landing light connector. (easy to fix)

All together this seems to be a perfect point in time to switch to a LED.
Thanks again for your help.

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