Need a new landing lifht

[ToddDPT]

I have a Whelen LED PAR46 and love it. I did not see a difference versus incandescent.  I leave mine on all the time for recognition.  On my 77J it was a simple replacement. I didn't have to remove the cowling. 

[omega708]

I leave mine on all the time as well...  Anything to help us be more visible out there is a good idea.

[jetdriven]

Our HID is 750K candlepower and lights up the touchdown zone markings from three miles out, and in the flare, lights up the farm house a half mile beyond the other end of the runway.

[fantom]

If your GE lights are burning out quickly, check out the SB that alters the mount so that the bulb filament is vertical rather than horizontal.

For those with landing and taxi lights in both wings (not easy to get to) which lights would be best to keep on in flight.....landing or taxi, and why???

[jetdriven]

Gary I would guess taxi because they are supposedly aimed higher.   

[fantom]

Quote: jetdriven

Gary I would guess taxi because they are supposedly aimed higher.   

[jetdriven]

I was thinking birds are more common to run into than other airplanes, and birds can see your taxi light better beacause it is more visible from straight on.   IDK. 

[Seth]

So is there a Par 36 Alphabeam?  I know the Par 36 Whelen is not that bright according to many people on this board.  The Par 46 Whelen from what it sounds like seems to be bright enough.  I ended up replacing with regualr Par 36 bulbs again and plan again, next time, to replace with LED.

I'm also thinking of taking a trip to california next year (I was planning on Sept this year but it's not going to happen) and while I'm out there having my wingtip lights replaced with LEDs and forward wig-wag lights at the shop that upgraded Bennett's aircraft - you can see the job they did in his gallery.  That combined with two Par 36 Whelens (one taxi and one landing) may be adequate.

Also bird strike wise, all three of mine have been at night, up at eiher 6 or 8 thousand feet, two Northeast of Baltimore and one directly over Richmond, VA.  Twice my landing light was on and I saw the bird for split second before going through the prop and glancing off my right front windshield.  No damage to either aircraft.  They were all small birds.

-Seth

[jetdriven]

Air racing does not bother me. Taking a 17 pound pelican through the windshield at 170 KIAS would be a major deal killer.

[fantom]

Quote: jetdriven

I was thinking birds are more common to run into than other airplanes, and birds can see your taxi light better beacause it is more visible from straight on.   IDK. 

[Seth]

Topic Re-Opened:

 

Both landing lights are out again.  About 9 months since my last replacement of both lights.

 

My cowl has two Par 36 lights that operate on a single switch.  I am aware that the Whelen Par 46 landing light is a great drop in replacement as it has a greater surface area and more LEDs.  However, the Par36 is smaller, and thus has less LEDs.  Due to future modifications I plan to make in the wingtips, I plan to not put in and HID or "Boom Beam" type device and simply replace with LEDs lights.  I do not want to drop in one regular light and one LED.

 

Options:

 

1.  Install Whelen:  Put in one Par36 Whelen landing light and one Par36 Whelen

2.  Install other manufacturer.

 

Has anyone put in a Par36 Teledyne Alphabeam?  Aero LED (Sunspot) Any other manufacturer?  Any Sun and Fun specials on the whelen, Teledyne or Aero LED?

 

Again, size Par 36 only - I know the Whelen Par 46 are great.

 

-Seth

[bumper]

Seth,

 

I recommend you look at AeroLed's offerings, which were the #1 choice of Aviation Consumer on their last comparison test. I have four of their SunSpot 36 series in my Husky and they are most impressive. Aviat is installing them on most all new Huskys now. If you want the wig-wag feature go with the HX. If you already have a PulseLight, or similar,installed, then the cheaper LX series has the same light output as the HX . . .  (which, BTW, is something like 2.5 times brighter than Whelen's Parmetheus).

 

http://www.aeroleds.com/products/landing-lights/faa-certified.aspx

 

bumper

[Jeff_S]

I've got the Whelen PAR36 in my plane and it works great.  I have just the single lamp in the cowl, and it throws out plenty of light for both takeoff/landing and taxi.  My plane is a bit of an anomaly because traditionally the J and earlier models with the lamp in the cowling used PAR46 bulbs, but somewhere along the way mine was modified to accept the PAR36. No matter, it works fine.

[Seth]

I understand.  Mine is a J model wtih the K cowling (Missile Mod) thus, even though it's a J, it has the Par 36.  The correct size was Par 46 for the J, so I had to contact (had the MSC) contact the FSDO to make sure that we could actually replace the LED in the Missile.  They said it was fine, as we didn't want to do anything that may cause the aircraft to then be unairworthy due to stupidity. 

 

I just have to decide if I'm going with Aero LED or Whelen at this time and then decide if I'm going AeroLED to add the Wig Wag since there are two lights, which would increase wiring.

 

-Seth

[bumper]

Seth,

 

If the lights are side-by-side, I wouldn't bother with wig-wag, as to be truly effective and impart "movement", they need to be further apart - lights on each wing is best. That said, if you do want to use the wig-wag feature now or later, it requires only one sync wire between the two lamps. A fairly easy wiring job if you have a girlfriend or wife with arms like a  spidermonkey.

 

bumper

[Steve Dawson]

I have an 78 J also and put the 43 Whelan in when they first came out and I'm very happy with it. They are much brighter than the HID and use only 2 amps compared to the 12 from the original.

[jetdriven]

I have an 78 J also and put the 43 Whelan in when they first came out and I'm very happy with it. They are much brighter than the HID and use only 2 amps compared to the 12 from the original.

I call BS on that.  HID are way brighter than LED.

[Seth]

Bumper-

 

That was my next question and you answered it for me.  The side by side configuration in the cowl.  Since the lights are literally right next to each other, inches apart, wig wag will be more like pulsing or blinking, so really now reason for that. 

 

I'm looking to intall some sort of wig wag feature in the wingtips as recognition lights in the future (similar to Bennett) thus simply a Landing Light and Taxi Light in the Cowl will most likely be what I install.  They are on one circut currently, so both Taxi and Landing light on, or both off.

 

So . . . Whelen or AeroLED?

 

-Seth

[Seth]

Alright . . . Update:

 

Spoke with the people at AeroLED and it looks like I'm probably going to end up with those.

 

Since the lights are near each other, the wig wag makes no sense.  However, the 36HX has a pulse feature as well.  I can have the taxi and landing light pulse vs just be on continuously when in flight.  Does anyone here think a pulsing landing/taxi light on a single circut makes a difference? 

 

If it doesn't make a differnece, I can always wait and replace with regular bulbs one more time, as the less expensive 36LX is about to be PMAed without the pulsing function.  These are evidently brighter than the Whelen.

 

The Par46 Whelen bulbs have recieved mainly positive feedback.  It's mixed for the Par36.  That's what has kept me from making the change (along with the price of two LED bulbs).

 

However, the AeroLEDs Sunspot 36HX and 36LX are making me think it's time.  The LX used to be about 1/3 less bright than the HX, but that is no longer the case.  For manufacturing purposes, the ony difference between the LX and HX now are the wiriting to allow Wig Wag or Pulse and neither. 

 

To add a pulse will require a new rocker switch (on, pulse, off), or a new pulse switch where the landing light is (on).  This will also requrie running new wires from panel to the cowling. 

 

So, is pulse worth it?  Customer service at AeroLEDs thinks so (but obviously, they would rather sell the more expensive HX prodcut) and as mentioned before, I plan to add recognition lights in the wingtips with a wig wag feature in the future.

 

From a cost point of view, I should wait for the LX PMAed versions to come out (about a month) and simply go with two of those, have no pulse, and let the wig wag on the wings in the future take care of that.  However, to have a pulsing system now, for a few hundred more, plus wiring is making me think. 

 

From a pure cost point of view, I should just replace with regular bulbs - I'm not enjoying replacing landing lights every six to nine months.

 

Recap:

 

Option 1:  Most expensive ($926 in blubs plus rocker switches and wiring)  - Finally Create Separete landing light and taxi light switches.  Replace both with HX, have a pulsing feature for both. 

Option 2:  expensive ($762 in bulbs plus rocker switches and wiring) - Do the same as above, but drop in a non pulsing LX light on the taxi light side, with only the landing light as the HX pulsing option. 

Option 3:  expensive - ($926 in bulbs but less expensive wiriting - add one switch) Keep the single circut, put in two HX bulbs (one taxi and one landing light), and rig them with an extra switch breaker so that when the light is "on" you can have a pulse breaker to turn the pulse function on and off. 

Option 4:  Less expensive ($650 at $325 each) - Wait for the LX bulbs to become availble and put one landing and taxi light in as drop in replacements.

Option 5:  Even lesser expensive ($458 at $229 each)- Put in Whelens as they are even cheaper but not as bright

Option 6:  Least Expensive - Just replace the regualr bulbs

 

So . . . thoughts?

 

Thanks,

 

-Seth

[jetdriven]

Beechtalk has a thread where you can get LED lights from Tractor Supply or somewhere and they are the same as the LED landing lights.  Some other stuff like the only spec for the bulb is PAR36 or PAR42 which is what the Tractor lights have as well.

 

http://www.class8truckparts.com/Grote-Trilliant-36-LED-WhiteLightTM-Work/M/B003H0TYIO.htm

 

http://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=54046

[N601RX]

Have you considered a HID landing light and LED taxi light? 

[Marauder]

I think you should assess how much night flying you are actually doing and let that be your guide. $936 goes a number of years buying just stock bulbs. What amazes me is how frequently you are going through bulbs. Are your bulbs burning out from usage or vibration? On my F I have the same bulb in the plane that was there when I bought it 22 years ago! I am converting over to a Whelen Par46 not for just increased lighting, but rather to drop my overall amperage consumption. I can't remember how much the stock bulb draws but the LED is a fraction of that.

[aaronk25]

I went with a xevision 50w for $550 and am working on getting a field sign off which seems to be a problem. For something as minor as a landing light I'm not concerned about it as it can be switched back to the original light in about 30 min.

Did have a issue now with it where it was flickering and apparently there is arching damage between the molded cable plug and the bulb. They will warranty it if I send them back the entire system, at my cost and pay for return freight also.

I understood this going into it, but my review on xevision is alot lower when I first put it on. Service guy wasn't to friendly either on the phone. Also there website indicates its easy to get a field approval, which isn't the case.

It is super bright though and because I fly alot at night I wanted it, not just for normal landings but if I ever had a engine out at night and couldn't make a airport I want every opportunity to dodge the largest biggest and hardest thing in front of me before touch down. The factory light sucks.

[Hector]

Just replaced my landing light with Whelen PAR 46. I like to use the landing light anytime I'm in the pattern or approaching an airport so low power consumption in my 67 C with original generator was the main driver. I will say I find the Whelen LED light brighter than the original 250 Watt bulb. With respect to the PAR 36 offerings from Whelen an AERO LED, during Sun N Fun I got to see a side-by-side comparison of both and the AERO LED appeared to be quite a bit brighter. Bear in mind the demonstration was provided by AERO LED by shining both lights up at the ceiling of the hangar, nevertheless, unless they did something to the Whelen light it looked like a fair demonstration.

[Steve Dawson]

I call BS on that.  HID are way brighter than LED.

BS yourself, The LED are also wider, having a better angle of view as well as giving more light.

Come up here at night and I'll show you. I still have my old light which I'll never reinstall.

 

Of course I didn't get mine from TSC farm supply like yours Byron. I have a real aircraft light.