Landing Lights

[Seth]

I thought about upgrading last time my landing lights went out, and I just put in basic sealed beam lights again.  70 hours later, they're both out.  Time to revisit the question.

I've now made two dark landings in the Mooney Missile.  I've never made a single dark landing in 500 hours of flight in my former F model, and that was a single regular lamp too (maybe quartz).  It was size Par 46.

What is your current setup?  Do you have a taxi light?  If you have a taxi light, please let us know that in your reply.  If you are using a different type of light for your taxi vs landing light, mark combination (LED Taxi, Boom beam landing example - two LEDs for taxi and landing would simply be LED).

My current setup is Par36, two lights in the lower cowling, one circut, both on or both off.

My least expensive option would be to continue replacing the landing lights, or I can get an LED taxi and LED landing light from Whelen, install both, and then have a taxi/landing light combination on whenever the switch is on.  I can also put a new switch in for a taxi light, put the whelen taxi light in, and then install an HID, leave the incandesent in, or still put in an LED on the landing side but have two different modes to operate in.

Let me know your thoughts and current setup.  I'm worried that the Par 36 lights do not throw as much light as the Par 46 lights, and thus, even if I put in two LEDs, it won't "light" up the runway enough for safe operation.  I am currently leaning in the direction of two LEDs, not changing my wiring, and having one taxi and one landing light.  I'd do the install myself.

Please let me know if your landing light size is Par36 or Par46.

Thank you in advance!

-Seth

[jwilkins]

I installed the Whelen LED lamps; one landing and one taxi on my K. (cowl mount).

The old lamps were pointed up so high that you could check if any birds were nesting on the hanger roof, but no light at all on the ground. Aiming the new lights was time consuming. The combination of the landing / taxi lights seems OK for light output. I think the light output is probably not quite as bright as halogens, but MUCH brighter than burned out conventionals.

I saw a Boom Beam installation once and it was MUCH brighter than either the halogen or LED, but HIDs are not my favorite lamp technology because of the high frequency power supply and ramp up to power characterisitics. 

My opinion is that the LED lamps have adequate light output, and are fully functional for night operations. The biggest advantage for me is the extended service life,  reduced power draw,  and reduced IR heat output so that I can leave them on for visibility whenever I am near an airport or being called out as a traffic target to another aircraft. I never wanted to leave the conventional bulbs on that much as I was concerned it would reduce the bulb life and increase the power requirements significantly. The Whelen LEDs do not 'wig wag' and that is, so far, the only improvement I would have liked.

If I was flying every night I might make a different choice, but, for my application, the LEDs are great.

Jim

 

[jetdriven]

Single XeVision PAR 46 50W HID in stock J cowl location. Beam is 10 degrees vertical, 10 degrees horizontal, compared to stock 12x10, so aiming is important.  Approximately 3-5x as much light as stock bulb.  Lights up reflective paint in touchdown zone from two miles.

[Jeff_S]

I put a Whelen LED into my single-bulb on the cowl which I bought at last year's Sun n' Fun. It worked fine but developed some moisture inside, so Whelen promptly replaced it completely free of charge. It's worked fine, and I basically just turn it on and leave it on throughout the entire flight to make me extra visible.

[Bennett]

While I have a Boom Beam HID in my LopPresti cowl (M20J), I very recently replaced my wingtip recognition lights with AVEO LED landing lights (and changed the nav and strobe lights to LEDs as well),  The new wingtip landing lights can be used as landing / taxi lights, pulsed, or set up to alternate, via a rotary switch.  The switch has an STC for "landing lights", so it should not be used for "recognition lights", unless a 337 form is sought. While the LED strobe and nav lights are Certified, the landing lights are not, however the local FISDO inspected and approved the setup via a 337 form as a "safety" item. And they are safety items so far as I am concerned.  Since these are LEDs have long life, and low current draw, I leave them on on all flights - the wingtip landing lights in alternating  mode - 44 on/offs per minute.  These are very bright, and really can be seen at quite a distance. When the Boom Beam HID landing light is added, this 201 looks like a Boeing airliner on final. 

[Seth]

Has anyone tried the Teledyne Alphabeam?

Also, Bennett - NICE setup.  After looking at your pictures I now want to get the AVEO 6-in-1 system and put them in my wingtips.  Where did you have the work completed?

-Seth

[Bennett]

Dang!  THe program ate my reply.  Starting again, the installation was done by SkyView Aviation in Tracy (KTCY), CA.  Ask for Craig or Eric for pricing details.  They now have all the necessary templates, and the (my) installation was inspected and approved as a "safety" item by the local FISDO under a 337 form. The mirrored plastic bulkheads add a good deal to the flash.  There are several switches on the market that can be used to change from landing lights to wig / wag or pulsing mode. The one I used has a landing light STC, and so that was easy.  Actually, the whole installation was easy (once all the templates and standoff sizes were worked out) - the wiring uses the existing through the wing wires, with a few local jumpers.

[jnisley]

 

 

The Whelen LEDs do not 'wig wag' and that is, so far, the only improvement I would have liked.

 

 

Just recently I installed two Whelen Par46 LED lights, ours wig-wag just fine.

[dcastor]

I noticed a post some time ago that someone had re-routed their landing light wire along the lower cowling (instead of along the bottom of the engine).   Now I'm unable to find it.  But, I'm curious how the wiring was secured to the composite cowling.  I think this might make removing the lower cowling easier...discoonnect the landing light before removing the lower cowling and then remove most of that wiring with the lower cowling.

 

Thanks!

[aaronk25]

Called a click bond mounting system....adheres the stud on with expoxy.....lot easier just to unhook the quick connect at the top co-pilots side of the cowl instead of digging underneath trying to undo wires......also was able to route them away from exhaust system. Here a pic.....

[jetdriven]

Is that an HID Aaron?

[aaronk25]

Yep....don't ask.....I could change it back in about 30min to the stock light that more closely resembles a dull candle.

[Seth]

Thread complete after two years:  I finally purchased two LED Landing Lights after burning out another 7 bulbs. 

 

Aero LEDs

 

1 36HX Taxi Light

1 36 LX Landing Light

 

My Missile currently has a K cowling on a J airframe, so that's why I have two par 36 lights on a M20J.  However, as part of the conversion, the lights were not separated into two separate switches.  It's one circuit that lights up both lights as landing lights.

 

As part of my overall upgrading the aircraft for visibility and recognition, at the last annual I installed LED wingtip and tail recognition and strobe units.

 

This is the final upgrade for now (though I'd still love to do something like what Bennet has installed in his wingtips - the FSDO in Maryland would not approve it - I tried) will be the installation of the two LED landing/taxi lights.

 

I'm going to add a circuit for the taxi light.

 

The landing light, the LX LED will be hooked up and I'll turn that on and off as I please.

 

The Taxi light, the HX, can be off, pulse, or be on continuously.  If I had wing mounted landing lights, I'd just put two 36HX's in the wing and configure them for WIG WAG function, pulse, on, or off.  However, under the nose, lights right next to each other don't make sense for wig wag, so I decided to make the taxi light, with the 40 degree spread, to be the one that can pulse. 

 

I'll start a thread shortly as I'll need a three way toggle switch and am curious what others have used are are happy with.

 

Thanks for all of the suggestions both in this thread and other threads.

 

The Aero LEDs are PMA'd now, both the 36LX and 36HX.

 

-Seth

[ArtVandelay]

 

As part of my overall upgrading the aircraft for visibility and recognition, at the last annual I installed LED wingtip and tail recognition and strobe units.

What did you go with for the wingtips?? 

[scottfromiowa]

Single XeVision PAR 46 50W HID in stock J cowl location. Beam is 10 degrees vertical, 10 degrees horizontal, compared to stock 12x10, so aiming is important.  Approximately 3-5x as much light as stock bulb.  Lights up reflective paint in touchdown zone from two miles.

+1

[fantom]

With either LED or HID landing and taxi lights that are kept on during the day, it would seem prudent to unplug the wingtip recognition lights, that have the expensive habit of burning through the wingtip lenses when not turned off on the ground.

Any issue with unplugging the recognition lights?

[ArtVandelay]

With either LED or HID landing and taxi lights that are kept on during the day, it would seem prudent to unplug the wingtip recognition lights, that have the expensive habit of burning through the wingtip lenses when not turned off on the ground.

 

Or replace them with:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/whelen71125.php

[carusoam]

Now were talkin'...

My recog lights have been unable since I left them on briefly years ago...

Checklists are nice, but this economic misfortune is just annoying.

The safety benefit of LEDs being on all the time makes this solution look brilliant(?).

Have we gotten past the technical differences?

Or are the old incandescents still better at something?

Am I the last guy to change them out?

Best regards,

-a-

[Seth]

I replaced my wing tip traditional nav and strobe lights with AVEO Galactica wingtip nave and strobe light combos.

 

I really wanted to combine in with the 6 in 1 LED lights for wingtip wig wag/pulse/identification/taxi/landing lights, but they were never certified for aircraft and the Baltimore FSDO said no (as they say no to a lot of things).  So, I went with plan B which is the pulse in the Nose for the tax light.

 

Also, as of now, the 6 in 1 LED from Aero LEDs has been discontinued.  You can find one or two for sale here or there.  Hopefully in the future rules will change or I'll find something else (like the Whelen recognition light) that will allow for installation in the tiny space in the wingtips between the Galactica and the mounting bracket.

 

Thanks again for the suggestions and I posted a thread in the avionics/panel section to figure out the best three way rocker to use for the taxi light.

 

Take care,

 

-Seth

[fantom]

Do we have any pireps on the Sextant LED navstrobe lights we discussed some time ago? Legality issues aside, of course

 

I have a set sitting in my hanger.

 

http://mooneyspace.com/topic/9612-tail-strobnav-replacement/page-2?hl=sextant#entry120782

[Marauder]

Do we have any pireps on the Sextant LED navstrobe lights we discussed some time ago? Legality issues aside, of course

I have a set sitting in my hanger.

http://mooneyspace.com/topic/9612-tail-strobnav-replacement/page-2?hl=sextant#entry120782

I watched the video. Looks like a great and easy solution once they get approved.

[mike_elliott]

We will have another set as a door prize to give away at the Mooney Summit in Oct. Great lights!

[aaronk25]

Is there a date on the October mooney summit so I can commit? Hi Mike!

[fantom]

I believe it's the 24th to the 26th.

 

Mike...you better be doing all your therapy exercises with assistance from those hot nurses!

[Seth]

WOW - finally installed the Aero LED Landing and Taxi lights - 36LX Landing Light and 36HX Taxi Light.

 

WOW - the light produced far surpasses the light produced by my two normal bulbs.  The spread of light is massively better.  The throw is good but in my opinion the LED does not throw light quite as far as the regular bulbs - that being said - the fact they'll never go out and I still get the runway lit up (just a bit closer) makes these lights a huge addition.  I'll write a full PIREP in my next post. 

 

Very happy with the purchase and install.  At my next oil change or at annual, I'll have the wires run so that I can pulse the landing light for recognition purposes.

 

-Seth