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Aircraft Beacon - LED

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ekells(at)sympatico.ca
Guest

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:55 pm Post subject: Aircraft Beacon - LED

I am planning to install a LED red beacon on the tail of  my RV-9A, so that I will be Night VFR legal.

 The archives have nothing on this subject.  Perhaps  someone has related experience..

  

 Kuntzlem Electronics sells a small LED beacon that is 1.7  inches in diameter, 3.5 inches tall and weighs 8.4 oz.  It seems that it  will be small enough to look decent on the skinny RV tail.  They claim that  it meets FAA requirements.  They sell a mounting kit for the fuselage which  probably could be made to work on the tailcone., with a fair amount of work to  flair it nicely.

  

 Has anybody have experience with this or a similar  product.?  It is described at www.kestrobes.com.  

  

 Thanks for any help.

  

   [quote][b]

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ceengland(at)bellsouth.ne
Guest

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:14 pm Post subject: Aircraft Beacon - LED

Ernie & Margo wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   I am planning to install a LED red beacon on the tail of my RV-9A, so 

 that I will be Night VFR legal.

 The archives have nothing on this subject.  Perhaps someone has 

 related experience..

  

 Kuntzlem Electronics sells a small LED beacon that is 1.7 inches in 

 diameter, 3.5 inches tall and weighs 8.4 oz.  It seems that it will be 

 small enough to look decent on the skinny RV tail.  They claim that it 

 meets FAA requirements.  They sell a mounting kit for the fuselage 

 which probably could be made to work on the tailcone., with a fair 

 amount of work to flair it nicely.

  

 Has anybody have experience with this or a similar product.?  It is 

 described at www.kestrobes.com <http://www.kestrobes.com>. 

  

 Thanks for any help.


	


Biggest downside is that it's round (draggy).



Charlie

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rv9jim(at)juno.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 7:13 am Post subject: Aircraft Beacon - LED

Ernie,

        Are you going to really fly it night time?  If so, having the

beacon on the top of the tail will reflect into the canopy.  Not a good

thing.  If you are really going to fly night, you should go the route of

strobes and running lights on the tips of your wings and tail.   That way

you should have no reflections in the office.   If you are only going to

do the single light, I think in the belly would be a better place. 

Either place will have blind spot.  I would recommend LED  type running

lights.  They require very low power to operate. Just my opinion.



Jim

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brian.kraut(at)engalt.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:25 pm Post subject: Aircraft Beacon - LED

I am  not sure about the particular one you are referring to, but keep in mind that  there are different requirements for anticollision lights depending on the year  the plane was built.  After 1977 you need 400 effective candella and it  needs to be 75 degrees vertical above and below the horizontal plane.  From  71-77 it is 400 and 30 degrees and from 57-71 it was 100 candella and 30  degrees.  Reference FARs 91.205, 23.1397, and 23.1401.   

  

 Don't  take for granted that because it is a new light that it meets the new  requirements.  There are a lot of units being made that meet the older  requirements, but not the newer ones because a lot of lights are getting  replaced or added on older planes.  I added flashing red lights on my 1950  Pacer not long ago and used ones that met the older regulations.  Call the  manufacturer and see if they meet current requirements and see if you meet the  maximum blockage requirements (no more than .5 steradian) with just one light  (likely you won't on the tailcone, but might on top of the rudder).  There  is an FAA bulletin on how to measure the blockage using 3 view drawings and the  special graph paper in the bulletin, but I can't seem to find the number right  now.

 

Brian Kraut

Engineering Alternatives, Inc.

www.engalt.com   [quote]   --

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