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LED Landing Lights

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nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 5:36 am Post subject: LED Landing Lights

At 08:59 AM 4/20/2008 -0700, you wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  Stan,

I've been watching the development of Landing Lights over the last several 

years as I build my Velocity.  It used to be the cost of flying was enough 

to rationalize keeping on building rather than actually finishing and 

taking the plane out of the garage.  Now it seems the advances in LED 

technology may be a new way to rationalize!  I'm curious if you've lit 

these up yet and can give us an impression of how well they light compared 

to the other technologies out there (filament, halogen, HID, etc.).  Can 

you give us a quick user report?  What model are you using?



Thanks,

Dan


	


    I'm not at liberty to speak to details but know that

    the TC aircraft guys are presently evaluating LED

    landing and taxi light products in a right-left

    comparison of new and old technologies on existing

    high-performance aircraft. When the go/no-go

    decisions are made and they're ready to share

    their findings, I'll let you all know.



    At first blush, it's a no-brainer. Incandescent

    lamps will soon be a thing of the past.



    Bob . . .



        ----------------------------------------)

        ( . . .  a long habit of not thinking   )

        ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial )

        ( appearance of being right . . .       )

        (                                       )

        (                  -Thomas Paine 1776-  )

        ----------------------------------------

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Bill Denton

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 97
Location: Chicago, IL USA

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:22 am Post subject: LED Landing Lights

JFTR...



Whelen  shows LED landing lights in their current catalog...



Thanks!



Bill Denton

bdenton(at)bdenton.com

--

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Speedy11(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:14 pm Post subject: LED Landing Lights

Dan,

 I'd be happy to give you my impressions on using LEDs for landing  lights.

 I've done a number of experiments over the past 2 years with various LEDs  up to 1W.  There are now much larger wattage LEDs (3W, 5W) available  that provide greater illumination, so my info is a bit dated.  The  technology gains in the LED industry is literally changing  daily.

 I don't have all the technical data, but rather will tell you in layman's  terms what I've discovered.

 In short, LEDs are not yet ready for prime time as landing lights -  although they are getting very close.  Several applications of LED  headlights are in use in 2008 automobiles, but I have not witnessed the  performance of those lights.  I do know they are using optics similar to  projection-type lights to focus the LED emissions in order to get suitable  illumination.  Whelen had some 12 LED landing lights at Sun n Fun, but to  get illumination close to halogens, they have to narrowly focus the beam (10  degrees, I think) which means you get little side illumination which is needed  at night in order to have the peripheral vision needed to recognize sink rate in  the landing flare.  However, although not ready as landing lights, I  believe LEDs are quite up to the task as taxi or recognition lights.   Peripheral vision is not as critical when taxiing and furthermore, LEDs can be  used in a wider beam which does not project as far.

 I bought the AeroSun 800 LED lights and found them suitable only as  taxi/recognition lights.  I don't intend to use them because they are heavy  and the dimensions are twice as large as I can fit in my airplane.  I  bought the Whelen Model 71125 LED light to use as taxi-recognition lights.   I have a steady on in one switch position and flashing (using Eric Jones' wig  wag) in the other position.

 I believe that, at this time, LEDs are suitable for taxi illumination and  for recognition lights.  As recognition lights, the square wave light  emission is easily recognized by the eye.  The temperature of the light  emission is close to daylight (the yellow emission of halogen is easier to see  in daylight conditions), however the square wave pattern mitigates the tendency  of the light to blend into daylight.

 I have a short report and photos of the AeroSun 800 lights on my web site  at http://www.rv-8a.net/2008.htm on 6  Mar 08.  You can see the Whelen LEDs I bought on the same page if you  scroll down to 12 Apr 08.

 I am completely sold on using LEDs for the position lights.  Since  they simply have to radiate and not illuminate, LEDs are ideal for position  lights.  I've been complaining at Whelen to bring out 12v LED position  lights and they finally did it.  They consume only 0.25A, so three would be  only 0.75A.  I strongly recommend using LEDs for position lights.

 I believe you are wise to wait a bit longer to decide which LED light to  use.  I am convinced that LEDs will be able to provide illumination  suitable for use as a landing light in the near future.

 If you have additional questions, feel free to contact me offline.

 Stan Sutterfield

 www.rv-8a.net

  

  	  Quote: 	
		  Stan,

I've been watching the development of Landing Lights over the    last several years

as I build my Velocity.  It used to be the cost of    flying was enough to rationalize

keeping on building rather than actually    finishing and taking the plane

out of the garage.  Now it seems the    advances in LED technology may be a new

way to rationalize!  I'm    curious if you've lit these up yet and can give us an

impression of how    well they light compared to the other technologies out there

(filament,    halogen, HID, etc.).  Can you give us a quick user report?     What

model are you using?



Thanks,

Dan

	


 

  



Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos.

  [quote][b]

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dfritzj(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:45 am Post subject: LED Landing Lights

Thanks Bob, can't wait to see the news!

  Dan



         Be a better friend, newshound, and  [quote][b]

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