Tip: CreativeAir Landing Light notes
 

I am frequently asked by people looking at my airplane how well the CreativeAir wingtip landing lights work. I have unfortunately not been able to say much except that I like the way they install, because I hadn't had a chance to use them at night! Our airport's one lighted runway was closed for major rebuilding before my flight tests began, and only re-opened a week before the plane went to the paint shop, so I have yet to fly it at night!

I do, however, make extensive use of the two lights, as I am a firm believer in lighting myself up anytime I am in a terminal area - which is a huge percentage of the time. Still, I was surprised last night when I went out to do my first night ops with the airplane (I am sleep shifting to a midnight shift for the upcoming Shuttle flight), and neither light was working. (No, I don't check the lights visually on each preflight when I am just doing daytime ops in the summer....). With 190 hours on the plane, I would guess they have been on, in flight, for better than half that - but still, I was surprised I didn't get more life out of them. Does anyone have any life times for comparison?

Anyway, this morning I went to change them out, and learned a couple of lessons to share with the gang:

1) I couldn't find the 12V, 75W, MR-16 bulbs at Home Depot or Lowes - 50W was their max. I did find a web site URL on the box the bulbs came in (I save everything) however, and if you got to http://www.bway.net/dglights/ , they have them for $1.75 each. I ordered a dozen....

2) When I installed my kit, I was being cautious about removing too much fiberglass and making the hole too large. Bad idea. That meant that I had to remove the whole wing tip to get at bulb! Before installing it again, I got out my grinding tools and enlarged the hole so that I can pull the whole assembly out the front, disconnect the wire, and replace the bulb on the bench. I probably intended to do that at one time, but never got back to it....

I put in one of the 50's this morning so I would at least have some recognition lights until the real ones come in...I still like the design of the lights, and from taxi tests I've done after dark, have no doubt they'll be fine for night ops.

Paul

Pictures
 

Paul, I think I'm going to buy you a digital camera for your birthday, so you won't have any more excuses to not post pictures! :)

Do you run the lights on solid, or with a wig-wag?

I've got the same lighting kit on mine, and plan to use the Perihelion Design wig-wag. I was just playing with it the other day. Hopefully that will increase visibility, and extend bulb life.

Thanks for the hint to leave enough room to pull the bulb out.

Beam Angle
 

Paul,

What is the correct beam angle. 38 or 14 degrees??

Thanks

I don't have any results on those specific bulbs but the recent Aviation Consumer had a report on the life of standard 100-Watt 4509 lamps.
They ranged as follows:
GE 4509 8.5 hr
Wagner 4509 11 hr
Phillips 4509 17 hr
Galaxy 4509 25 hr
Galaxy 4509Q 72 hr
GE Q4509 120+ hr.

Q=Quartz Halogen

-mike

The beam angle on the lights I got form CreativeAir is 14 degrees - the EYC designation. Seem to make a nice pattern, so that is what I re-ordered.

Interesting lifetime data - the 4509's. I used to keep a couple in stock all the time when I owned my Grumman, cause it ate them like candy...lots of people claimed that the Q version lasted longer (and this data confirms it!), but it wasn't strictly legal to use in the certified airplane. Notice, I no longer own a certified airplane!

Mickey - the problem is not in not having the camera, it is in slowing myself down long enough to take a picture when I'm working! I always get done with a job and say "boy, I probably should have taken a picture of that!: Well, I still have the other side to do - maybe tomorrow, and I'll try to remember... :rolleyes:

Pictures from the other side- just casue Mickey asked! You'll notice that I really didn't have to open the hole up very much to make the assembly fit through from the front, and you definitely want to do this! I forgot my power screwdriver this morning, and had to take the 38 wingtip screws off manually - you odn't want ot do that every time a bulb burns out! Now it just comes out the front with three screws:

Before:

[IMG][/IMG]

After:

[IMG][/IMG]

Light Assembly (size hole to fit this through from the front):

[IMG][/IMG]

Assembled (Note that Grady painted the front plate and the Nav Light shroud to match the wingtip - talk about detail!):

[IMG][/IMG]




Paul

Bump - added pictures to above post

Is that a Wheelen Nav/strobe?
 

Paul,

Is that a Wheelen Nav/strobe unit? If not would you mind giving me the details of what you have? Thanks.

Hugh

MR-16's are a quartz halogen lamp. Not sure of the specific type or brand used above, but IMO a couple of hundred hours would be pretty good for a 75-watt aircraft mounted MR-16. If longer life is worth more than the additional 25-watts, try the 50-watt lamp. All things equal, it should last longer.

Interestingly, we just finished a study on the life of MR-16's (Texas Children's Hospital). We get about 1,500 hours average life on ours (98% 35 & 50 watt). No specific info available on the 75 watt, but I'd guess 800-1000 hrs life. Our survey included almost 6,000 installations and a usage of about 35,000 lamps. These are all indoor, climate controlled installations, so I have no idea what derating would come from use in an airplane.

I have 4 of the 75-watt, 30-deg MR-16's installed in the leading edge of my wings. Two duplex installations with one pointed down & in and one pointed ahead. Home-brew light fixtures originally intended for little/no-light night landings. works well. Have been told I look like a 747 at night.

Interesting data Bryan! No that I can change bulbs easily, I might try a 50 in one wing and a 75 in the other as a comparison - if there is little differnce,or if the 50 is adequate, I might go with them to get better life.

I find it awfully hard to stay night current in the summer anyway....

Paul

Standard Van's...
 

Hugh - that is the standard Van's light kit #6 if I recall correctly - combo strobe/Nav lights on tips and tail. Veyr straightforward and simple to install.

Paul