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11-16-2016, 09:28 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Posts: 534
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Landing Lights on Existing RV7A
I flew the RV7A that I purchased from the original builder at night for the first time this week to get night currency and check things out for night time flying. My RV has halogen bulbs in the wing tips along with the position lights and strobes. My first two night landings were terrible! Didn't see the runway surface coming up at me until I was on the runway (two rather firm landings). Compensating on the third landing I flared early and landed long. My wing tip lights obviously need adjusting (upward and more centered) but I am thinking that the amount of light being projected is also insufficient.
Does anyone have a recommendation for increasing the amount of projected forward lighting? Would LED lights improve the amount of projected light? I'm concerned about heat generation inside the wing tip if I went to a higher output halogen (already have one lens with a hole melted in it). How hard are retro fit LED lights and how expensive.
Converting to wing lights isn't an option because the airplane is already nicely painted and color matching I've already discovered is next to impossible.
__________________
Jim Harris, ATP, T38, EC/KC-135A/E/R, 2008 RV7A, 2nd owner, N523RM (2015)
Superior XPIO-360, Hartzel CS prop, Aerotronics panel with Dual GRT Horizon WS, EIS, Garmin 340, 335 w/WAAS gps, Dual 430s (non-WAAS), TruTrak 385 A/P with auto-level, Electric trim, Tosten 6 button Military Grips, FlightBox wired to WS, Dynon D10A w/battery backup, 406 MHz ELT. Custom Interior, New TS Flightline hoses, Great POH!
Retired - Living the dream - going broke!
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11-16-2016, 01:28 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Gold Hill, NC25
Posts: 2,400
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tankerpilot75
I flew the RV7A that I purchased from the original builder at night for the first time this week to get night currency and check things out for night time flying. My RV has halogen bulbs in the wing tips along with the position lights and strobes. My first two night landings were terrible! Didn't see the runway surface coming up at me until I was on the runway (two rather firm landings). Compensating on the third landing I flared early and landed long. My wing tip lights obviously need adjusting (upward and more centered) but I am thinking that the amount of light being projected is also insufficient.
Does anyone have a recommendation for increasing the amount of projected forward lighting? Would LED lights improve the amount of projected light? I'm concerned about heat generation inside the wing tip if I went to a higher output halogen (already have one lens with a hole melted in it). How hard are retro fit LED lights and how expensive.
Converting to wing lights isn't an option because the airplane is already nicely painted and color matching I've already discovered is next to impossible.
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That is exactly what this kit was designed for. Low cost, reasonable solution. And yes, it is more light than what you have, much lower heat.

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Kahuna
6A, S8 ,
Gold Hill, NC25
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11-19-2016, 01:10 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: St. Paul, MN.
Posts: 4,792
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[quote=Tankerpilot75;1127169My wing tip lights obviously need adjusting (upward and more centered) but I am thinking that the amount of light being projected is also insufficient.
[/QUOTE]
Interesting. I used the cheap Duckworks lights before switching to Kahuna's.
My night landings are often better than my day landings even though neither throws a tremendous amount of light down the runway.
My theory? The moment when the light DOES illuminate the runway, is a great visual cue to use in my landings. And it's always going to be EXACTLY the same from one landing to the next... it tells me exactly where I am above the runway an what I need to do the rest of the way.
Now, if there's a moose on the runway, well, that a whole 'nother story.
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11-08-2017, 06:29 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Spring Hill, FL
Posts: 101
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RV-14 Lens
Anyone producing a lens with routered edges to take care of the aluminum gap around the edges? Having a mismatch between the lens and aluminum does not look good.
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RV-14A QB building, Lycoming 390 Thunderbolt arrived July 2019, Garmin avionics, Vertical Power, EFII-32 Ignition and Fuel, Whirlwind 300-72, Parts became a real airplane 8/15/2020.
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11-09-2017, 10:45 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 468
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If you don't want to or can't modify your tip for the Aerosun VX, we have the new Aerosun MX modular system that is now available. Here is a post showing an RV-10 with the Aerosun MX light modules installed:
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...63&postcount=6
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11-09-2017, 11:59 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Leesburg, VA
Posts: 492
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The PAR36 light bulb that goes in the 14 leading edge assembly is a very common size and you can pick up PAR36 LED spotlight bulb on Amazon for example for under $50 that seem to be working out on some people's builds. I bought the RV-14 LED landing light assembly kit from Vans and deleted the LEDs themselves and got all of the brackets and hardware needed to fit the PAR36 bulbs.
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11-20-2017, 08:34 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Fredericksburg, Tx.
Posts: 320
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Landing light
My RV6A has the original leading edge light, not nearly bright enough for me. What are some replacement ideas for the rectangular light? I would like to do it without to much modification.
Thanks!
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T82 Fredericksburg,Tx.
Don't make easy hard!
Master Pilot Award
RV6A owner N6711
L19 sold
ATP/FE/CFI 10 Type Ratings.
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11-21-2017, 04:09 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 468
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Quote:
Originally Posted by texdog
My RV6A has the original leading edge light, not nearly bright enough for me. What are some replacement ideas for the rectangular light? I would like to do it without to much modification.
Thanks!
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This one fits: http://aeroleds.com/shop/aerosun/?val=aeroleds
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11-21-2017, 07:18 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 3,351
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In my RV7, I installed a couple of Trustfire flash light (11000 Lumen) each and they worked really great. The price of each were about $50 and they looked really cool too. These were in the wing tip and now I am thinking of same process for my 14 which is in progress but in the leading edge.
__________________
Mehrdad
N825SM RV7A - IO360M1B - SOLD
N825MS RV14A - IO390 - Flying
Dues paid
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01-01-2018, 03:50 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 12
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Is anyone making a wing-leading edge combination taxi/landing light? I'd like as much illumination as I can get, and am additionally considering a 'traditional' set up on the cowling.
Suggestions?
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