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08-12-2014, 11:30 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Ottawa, Ks
Posts: 2,188
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I tried to come up with every excuse I could not to do the leading edge landing lights. In the end I installed the duck works leading edge 50 and 75 watt HiD because I planned on night flying. Just a handful of night landings so far, either they are aimed perfectly from installation or they are just to bright to matter in my RV7.
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RV 7 400 hours and counting
19 donation done
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08-13-2014, 06:43 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Bartlesville, OK
Posts: 237
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I bought two of the new Duckworks leading edge LED kits that he just came out with in January. I don't have a finished plane yet, but I tested one light shown in the pics below. Really bright, and two of them will be plenty. You probably can't go wrong with any of the reputable LED kits out there.

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Andrew Austin
RV-10
-Flying!
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08-13-2014, 06:57 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SC
Posts: 12,887
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I have one 100 W halogen in each leading edge. Some day, I will change them to LED's after the price comes down to something realistic. Making this change is much easier with leading edge lights than wing tip lights.
They work great, even on the darkest night and replacement bulbs are a couple of bucks.
My left one is aimed down for taxing and the right is aimed straight out for landing. They are on different switches because the right (landing) light would blind an A380 pilot while taxing around the ramp.
The combination works great on landing and will light up the landing zone from 500 feet.
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Bill R.
RV-9 (Yes, it's a dragon tail)
O-360 w/ dual P-mags
Build the plane you want, not the plane others want you to build!
SC86 - Easley, SC
www.repucci.com/bill/baf.html
Last edited by N941WR : 08-13-2014 at 07:04 AM.
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08-13-2014, 07:05 AM
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Houston
Posts: 2,012
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Went from 300 watts of 30-degree beam halogen (4 ea MR-16s) to "comparable" drop-in MR-16 LEDs. Reduced the current draw by 75% and I still get comments about the brightness of my landing lights. Cost of the "MR-16" LEDs was about $100 two years ago.
For performance, I recommend leading edge installation. For clean, easy install - go wingtip.
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08-13-2014, 07:30 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 76
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Noise Free MR-16s??
I picked up a pair of MR-16 drop-in LED lights off of eBay specifically because they said they had "no RF noise". Hah! I turned on the radio, flipped on the lights, and very obvious very loud broadband white noise came loud and clear over the radio.
If you have found some MR-16s which drop in and are not noisy, can you share where you found them (store, vendor, or even better .. part numbers)? Thanks!
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Dwight Frye - Raleigh/Cary NC
http://www.openweave.org/rv7/
RV-7 N4932L/Tip-Up/Superior 180hp/API Fuel Injection/Boss Aircraft Paint
First Flight : September 2, 2013
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08-13-2014, 07:52 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Edgewater, FL. KSFB
Posts: 1,118
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Same as Andy, I hated to do it but glad I did. I went Duckworks HID with a Wig-Wag box.
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08-13-2014, 07:53 AM
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Houston
Posts: 2,012
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DwightFrye
I picked up a pair of MR-16 drop-in LED lights off of eBay specifically because they said they had "no RF noise". Hah! I turned on the radio, flipped on the lights, and very obvious very loud broadband white noise came loud and clear over the radio.
If you have found some MR-16s which drop in and are not noisy, can you share where you found them (store, vendor, or even better .. part numbers)? Thanks!
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I believe these are the ones I bought. No noise at all in my installation - wig-wag or continuous. Unfortunately, these appear to be discontinued.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/morei...Specifications
Here's an even better performing and cheaper "MR-16" LED. No idea on electrical noise though.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/morei...Specifications
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08-13-2014, 08:50 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Gold Hill, NC25
Posts: 2,400
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The discussion of tip vs leading edge landing lights is a discussion in trade-off in price and performance.
The tip landing lights have an inherent problem, getting past that wall that runs parallel to the fuse. That wall prevents light from getting in front of the wing and hence in your fwd view in front of the plane. If you try and bring that light in the tip fwd into the lens open area, you immediately run into another problem. You are now blocking the view of the nav/strobe light that sits in there and any encroachment of the landing light into the lens area and you now have a problem meeting the FAR's for viewability angles of the nav/strobe assembly. There is a reason that the slanted wall is ~110 degrees on the RV tips. That is in the FAR's for viewing angle requirements. When you take anything away from the 110 degrees viewability with a landing light, you now are not in compliance with night ops. There is no way around putting the landing light well back into the tip and doing your best to get light forward. As Paul mentioned, tip landing lights are adequate. I have them on mine and have an inexpensive Whelen LED kit that keeps you in compliance and provides adequate light from the wingtip lens of an RV.
However comma, simply the best light and angles comes from the leading edge lights. There is no replacement for light position on the leading edge of the wing. In my case, I have a fuel tank there so it was not an option or Id put one there for sure. The wingtip is a suitable, less than ideal, low cost alternative.
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Kahuna
6A, S8 ,
Gold Hill, NC25
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08-13-2014, 08:58 AM
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Senior Curmudgeon
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
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I have both wing tip, and leading lights.
My wing tip are mounted flat to the angle portion of the tip, so they each point out 15--20* and are set up as wig-wag anti collision lights, using the stock Vans bulb.
My leading edge lighting is a home brewed setup with Corvette HID headlight units in Duckworks mounts.
Leading edge lighting really bright in ground testing, but I do not fly at night, so no empirical data as to how well they work.
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Mike Starkey
VAF 909
Rv-10, N210LM.
Flying as of 12/4/2010
Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011 
Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.
"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
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08-13-2014, 09:18 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Prescott, AZ
Posts: 1,614
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OK, not so skilled metal cutter here, with a beginner question.
Have a wing leading edge landing light that I removed the builders halogen bulb from. Bolted in a dozen LED's in a heat sink housing with a few cuts and bruises from the tight space. Works OK for landing and good for recog.
Now, I think I will cut the left wing and duplicate the light on that side.
What tool is the best choice to plunge cut right into a pristine wing? I will purchase a clear plastic lens kit and reinforcement ring from Van's.
But, I don't want to butcher the wing by being an idiot with tool choice and techniques. Any and all advice welcome...
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