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Out with the old and in with the new (Whelan wingtip nav/strobe)

Louise Hose

Louise Hose

Well Known Member
I notice something different with Mikey, my RV-6 yesterday morning as he and Paul climbed out from College Station, Texas, on their way to Nevada. The wingtip strobe was extraordinarily bright in the direct morning sun. It was my first chance to see the new Whelan Orion 600 Series Nav\Strobe LED in flight. Impressively bright!

My original, and over 20-year old, Whelan nav/strobe units were long in the tooth and the starboard one frequently failed. We had pondered replacing the lights, and of course only LEDs make sense these days, but the replacement cost kept pushing the project down on our To Do list. However, when Mike Stewart announced Team Aerodynamix’s Beta testing opportunity for the new Whelan LED lights here at VAF, I jumped on the opportunity.

Installation proved easy and quick, with the biggest hassles caused by removing the old units. My overall impressions? A great replacement for the old Whelan lights!

Positive observations:
• Very easy installation
• Good price
• Considerably less weight
• Very bright
• Miniscule power use
• Great looking, appears very solidly made, and streamline

Negative observation:
Only one, and it seems to be the “industry standard.” While the installed unit could be easily detached from the wing and the wiring has a quick-release connector, the hole in the base plate is too small to allow the connector to go through the base plate. A slot in the base plate would have been nicer.
 
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Preparing for installation

Step 1: Removing wingtips and old units

The old Whelan nav/strobe light:
P1030673.JPG


Not surprisingly, two screws had to be drilled out making this step the most time consuming.
P1030677.JPG


Before cutting any wires, we ensured that the three key wires were labeled.
P1030680.JPG


Then it was time to remove it all.
P1030682.JPG


P1030698.JPG


The old stuff removed from both wings:
P1030700.JPG
 
STEP 2: Installing the new stuff

The new stuff to put on (one side):
P1030713.JPG


Once the old stuff was off, we chose to use our old wiring through the wing and the old reinforcement plate. (All needed wiring, connectors, and reinforcement plates were provided with the kit.) So, our first step was to install the new, beautifully made base plate.
P1030714.JPG


Next came feeding the wires through the base plate (before installing the electrical connector as the hole is too small to allow the plastic connector to pass through.
P1030716.JPG


Next, the light is screwed on:
P1030722.JPG


The lens is attached and secured:
P1030723.JPG


Preparing the connector:
P1030736.JPG


And, then, attaching the connector:
P1030727.JPG


The beautiful, final product!
P1030747.JPG
 
looks great. I do have a question, what is that long black thing coming out of the bottom of the drill that paul is using in that one picture? Im not sure I have ever seen a drill like that :)

bob burns
RV-4 N82RB
 
n82rb said:
looks great. I do have a question, what is that long black thing coming out of the bottom of the drill that paul is using in that one picture? Im not sure I have ever seen a drill like that :)

bob burns
RV-4 N82RB
Click to expand...

Borrowed tools, borrowed hangar..... :rolleyes:
 
Stones

Do these eliminate the need for the big power pack? Looks like the LED lights are all you need???
 
Correct!

Yes, the power pack is unnecessary. I really nice benefit of the replacement.
 
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Mike,

I pulled off my old (brand new) Whelan strobe/ red or green with white position lights and the 2 power packs and wires and it weighed exactly 5 pounds.

I was going to put a write up on the installation, but Louise has beat me to it!

Thanks Louise!
 
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