Tail Light

[RV6AussieNick]

Hi All,

I have been searching threw all the old threads for any info on tail lighting, I have just bought a new rudder to replace a damaged rudder, the new rudder has the light mount pad, the old one didn't, so I'm looking at installing a tail light, connected to the existing strobe and position indication lights on the wing tips.

My question is, what sort of tail light/ wing tip lights are most of you using, there seams to be a few to choose from, Whelen, Aveo Engineering to name a couple.

Cheers,

[frazitl]

I used the whelen integrated strobe and position light from Vans. They had the best price when I was shopping a couple years ago. Might be an LED option out there, but most are pretty pricey.

[apkp777]

I have the Whelen dual nav/strobe. I assume you have a power supply with an additional output. You would still have to run a strobe and power wire for the nav light if you wanted the dual function. I think if I were do to things over, I'd go with an all LED lighting system. Seems that's where the future is going.

[Dean_aeroleds]

Van's carries our Suntail LED tail position/strobe light:

http://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin/...oduct=AeroLEDs

[hydroguy2]

I bought a kuntzleman combo taillight.

now if I could only find it, I'd put in on

[LifeofReiley]

Originally Posted by frazitl

I used the whelen integrated strobe and position light from Vans. They had the best price when I was shopping a couple years ago. Might be an LED option out there, but most are pretty pricey.

Knowing the price of LED lighting and the molding concept, there must be a 5000% markup in most of the LED lights on the market.

[David Z]

I'm thinking of using LEDs because they are lighter and use less power than conventional lights. I really like the AeroLED Pulsar ExP setup. Saves running a wire to the tail too.

[Dean_aeroleds]

Originally Posted by LifeofReiley

Knowing the price of LED lighting and the molding concept, there must be a 5000% markup in most of the LED lights on the market.

LOL! I wish it was that high! Our margins are much smaller than that. The LEDs in the Suntail alone cost us $36. A 5000% margin would put the Suntail price at $1800 just from the cost of the LEDs. That doesn't include the cost of the circuit boards, other electronic components, mechanical components, misc materials, or assembly costs. I don't think that most builders realize how much engineering goes into making a product like the Suntail...

Dean Wilkinson
CTO, AeroLEDs LLC

[RV6AussieNick]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your input and comments, seams that with the new LED systems on the market most new builders are choosing the lighter more efficient set-ups.

I still have to decide if I need to spend the extra $$$ or just leave my original whelen system alone.

Cheers,

[John Tierney]

If your wing tip stobes are surface mount, then you don't need a strobe in the tail, just a plain white light. The newer airplanes have the cutout in the wing tip for lights, and the strobe is not visible to the rear of the airplane, therefore the need for the combination strobe and light.