IowaRV9Dreamer

IowaRV9Dreamer

Well Known Member
Did anyone notice in this month's Flying that the Cessna Mustang uses LED based "strobes" on the wing tips? Sure is a lot of LEDs in the picture.

How long till one of you innovative types makes an RV kit??
 
Not to encourage thread drift but...

How many private pilots subscribe to Flying these days?

I dropped my subscription probably 15 years ago and while traveling I'll some times look at a copy at a news stand just to remind myself why I don't read it any longer.

Somehow I just don't see myself owning a jet, let alone fueling one.
 
N941WR said:
Somehow I just don't see myself owning a jet, let alone fueling one.
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You got that right! That's all they write about anymore. No time for the "little guy"... :(
 
The BIG thing that turned me off to Flying Magazine was many years ago when they had a cover photo of a 2 year old girl hanging on an F4U Corsair prop. When people complained, instead of apologizing, they stated that the "aircraft at Oshkosh are perfectly safe!" The last time I checked the F4U uses mags just like most other aircraft, and they may or may not be safe. Regardless, they can NEVER be considered safe enough for children to swing on the prop.
There have been several times when Flying Magazine was "called" on errors. Each time, they denied being wrong and never apologized for anything.
Of course, I have been known to hold a grudge.
Off soap box now.
 
Flying Magazine

I still subscribe, and I guess I have to put in a word.

Any of the magazines have a lot about airplanes that I will never fly, but I can't say I don't like those airplanes. I knew a guy who said there is no such thing as bad wine or a bad woman or a bad airplane (he did say a woman could be misguided).

"Flying" has Richard Collins, who I think I have learned some things from and who I can't think too bad of, since he flew IFR in the "day" in a Piper Pacer, just like me.

"Flying" also has Lane Wallace who follows in the path of the amazing Gordon Baxter. I think she does as well as anyone could, writing about the magic of flying, and she has specifically addressed RV flying.

The balance makes it worth it to me.
 
IowaRV9Dreamer said:
Did anyone notice in this month's Flying that the Cessna Mustang uses LED based "strobes" on the wing tips? Sure is a lot of LEDs in the picture.

How long till one of you innovative types makes an RV kit??
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Try the web site at http://www.thorllc.net/LEDSTROBEa.htm. He has LED strobes and position lights for the wingtips and tail.
 
Thor has LEDs and strobes

You sure about that? My understanding is that the Thor strobes aren't LEDs. Their nav lights are LEDs. The strobes are just plain old strobes.
 
In the Flying article (I don't like it either, I get it for work...) it says:

All external lights are long-lived LEDs, including the anti-collision "strobes"

This is next to a picture (on pg. 64) of a wingtip "strobe" that looks like 2 rows of about 12 big clear LEDs each, arranged on a wide semicircle horizontally.
 
mgomez said:
You sure about that? My understanding is that the Thor strobes aren't LEDs. Their nav lights are LEDs. The strobes are just plain old strobes.
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My mistake! Sorry to mislead you Dave!
 
I don't think LEDs are at the point where it makes sense to use them as strobes. It would take WAY too many emitters and a sophisticated driver. However, it makes perfect sense to use them for nav / position lights and internal lighting.

I'm not sure if LEDs are the way to go for taxi / recognition lights. They have low current draw and happily wig-wag, but I don't know if the brightness is there. You get about 60-80 lumens from a Lux III and two of those per side should work well. Easy to aim, lots of choices for lenses, low current draw, VERY unlikely to burn out....
 
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