Recommendations for cabin and baggage lights for tip-up

[Buggsy2]

Building an RV-9A and am about to start the tip-up canopy cabin frame assembly (F-631); this is in back of the seats and forward of the baggage area. Since it is a built-up frame, it seems a good place to put both general cabin lights (lights shining forward) and baggage area lights (lights shining back).

• Is this indeed a good place to put these lights?
• Any recommendations for LED lights to use? Ideally I'd like both white and red for the cabin lights, white for the baggage. And perhaps a swiveling, focused white light for spot lighting of maps. Dimmable a big plus but then LEDs can be dimmed by limiting current, right?

 

[N941WR]

I put blue Electroluminescent Tape strips under the aft section of the roll bar. The transformers are mounted inside the flap arm covers and the wire runs up the side to the strip. The reason I used two was so the canopy latch doesn?t come in contact with the light tape.

In my plane, I put these lights on the ?always hot? buss so they can be turned on without the master. While not really bright, they gave you enough illumination to see what you were doing on a dark ramp.

 

[Brantel]

I put a couple of these:

From Vans on a dimmer and mounted them on the rollbar brace that ties the rollbar to the rear baggage compartment bulkhead, pointing straigh down.

I also put two of em under the panel mounted to the bottom of the subpanel aimed at the floor.

Another one in the map box.

I put one of these:

From Stein on the rollbar facing the panel. Mounted in the center right behind the canopy safety latch.

I also put one on each side mounted on the canopy decks to serve as map or panel lights.

This all worked out very well for me.

 

[Lars]

Not a tip-up, but...

I installed one of these adjustable LED lights from Perihelion Design on my baggage bulkhead, using a 3 position toggle & connected to the always hot (battery) buss. Not super bright, but easily enough (tested in unlit hangar at night) to find stuff in the interior of the airplane. Being adjustable is handy.

I stuck a strip of LED lights under the glareshield, on a dimmer, as described in other threads. Amazingly bright. Lights up the entire forward cabin, easily.

 

[RWoodard]

Check out the LED Aviation lighting section at your local Autozone. I found some really cool 12 volt ribbon LED lighting for about $20 for 2 12" strips. I use it for baggage compartment and general cockpit lighting while getting in and out of the plane. I've got another section of blue LED ribbon lights to illuminate my instrument panel.

For what it's worth...

 

[Greg Arehart]

I bought a LED headlamp and mounted it with some double-stick tape on the forward side of the canopy rollbar (that moves with the canopy). The one I got has a sliding cover that has a red filter, so it can be used in-flight on the panel without compromising your night vision. It uses a couple AA batteries, so no wiring. One could do the same on the back side of the roll bar for cargo lighting. Quick, cheap, lightweight, effective for my needs (which is hardly ever).

Greg

 

[Strasnuts]

interior lights

I made these LED interior lights. I have 24 led lights for the overheads and 12 led lights on the foot well sides.