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RV-12 Night Flight

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ArlingtonRV

Well Known Member
Tonight I took the first night flight in the -12. I was a little leery about it wondering if there would be glare problems with that big canopy or other problems with the lights, but the whole experience was delightful.

The visibility really helps when looking for other traffic, of which there was plenty.

I still don't like the strobes and position lights on the same switch, but understand why they are that way. As a courtesy I like to turn the strobes and landing light off when someone is taxiing out, but at least turning off the landing light helps.

The landing light isn't really a landing light, but it works pretty well for a taxi light. Since I don't plan to land anywhere without runway lights it isn't a real big problem.

The little red light over your right shoulder on the roll bar isn't completely useless, but it's close. I usually keep a flashlight in my lap just in case, so there is enough light.

All in all the -12 works well at night, whcih is great since that is my second favorite time to fly.
 
ArlingtonRV said:
The little red light over your right shoulder on the roll bar isn't completely useless, but it's close. I usually keep a flashlight in my lap just in case, so there is enough light.

All in all the -12 works well at night, which is great since that is my second favorite time to fly.
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Be sure to keep a hand held light with you.

The design purpose of the LED flood light is to light the panel so that you can read the switch placards, find the trim switch, and the engine controls.

It is not expected to work as a map light.
 
I don't like the set-up either!

ArlingtonRV said:
I still don't like the strobes and position lights on the same switch, but understand why they are that way. As a courtesy I like to turn the strobes and landing light off when someone is taxiing out, but at least turning off the landing light helps.
Click to expand...

OK, I give up. Why are they set up that way? You should always be able to turn off the strobes with the position lights on! Number one reason like you said is on the ramp. Number two reason is in haze where the strobes will reflect back in your face.
 
The way the wings are wired

With the way that the wings are wired with blocks on the wing that mate to other blocks on the fuselage there are a fixed number of connection points. In order to have the nav and strobe on two different switches there would have to be another wire going through that block (on each wing). As it is set up right now there is no room for another connection. The nav light power wire and strobe light power wire go to the same wire at the wing tip.

Had Van's chosen to design that particular block differently there could have been room for more wires running through the wings, but they didn't. For a builder to do it himself he would have to build a new block on both the wing and the fuselage and create his own switch as there is no way to modify the switch/fuse panel.

As mentioned, it's not ideal but still functional.
 
Lights

Steve - it sure sounds like a 'modification' that I would like to have. I'd buy a 'modification kit' like you describe if it was financially ok. Think that I'll run a couple of additional wires thru each wing just in case I decide to do the 'mod' myself or buy a 'kit'.

I'll 'modify' my RV-12 to suit me 'after' the five hour flight period. I think that this 'mod' is a good one and just good common sense. Maybe Van's will make the change in kits of the future. :cool:
 
New string

is to be pulled in when you install the wiring in the wings. Anyone know why they have us pull a new string in with the light wires.
 
It is for the future, in case you decide to run wires in the future.

The basic idea when building a plane is that you run string anywhere you could potentially want to run wires in the future, but won't be able to due to the close spaces.
 
Yes, I understand

the reason for a string. I guess I should have ask the question a bit differently. If the wiring blocks at the wing roots are full, then what is the purpose of of the new string as it would have no place for a new wire to be connected?
 
Because the wiring blocks are easy to replace, and could just as easily be done with something that has a higher capacity.

It would be fairly easy to replace the blocks with something with more pins, or, with a plug of some sort. If that ever became a retrofit later, you'd be upset if you had to try to string wires through without the string :)
 
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