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Vertical Stab Lighting?

Lionclaw

Lionclaw

Well Known Member
I'm just about to start riveting my VS skin. The instructions say I should take care of wire runs for strobes/lighting before riveting on the rear spar. I haven't even thought about lighting at this point. I was assuming I'd have nav and strobes on the wing tips.

Is this something I need to worry about? Or just rivet the sucker on?
 
Andy,

With the recessed cutouts in the wing tips, there is no way to have an aft facing white light (or strobe). In addition, the rudder bottom has a cutout for the aft light.

If you plan on flying at night, you will need white light back there. From what people keep telling me, the aft facing strobe is optional. My -9 has a white position light/strobe on the rudder bottom.

I hope that helps.
 
Thanks Bob and Bill.

I went ahead and riveted it up.

As far as the rudder goes, will I need to create special openings for wires, or do most people run the wires through the fiberglass tip?
 
According to what I've read and understand, the "aft visible strobe' can be accomplished by placing the strobes out on the very tips of the fiberglass wing tips. That way they can be seen 360 degrees. I'm using the Van's/Whelen light kit. Red and green in the appropriate wing tip cut outs with strobes and a white light and a strobe together for tail. The kit is pricey but it has everything you need except the wiring for the constant on red, green and white lights. All of these lights can be aquired a lot cheaper but you gotta run down the supplies. I went the quick and more expensive route.
 
Not optional

The Aft facing strobe is not optional. It does not have to be on the tail, but it is not optional. To fly at night, the aircraft has to have a strobe pattern that covers 360 around the aircraft. Wing tip strobes that point Aft satisfy this requirement. A strobe in the lower rudder tip will work, also.

There's no need to leave a string in the vertical stabilizor to pull wires through later. In fact, unless you place grommets in the VS when you build it, I would suggest that it is probably a bad idea to leave a string in there to pull wire throught later. That wire would be going through holes that do not have any protection against chafing. This would be a potential for a direct short to ground for any powered circuit that you ran through the holes. Probably not a good idea.


Tracy.
 
Robert M said:
According to what I've read and understand, the "aft visible strobe' can be accomplished by placing the strobes out on the very tips of the fiberglass wing tips. That way they can be seen 360 degrees. I'm using the Van's/Whelen light kit. Red and green in the appropriate wing tip cut outs with strobes and a white light and a strobe together for tail. The kit is pricey but it has everything you need except the wiring for the constant on red, green and white lights. All of these lights can be aquired a lot cheaper but you gotta run down the supplies. I went the quick and more expensive route.
Click to expand...
Robert,

You can do this but there is one issue. The stock wing tips are recessed and your aft facing strobe and position light can’t be seen from the 6 o’clock position.
Click on this picture:

The old wing tips used on 4's, 6's, & early 8's mounted the lights out on the very tip. Those setups would allow for the strobe and aft facing light to be seen from behind.
 
Last edited:
N941WR said:
Robert,

You can do this but there is one issue. The stock wing tips are recessed and your aft facing strobe and position light can?t be seen from the 6 o?clock position.
Click on this picture:
http://www.repucci.com/bill/wings/final%20pos%20light%20installation_small.jpg[/IMG]
The old wing tips used on 4's, 6's, & early 8's mounted the lights out on the very tip. Those setups would allow for the strobe and aft facing light to be seen from behind.
Click to expand...

You're right Bill. I neglected to say, that the strobes couldn't be in the recess of the formed wing tips. That's the reason I went with the aft strobe on the rudder.
 
Strobe on rudder tip?

I have the three-position Whelen strobe system, but I also got a good deal on a red strobe head similar to this one. I'm thinking of mounting this somewhere on the airplane and using it as a "look out, I'm about to start the engine" light like most certified spam cans have.

I'd previously been thinking of putting on the belly somewhere, but this topic has got me thinking that I could put it up on top of the rudder and have it poke out through the plastic tip. Would anyone care to offer an opinion on whether this would cause too much reflection off the wings?

I've heard the arguments against top-mounted strobes, but I've also talked to people who have no problems with them. Maybe I'll just have to try it and see!

mcb
 
mburch said:
I have the three-position Whelen strobe system, but I also got a good deal on a red strobe head similar to this one. I'm thinking of mounting this somewhere on the airplane and using it as a "look out, I'm about to start the engine" light like most certified spam cans have.

I'd previously been thinking of putting on the belly somewhere, but this topic has got me thinking that I could put it up on top of the rudder and have it poke out through the plastic tip. Would anyone care to offer an opinion on whether this would cause too much reflection off the wings?

I've heard the arguments against top-mounted strobes, but I've also talked to people who have no problems with them. Maybe I'll just have to try it and see!

mcb
Click to expand...


Having not flown in an RV with a VS tip strobe I can only comment on the one bottom wing plane (Cherokee 180) that I did ride in. I was in the back seat, the strobe reflecting off that white wing at night gave me a headache and nausia. Yes, I was in the back seat and the RV's (I believe) have the pilot/copilot seated a lot farther forward but it might be something to consider. For the RV's OR if you've got a dark colored wing it may not be a factor.
 
Robert M said:
Having not flown in an RV with a VS tip strobe I can only comment on the one bottom wing plane (Cherokee 180) that I did ride in. I was in the back seat, the strobe reflecting off that white wing at night gave me a headache and nausia.
Click to expand...

That's a very good point. Maybe a light-blocker could be designed into the mount, such that the light shines everywhere except directly onto the airframe. Of course, that would likely defeat the purpose - nobody is going to walk into the prop from behind the tail! :) I guess I'll have to find a place on the belly after all.

cheers,
mcb
 
The reason for wiring up the vertical stab would be if you wanted to put a red beacon on top or V nav antenna like they do on Cessna's
 
Size hole for VS wire

I am at the same point, ready to skin the VS, but also just watched a video in which it was suggested to put in holes and grommets and string for future wires or cables. I think there is a GPS antenna that can fit onto the upper rig of the VS.

So if I am going to do this, what size hole and grommet. Any suggestions, I have not even begun to look at wire size or cable for antenna's.

Cheers
 
I keep re-reading this thread and there is one reason you don't want a strobe/beacon on the top of the VS that I can think of. When flying at night or in the clouds it will reflect of the instrument panel.

I remember flying a club Cherokee some time back and the owners had put duck tap on the forward side of the beacon to keep it from flashing the pilot.

Putting the strobe/position light on the rudder bottom does not present this problem

As for putting the GPS antenna up there, that may work but check the size of your antenna, the diameter of the connector (Will it fit through the hole you are leaving?), and the wire length.

Can you add an extension to this wire, cut off the plug and patch it, etc? You might wish to check these things out.
 
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