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What should I do about Landing and Taxi Lights?

Lefty37

Member
Hi all,

I'm working on my wings and can't quite figure out a light scheme. Mission wise I'm planning my build to be a IFR capable taildragger. I was wondering is it overkill to put lights in the wing tips, and also lights in the leading edges? I was looking at putting an AeroLed or FlyLed kit in the wingtips, and also putting the duckworks kit with LED lights in the leading edge. Any thoughts? Ideas? Guidance? Thanks!
 
My RV-6 has been flying 23-years and we have been in 49-states. Have flown formation and cross-country with friends in their RVs.

My opinion, lights in the wing tips are all you need. The short wing RVs look much bigger with the landing lights out in the wing tips. I know this from being on the ground and watching my friends come in and land with landing lights on or flashing as they approach. In My Opinion, far apart looks best. One does not need them in the wing tips and the leading edge.

As Burt Rutan once said (I think it was Burt), only install what the FAA requires. IF you want to install something that is not required, it only needs to pass one test. Toss it up in the air, if it comes down, it is too heavy.

John Thorpe is also credited with saying: "Built it as light as possible and only as strong as necessary."
 
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I put a Baja designs combo flood/spotlight in my leading edge. I then put Baja Designs spots in each wingtip. I also put the aeroLED strobe/Nav light in my wingtips and tail.
Not flying yet but thats what I did.
 
Hi all,

I'm working on my wings and can't quite figure out a light scheme. Mission wise I'm planning my build to be a IFR capable taildragger. I was wondering is it overkill to put lights in the wing tips, and also lights in the leading edges? I was looking at putting an AeroLed or FlyLed kit in the wingtips, and also putting the duckworks kit with LED lights in the leading edge. Any thoughts? Ideas? Guidance? Thanks!

I replaced the leading edge Duckworks landing and taxi kits in my RV7 with FlyLEDs last year and am always getting comments about their brightness so recommend them in a heartbeat. This year it's getting ADSB for its birthday so next year it may well get the FlyLEDs strobe & nav lights in the wingtips (but don't tell, I'd hate to ruin the surprise ;) )
 
Yes I think that'd be overkill.

My airport has wildlife hazards and not a lot of light so it's important to me to have bright lights. At the time I built my plane, the Duckworks leading edge lights were "the thing" so I went with one in each wing, but I think the wingtip LEDs now are a lot better and probably plenty good unless you plan on landing at a lot of poorly lit strips or something. Where I am I want as much light as I can get but not to the point where I'd be putting them both in the wingtips and leading edges.
 
Duckworth HID in the leading edges (both wings). Strobe bulbs and colored LED bulbs (and colored plexi mirror backing) in the wing tips. Lightweight, inexpensive and works for me. If I had to do it now, I would switch out the HID for LED landing lights. Bevan

IMG_3798 2.jpeg
 
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I think it's pretty significant overkill to put both leading edge and wingtip landing lights in something that only has a 25' wingspan.

I went with FlyLed combo lights in the leading edge because one of the lights in each array can be switched and aimed separately for use as a taxi light. I believe it was designed that way for taildraggers. I bought my wings in process and the leading edges were already cutout, otherwise I would probably just have done FlyLed's wing tip lights.

Not flying yet, but I have no reason to think it was a bad decision. Super bright, not much current draw so you can get away with small gauge wiring, plus customer service was awesome.
 
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Consider the landing vs collision avoidance vs taxiing illumination requirements you will need for your aircraft operations.
Being a taildragger, one setup might be able to optimize only one or 2 of these operating modes. Straight ahead for collision avoidance, maybe 3 to 5* down for max runway illumination, 10* or more down for taxiway illumination. So multi lamp installations might suit your purposes better than a single setup.
Quiz your suppliers what the diffusion angle is on their lamps. A lamp with 10* (spot) angle might be great at lighting up a runway at 1/2 mile but useless lighting up anything beside a taxiway (or below the roof line on hangars you pass), or finding that corner before you turn at into total blackness. Maybe a 30* (driving) angle lamp does more of a compromise.
Taildragger RVs do need a different lighting solution vs 'A' models.
 
I put a Baja designs combo flood/spotlight in my leading edge. I then put Baja Designs spots in each wingtip. I also put the aeroLED strobe/Nav light in my wingtips and tail.
Not flying yet but thats what I did.

Some say this is overkill but my reasoning is this:

Leading edge light is for taxi, hence the flood/spot combo.
Wingtip lights are spots. The wingtip lights serve as landing lights and anti collision lights during daytime operation. This is more important to me than the landing light function. With wig wag on the wingtips, the recognition function is superb.
Someone close to me survived a midair in the 90s and something like this would have prevented the collision.
 
Depends on how much night flying you intend to do. At night, the more light the better! I'm planning for a night capable plane, so I don't get stuck out if the sun sets. The primary mission is daytime sport plane and mild aerobatics, so weight is more important. The Duckworks in just one leading edge will be aimed at the approach attitude to illuminate the runway before the flare. Then lights in each wing tip aimed at a lower angle for the flare, 3-point attitude and taxiing. If I intended to do lots of night flying, I'd have two Duckworks landing lights. Like I said, the more light the better!

Also means redundancy, if a landing light burns out, well there's always the other one. We'd all hate to cancel a flight on a beautiful evening because a lightbulb burnt out.
 
We'd all hate to cancel a flight on a beautiful evening because a lightbulb burnt out.

Not really a reason to cancel a flight.

Landing lights aren't required equipment for non-commercial operations. I regularly make students land at night without landing lights during PPL training (it's in our 141 syllabus). As long as there are runway lights its really not a big deal. Much more of a hassle to taxi unless you have a good flashlight.
 
I have a -7 taildragger and I do not fly at night because I literarily can not see down the **** taxiway with my current light set up. I have been thinking of adding a LE LED type light just to help with taxing. As far as shooting an approach with my light set up it barley lights the runway and when I flare, the runway disappears into darkness... Night Frustrated.
 

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I have a -7 taildragger and I do not fly at night because I literarily can not see down the **** taxiway with my current light set up. I have been thinking of adding a LE LED type light just to help with taxing. As far as shooting an approach with my light set up it barley lights the runway and when I flare, the runway disappears into darkness... Night Frustrated.
Can you adjust the angle of the lamp downward so it is more effective in approach and or taxi? Maybe change out the lamp from a narrow to a wider beam projection?
 
Flyleds

Hi all

We designed the Combo lights with tail draggers in mind. With two of these in your leading edges (eg in a Duckworks mount) you get to have lots (3600 lumens each) of light on approach and then you still have two 1200 lumen lights aimed downwards on each side of the plane for when the tail is on the ground.
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The taxi light has a wider beamwidth and can be wired separately so that you can avoid annoying others when you're on the ground.

And as others have mentioned, pair these up with a Wigwag Module and you'll be seen coming for miles as well.

 
I replaced the leading edge Duckworks landing and taxi kits in my RV7 with FlyLEDs last year and am always getting comments about their brightness so recommend them in a heartbeat. This year it's getting ADSB for its birthday so next year it may well get the FlyLEDs strobe & nav lights in the wingtips (but don't tell, I'd hate to ruin the surprise ;) )

Steve, I also have the Duckworks HID leg and taxi lights and am thinking of doing what you did.

Were you able to use existing wiring as-is

Did you need to enlarge the wing opening?

Were you able to make use of the Duckworks mounts?
 
I have AeroLEDs in my RV7a. Amazingly bright. So much better than I have had in certified aircraft. With wig wag they are great for collision avoidance.

My son spotted me coming around the Cajon pass from 15 miles away at dusk with the lights on.
 
Not really a reason to cancel a flight.

Landing lights aren't required equipment for non-commercial operations. I regularly make students land at night without landing lights during PPL training (it's in our 141 syllabus). As long as there are runway lights its really not a big deal. Much more of a hassle to taxi unless you have a good flashlight.

Requirements in Canada are different. We need a landing light to carry a passenger at night. Different regulator, different regulations.
 
I found that the Duckworks LE mounts with AeroLED lights to be plenty bright for night flights. Compared to the HID they replaced, the LED’s are insane.

I think the win tip and LE lights would be unnecessary weight.
 
The comment about weight reminds me of some very light RV-4's and RV'6's I flew in the late 80's. They were wood prop, 160 HP O-320, day, VFR.... they were a delight. I later few some very heavy RV's.... a LIGHT plane (and oh the wood props are smooth but can't give up CS props).... Really a light RV is a joy and you feel it... vs. a heavy RV.
 
I have the Baja Designs LED lights in Duckworks cutouts. It works well and I will demonstrate it for you if you dare to fly in my airplane. It hasn't killed me yet.

;) CJ
 
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