I have installed and test flown my new "Rigid R+" LED landing light. Tonight's weather is clear, with better than 30 miles vis, and no moon whatever. Temp -3, dewpoint -5, so perhaps some moisture might be nearly visible.
I find it to be an improvement to the incandescent bulb I removed (my 150 only has provision for one cowl mounted bulb). The new LED is much more a bluish light (which I could take of leave), and seems to have a greater illumination range. The area illuminated seems a bit more "flood" than "spot". I can make out objects on the ground in the otherwise pitch dark, from 250 feet AGL down to the surface. I can illuminate the reflectors down my runway from 1 mile back, and the runway grass surface itself from a quarter mile back. Certainly crossing the threshold, there is ample illumination for the entire landing area.
In flight there is a definite bluish haze visible in front. On departure (which is a total black hole departure for me) I did not like it, so I turned it off once positive rate was confirmed at 50 feet up. I might add some washers to the mounting screws (as directed by the service manual) to aim it a bit more down.
What I liked best was the current draw - 2.3 amps (14V system)!
It cost $360, and I'm happy I purchased it. I also have a bigger 6" bar type LED light from the same company, which has a greater output. I'll be installing it in the wing of the Teal amphibian in the weeks to come. It will replace two pathetic "PAR 36" incandescent bulbs. I will have to make up some changed mounting brackets for it, and establish the correct angle, to accommodate both the approach flying attitude, and the three point attitude (or find a place for a taxi light too). I will report the outcome with that LED, when I have tested it.
I wonder how much work is involved in getting a TSO approval for something like this. Or maybe PMA, but that seems inapplicable because the part is obviously not idential to an existing filament lamp.
It appears to be mainly an environmental requirement, plus some "stuff" back at the factory.
Years ago I looked at making some PMA parts in my electronics business and got as far as finding out that I would have to create several essentially bogus "QC" staff positions, and ISO9000 was a good starting point.
The design of the product itself (e.g. whether I was using a 10V or a 25V rated capacitor at 10V) would never be examined...
Can't see any aviation related products there.
Well I sure am happy with the Rigid landing light I put in the Teal! I'm still fiddling the aiming a little.
I did some sunset circuits to ease into it, and was very impressed. It draws 1.8 amps. Interestingly, the alternator stopped working after the first circuit. (I suspect a slipping belt, 'cause it did pop back on for a bit). I was about to quit, but as I was at home, I decided to see how long it would illuminate for night flying on the battery only. The voltage dropped to 11.8, and stayed pretty well there while I did eight circuits or so. By the time I was done, the voltage was 11.7, and I had flown 40 minutes with no alternator. It would not be possible to do this with incandescent landing lights, as you would surely loose battery power long before that!
The landing light was enough to illuminate the end of the runway from 200 feet up on short final, but that was at a voltage of 11.8. I can't wait to see how much it will illuminate when it is actually getting 14 volts!
They're expensive, but I can easily rationalize it; on a dark approach into my home runway, would I spend $400 when I was 500 feet back to assure that I had light? Or save the money and fly to a better lit runway, and do a dark landing anyway. Hands down, I would rather have the light when and where I want it - its worth the money for security.
I've bought four (three landing and one taxi) for the 182, so we'll see how they work, but I have high expectations!
Aero LEDs seems to be another option, for a PMAd product which they say comes with an 8130-3.
The 3rd and 4th item on that page are the relevant ones.
These are perhaps the most powerful currently out there, which is of interest to Socata TB owners who lose the functionality of the instrument panel annunciators, which are driven from current sensing relays which fail to get energised from the lower current drawn by these lamps.
At 12V it should draw over 3A which should be OK as the relay threshold is about 2.2A. At 24V it still won't work however and the only option is to modify the relay, which is an unapproved mod.
At 24V it still won't work however and the only option is to modify the relay, which is an unapproved mod.
I can sell you my 150W Cessna beacon resistor 
I have the Aeroleds on the bench...
Found something very interesting. They start at 1.5A and gradually reduce to 0.6A over some minutes.
And the light output actually drops when they do that. I have measured it with a light meter. It drops to about 40% of the initial value (in linear terms).
I assume it is temperature related; they do get quite warm.
But this will drive a hole through the proposed modification of the current sensing relays... The relays need to work down to something like 0.5A. Somebody on the Socata site said that Socata are working on an STC for this, for the TBM, for $25000... somebody is pulling somebody's leg, for sure.
Found something very interesting. They start at 1.5A and gradually reduce to 0.6A over some minutes.
Exactly like the Alphabeams. Whelen who sell inferior 1st generation LEDs use this as FUD against Alphabeams. However, it is exactly working as designed. White LEDs are very sensitive to overheating, if they go over a certain temperature, they die. This is why both Alphabeams and Aeroleds have a temperature control circuit to reduce the current when temperatures get too high.
In a bench test, this will always happen. In real life, there is a cooling airflow preventing this from happening.
In real life, there is a cooling airflow preventing this from happening
That depends very much on how it is mounted.
For example the Socata light unit is covered with a clear plastic window. There is no airflow past the light. If there was, the terminal on the back would be corroded in no time at all.
Fortunately, with the perception of light being logarithmic, a halving of the light output is not readily visible.
But maybe it is a good idea to install these with a copious quantity of thermally conductive grease, so one gets maximum heat transfer into the airframe.
