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Led lighting (merged)

The longer I deal with planes and their regulatory bodies, the more I subscribe to the “better to plead forgiveness, than ask for permission”. LED landing lights fall squarely into that category….

I’d tend to agree with Adam. I mean, come on, it’s a bulb.

Surely one can just swap it? Why should it even cost very much? Oh sorry, it’s an aviation bulb….

EGLM & EGTN

Graham wrote:

I’d tend to agree with Adam. I mean, come on, it’s a bulb.

Surely one can just swap it? Why should it even cost very much? Oh sorry, it’s an aviation bulb….

I tended to too, in the very first beginning, but it is not a bulb, it is electronics with circuitry and that one has to be taken serious. How many small car-USB converter did you use up til today and how many had electrical noise connected to it, from beginning or later? Mine typically spend at most 2-3 years before they usually start to make strange things – even the ‘for aircraft use’ ones. Our aircraft environment is not a friendly one for electronic circuits, even worse to car environments.

Last Edited by at 31 Jan 17:06

Most of the products on the GA market are either TSOd or PMAd which not only gives you a legal coverage (though there are always people who will argue for ever about it, saying nothing short of an STC is adequate) but some performance assurance.

No GA certification level gives you any hardware reliability assurance.

It is an interesting idea that interference could be an issue, and it is possible because they contain a switch-mode power supply for the LED current control, but I don’t recall ever hearing of any problems with the mainstream products (like the ones I installed). Good wiring practice for all appliances that draw a significant current is to not use the airframe for the ground return but always run two wires tightly together (to eliminate interference with the compass system) and that will help with emissions too.

Interference from e.g. wingtip strobes is a very big thing in GA – go for a flight and listen to others’ radios – and I reckon a lot of that is dodgy wiring.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

LED Landing/Taxi/Nav Light Flashing Bulbs from China

One of the lads is having great success here with these:

https://www.handxen.com/products

They make Landing, Taxi, Nav lights in LED. We are testing out the three-pack (Red/Green/White) Nav lights with the strobe feature. One press for one, second press for strobe. They are also doing a flashing Bulb design for Landing and Taxi. I should have them in six days time and will give them a twirl. I’ve already got LED courtesy light under the wings, and LED Nav lights which don’t pulse which I got from Aerolites. It’s cheap fun.

If you order from them tell Ben the owner, William or Rhys sent you. Will post a few pics of how we look with them fitted.

Buying, Selling, Flying
EISG, Ireland

I have had one of their lights for a couple of years and tested it in a hangar side by side with a 4509. It’s generally OK but certainly does not outperform the 4509. The workmanship is good, but the beam angle is too wide for a landing light (20° instead of the standard 8°, so a lot of the luminous flux is wasted) and the LEDs are derated (according to them, intentionally, so as to prolong their life). Maybe they have improved since – please let us know your impressions.

LKBU (near Prague), Czech Republic

Just found a photo I made in a hangar. The two lights were aimed at the door from the same location and connected in parallel to a bench power supply at 13.5 V. The left spot is the 4509, the right one is the Handxen TC-X.

LKBU (near Prague), Czech Republic

Not surprised; LEDs are dramatically better than lamps in practically every application.

It is bonkers that there remain widespread fears about legality of replacing the old lamps with LEDs.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I think you have the wrong end of the stick there. Ultranomad is pointing out that particular LED lamp is not a good choice.

A 4509 is supposed to be 6 degrees vertical / 12 degrees horizontal. That LED looks to be a wide flood. You’re wasting loads of the light output.

In this application, you want a narrow beam, surely? And that’s something that’s hard to achieve with LEDs without expensive precision optics.

Yes, the LED one is wider. It’s not a floodlight (which was also available from that manufacturer), but the beam angle is about 25°. In all fairness, I wrote to them about this and they said they tested various beam angles and the 25° one was the most popular among customers (I assume most of these lamps are fitted to off-road vehicles, not aeroplanes).

LKBU (near Prague), Czech Republic
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