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An idea for landing lights.


Aiman

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Hella lighting puts out some very nice projector style (and freeform reflector) High Intensity Discharge lights. The low beam would be appropriate for ground ops/taxiing, and the high beam system would be an appropriate landing light. These lights are extremely compact, and bright beyond belief.

 

http://www.rallylights.com/hella/90mm_modules.asp#90mmHIDXenon

 

I know for sure that they are available elsewhere (much) more cheaply, if you search around on the internet, there are knock offs, etc. However, if you have access to a wrecked audi/bmw/caddillac/other luxury vehicle, they ALL use the Hella D2S assembly, you just have to extract it (and the ballast) from the headlamp housing.

 

beware installing these lamps in an area where fuel vapors may collect, as they sometimes generate arcing while in the 5 second ignition cycle.

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http://murpskits.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=1_28&products_id=93

 

I'm running these on my M/C. Light years (bad pun) ahead of the OEM H-4 bulb and OEM reflector. The high beam easily lights up 2,500' down the road. More so for reflective signs... maybe a mile? These are 65w H-9 bulbs, though HID is an option, a high $ option. Slightly different housing for the HID's too, though one of those generic H9 to HID conversions may fit.

 

Other than redundancy, might need only one light? Landing approach will be nose high, once the nose gear touches down... I dunnow. Then switch to wide pattern LED lights in the wing tips? :D

 

FWIW, the H-9 unit with bulb, minus any wiring and the adjusters, is a hair over 9 oz.

 

Rick

Rick Hall; MK-IV plans #1477; cozy.zggtr.org

Build status: 1-7, bits of 8-9, 10, 14 done! Working on engine/prop/avionics.
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If you were at RR07, you couldn't have missed my demonstration of the power of HID lighting systems.. My Mcullough/ACRO HID 5" handheld spotlight illuminated the ENTIRE length of the Rough River runway. Brightly. I'm thinking of slapping TWO of those on my finished aircraft. Probably to the chagrin of my local tower...

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If you were at RR07, you couldn't have missed my demonstration of the power of HID lighting systems..

So you're the guy!

I had the demo LED's... We finally meet ;)

 

I think about HID too, am leery if I decide to do a wig-wag setup, or of the initial burst of amps needed to start the arc. All probably moot, given cars seem to be OK. Except for wig-wag.

 

Rick

Rick Hall; MK-IV plans #1477; cozy.zggtr.org

Build status: 1-7, bits of 8-9, 10, 14 done! Working on engine/prop/avionics.
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DUDE! Those LED's were awesome. So is the controller circuitry that you built. I really hope that you get something like that to market. I would definately go for it.

 

As for wig-wag.. you definately can't do it with a Xenon-Arc/HID system. You will shorten the life of the bulbs, and possibly the ballast incredibly.

 

I will be at RR08, hopefully we can get all the electronics guys together and see if we can brainstorm some ideas and whatnot. We can do it here online as well.

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DUDE! Those LED's were awesome. So is the controller circuitry that you built. I really hope that you get something like that to market. I would definately go for it.

I kinda do too, but LED's are poor for replacing the current flash tubes. FAR says lotta light for a brief period.

 

Front pointed (focused, narrow beam) wig-wag would work, among other things, but 360* illumination like flash tubes do is quite a ways off. Err, your cell phone probably uses an LED for the flash, but it's limited life (10,000 flashes MTBF).

 

Rick

Rick Hall; MK-IV plans #1477; cozy.zggtr.org

Build status: 1-7, bits of 8-9, 10, 14 done! Working on engine/prop/avionics.
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Ideas for LED's use din the aircraft:

 

Panel lighting...

The $.95 MCU I'm using could be harnessed for a gear/canopy/throttle warning, based of front wheel RPM via a $.89 Hall sensor.

Additional ASI or fuel pressure (MCU has a D to A converter).

If there's a passenger int eh RH seat, is there enough weight in the ballast compartment. Is there weight in the ballast compartment, ...

 

Whole host of doo-dads. BMA/Dynon, watch out! :D

 

Rick

Rick Hall; MK-IV plans #1477; cozy.zggtr.org

Build status: 1-7, bits of 8-9, 10, 14 done! Working on engine/prop/avionics.
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Yes.. then it's just a matter of figuring out what any of the 30+ LED annunciators you have on your panel mean....

:irked:

 

I know a couple of pilots who subscribe SO strongly to the K.I.S.S. principle, that they would probably put their fist through my BMA EFIS/One if they ever had to fly my plane when I get it done. Which is why nobody will be flying front seat except me. You want to fly RIO, thats your choice. :)

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Back on topic, might also look at:

http://www.rallylights.com/hella/50mm_modules.asp

If they produce light like the 90mm M/C units I make (I didn't say I made them in public), you'd be burning retinas at 5000' on 35 watts each.

 

FWIW, YMMV, Rallylights has one the lowest prices on Hella stuff from what I've checked. Yes I do buy from them, nothing more.

 

Rick

Rick Hall; MK-IV plans #1477; cozy.zggtr.org

Build status: 1-7, bits of 8-9, 10, 14 done! Working on engine/prop/avionics.
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I'd actually be curious to see a side by side comparison of the 90mm vs 50mm HID Hellas in terms of light output. If you have them both sitting around, I would be eternally grateful if you could snap a photo of them both pointed at a wall next to one another.

 

I still think you won't touch the light output of my Mcullough/ACRO handheld though...

 

"brighter than the mid-day desert sun" it's been said :envy:

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I'd actually be curious to see a side by side comparison of the 90mm vs 50mm HID Hellas in terms of light output. If you have them both sitting around

?? You think I got a $ tree out back? ;)

 

The H-9 has been called the "poor man's HID", I have no reason to doubt it. Won't approach a HID though. Generally the bigger the reflector, the better the output. Not in lumens/CP, rather beam pattern/spread. Both use DS3 bulbs. Since we're talking two housings in a nose, size might be important.

 

Rick

Rick Hall; MK-IV plans #1477; cozy.zggtr.org

Build status: 1-7, bits of 8-9, 10, 14 done! Working on engine/prop/avionics.
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Before you buy, take a portable COM radio with you and sample the noise output around those HID lights. They are basically an arc welder in a xenon or metal halide sealed envelope. Unless very well shielded the power supplies -and- the bulbs are wide band noise emitters. Also keep other wires away from the units because the ignition pulse to light them off can induce strong signals in adjacent wires.

...Chrissi

CG Products

www.CozyGirrrl.com

Cozy Mk-IV RG 13B Turbo

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Yeah, we tested those a little bit with that huge ocilloscope-radio looking thingy that was brought down to RR this year. My flashlight blew the socks off of it from a foot away, noise-wise. However, I think some of the higher quality automotive units are significantly quieter, electrically. I can also put them on their own noise-isolated bus.

 

I'm also not going to stick them in the nose. I'd like to see them out on the inboard ends of the wings nearest the strake. That should put them out of optical 'reach' of the canards, and still provide plenty of light.

 

Besides, have you ever heard of "Tempest Shielding" ? I'll build a Faraday cage around the damn things if I have to. But, I will have the best lights ever. ;)

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Some of the better automotive units I have seen put the whole p/s in a die cast heatsink housing. Also there are things like metal adhesive tapes, spray on ferrous shielding, metal screen can be laminated in as well.

Nick Ugolini was having trouble with his strike finder (they do not recommend trying one in a composite aircraft) and we talked through the options. Most of his issues coming from his igntion so trying foil and screen he was able to kill all the noise by shielding the engine compartment. These things shoud be solvable with good placement, isolation and shielding practices.

Where people shoot themselves in the foot is sharing the wrong circuit, all the other stuff becomes meaningless.

There is no comparison to Xenon/MH HID type lighting.

...Chrissi

CG Products

www.CozyGirrrl.com

Cozy Mk-IV RG 13B Turbo

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