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Which LED lights?

mjanduda

Well Known Member
Hey builders,

I am about to order the empennage and wing kit.
I am wondering are the AeroLEDs that Van's has as an official option a good choice or do I want to buy different lights? Don't want to throw 1140 USD away.

Thanks!

Best,
Malte
 
Both the wingtip and landing lights from Van's are fine. I have both and they are excellent. No real reason to use others unless you have a specific preference.

There are some roll your own options that save a lot but I'm not sure they perform a lot better.
 
Hey builders,

I am about to order the empennage and wing kit.
I am wondering are the AeroLEDs that Van's has as an official option a good choice or do I want to buy different lights? Don't want to throw 1140 USD away.

Thanks!

Best,
Malte

Before you throw away $1140 on the AeroLED's have a look at the Aveo Engineering LED lights. I recently purchased the Aveo Engineering Powerburst Daylite 3 in 1 lights and absolutely love them. The set of two was $436 to my door direct from their distributor. For a pair of Aveo lights this is a great price. Contact Rick at Aveo Engineering Southwest in Livermore California.

I am in no way associated with Aveo or Rick, just wanted to pass along a great deal on some VERY nice lights. I put off LED nav/strobes for a long time because of the cost and these are amazing lights for the price.

Shawn
 
This is probably one of those items where you can't go wrong with most anything you choose whether you drop a lot of green or not.

It will, among other things, of course come down to what you're willing to spend as well as features, ease of wiring, ease of mounting and current draw. There won't be a "best" as that's a relative qualification.

I went with AeroLEDs for the nav/strobes. But I went with Aveo for the landing lights: The AveoMaxx Hercules 30.



They are crazy bright and current-thirsty.

Here are my posts relating to those lights:





 
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If you're enjoying building your own aeroplane you might enjoy building your own lights too...
We have a variety of options for your -14.

 
Don't know the rules in Germany, but in the US you're not legal to fly at night unless your lights are TSO'd and meet FAA Spec (don't know how strictly this rule is enforced). Many tip strobes advertised for experimental aircraft don't meet these specs, so could only legally be used to enhance visibility during daylight. The FAA requirements for night lighting are identical for certified and experimental aircraft (I guess that would make sense)

All the manufacturers' claims about TSO-C30c Type I and Type II , TSO-C96a Class II etc. and whether TSO'd lights meet FAA lighting spec or just some minimal technical standard, were a great source of confusion for me when ordering lights. I finally wound up with the Whelen Orion 650E which the company swore were legal in all aspects, TSO and FAA spec ($860 for the pair)

Bottom line is don't buy anything unless you understand the requirements in Germany
 
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Don't know the rules in Germany, but in the US you're not legal to fly at night unless your lights are TSO'd and meet FAA Spec y

They must meet the performance requirements of the TSO, but do not actually need to have a TSO. And of course there are no requirements for landing lights.
 
They must meet the performance requirements of the TSO, but do not actually need to have a TSO. And of course there are no requirements for landing lights.

^ This...

+1 for the FlyLEDs. Not only an OUTSTANDING product, but great customer service.

I flew out to Oshkosh this year. On the way, my right wing tip strobe started acting up. I was able to meet Paul at the FlyBoys booth and he was very quick to offer a replacement controller board for my setup. Not only did he provide the parts, he was nice enough to quickly solder it together as I was planning on departing Osh the next morning.

Between the FlyLEDs and my Baja Designs landing lights, even the Osh controllers commented on how great the lights looked and the ease to picking up my aircraft.
 
They must meet the performance requirements of the TSO, but do not actually need to have a TSO. And of course there are no requirements for landing lights.
Thanks for all your replies!

I am building the RV in Germany and talked to my examiner regarding the topic. He said to be able to get certified for night operations you need to have lights that are in compliance with JAR/CS 23. They don't need to be certified, but as I understand you have to show they comply. It's about angles and so on. I still have to finish reading the requirements.

Has anyone experience with the FlyLEDs in regards to get certified for night operations in the US?

Another question:
FlyLEDs allow you to put the landing lights into the wing tips or into the wings' leading edge. I'd think the leading edge position would be nicer so you have more light in front of you and not only on the sides. So I'd go with standard strobes in the wing tips and landing lights in the wing's leading edge. Any thoughts on that?

Malte
 
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2nd question first: i think you are corrrct - a leading edge location allows you to put the light where you want it, and also allows for bigger lights. But for those of us whose wings are completed, installation in the tips is much easier.
1st question. Here in the US most of us have Operations Limitations that say that night flying is approved if equipped per the applicable FAR. Showing that your lights meet the FAA?s specifications is technically the owner?s responsibility, but many rely on the manufacturer?s statement that they are in compliance.
 
Hi Malte

I designed the Flyleds kit after reading a rather thorough analysis of a certified Whelen LED position/strobe light. I feel like I must have got my maths wrong after reading through it all, because every comment I get back from customers is "Man they are bright!".

The Euro regs CS 23.1387 to 1397 and 1401 are the same as the FAA regulations with regards to light output and angles.

I have a few customers from Germany, including a known flying RV7 at EDMY that I could put you in contact with.


 
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