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Landing light install in a already-built wing

redhawk

Well Known Member
Happy New Year out there !
I am buying a RV that does not have a landing light, and want to hear from folks out there who have installed one in a pre-built wing.
Any suggestions on the process as well as recommendations on the light itself would be appreciated!
Thanks
 
Wouldn't be too much different. The light is cut into the leading edge in the outboard bay. Once the wingtip is off there is pretty good access there. You'll have to run a power and ground to it. (Or just power, then ground locally, ymmv). Duckworks makes a good mounting bracket and template for cutting and both LED and HID options, LED seems to be the way to go anymore.
 
I installed a Duckworth leading edge light in a QB wing. I measured a dozen times before I cut and it went well. At that time the LEDs were weak, maybe they are sufficient now and you can install in a tip instead of the LE but the HID lamps really throw out light.
 
Landing Light

For cutting the hole in the leading edge, the main requirement is patience. I think I used a hand nibbler to cut the hole and then used a 2" diameter drum sander to get the profile in the corner radii. The mounts to the ribs are straight forward.
 
I put my LED landing lights in the wingtips.. Mounted on a bracket to hold the light onto the outboard rib with the lens only on the wingtip. This way, pulling the wingtip, I can change/service the light without struggling with wires... AND. no cutting into wing skins.
 
Duckworks LED landing light kit.

Duckworks now also has an LED light that we feel is pretty impressive. We have been selling them for just over a year now and have heard nothing but positive responses about them.

They produce very little RF noise and have never been reported to cause any problems with radios of any sort. (They have been tested in the EMI chambers and came out quite a few dB below the standards we were testing for)

The Duckworks Installation kit was originally designed to be installed 100% through the cutout in the leading edge. Some of the steps are a little easier if you take off the wingtip, but it is not needed.

We have been told many many times that the hardest part about installing the kit is just making the decision to cut the wing skin!!! Once you commit to making that first cut in the skin, the rest is easy.

http://duckworksav.com/LELightKits.html#LE LED Kits is a link to the the leading edge LED kit we have.

Thanks,
Richard from Duckworks

www.duckworksav.com
 
How difficult is it to switch from Duckworks HIDs to the LEDs?

Break

I found the easiest way to make the vertical cuts in the leading edge was to use a hacksaw, do the rest with cut off wheel and scotchbrite wheel in Dremel.
 
Wiring?

I plan do do the same with a finished/painted
Wing on an Rv-3. I do not want to remove the wing-tip.
I also need to install wing tip strobes/nav lights.

My question is routing the wires in a finished wing. I'm hoping to snake
wires for both landing and tip lights through the large holes in the leading edge ribs. My concern is abrasion of the wires as they will be unsupported. I thought
Of using hard plastic tubing for conduit. Keep in mind I'm not removing the wing tips as I don't want to ruin a pro paint job and only installing one landing light.

Any thoughts or ideas?
 
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