Aerosun VX in RV-14 wingtip

These pictures show the process for installing the AeroLeds Aerosun VX in my RV14 wingtips.
This is the original wingtip with the mod to use a piano hinge instead of a bunch of mounting screws.


First step is to use electical tape to define the opening.


Marking along the tape show the cut lines.


Used a cutoff wheel to make the opening.


Removed the cut out part. I got lucky that my previously installed Archer Nav antenna did not conflict. Whew... The pink foam shown in the background was glassed into each wingtip to reduce flexing in flight and hopefully reduce the chance of the paint cracking. I have yet to fly the aircraft so I can't really say that it helps, but it makes me feel better.


Glassed in the Aeroleds supplied part from the inside and used dry micro to fill the gap. After this was sanded smooth one layer of fiberglass was placed over the hinge rivets and the cut lines for the Aeroleds part. I also placed fiberglass in a few low spots on the wingtips to avoid body filler (Bondo) on the flexible wingtip.


During cut and buff to remove a lot of orange peel


Finished product.


Close up view.

Looks nice..

..thanks for a great writeup. What will you do with the duckworks opening now?

Ductworks opening

ppilotmike said:

..thanks for a great writeup. What will you do with the duckworks opening now?

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Since I'm building a taildragger. I'm considering having the duct works lights prioritized for taxi and the Aerosun VX prioritized for landing. I really won't know until I fly it. Another option is to mount the G3X camera in the left ductworks housing.

The Aerosun VX lights weren't really necessary. I'm just filling time until my finishing kit arrives.

Not to hijack the thread but I'd love to hear how the image quality comes out with the camera behind the duckworks lens. I'm considering doing the same but dont have an existing duckworks cutout/lens to test with

Camera mount

gfb said:

Not to hijack the thread but I'd love to hear how the image quality comes out with the camera behind the duckworks lens. I'm considering doing the same but dont have an existing duckworks cutout/lens to test with

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Please hijack away! I'm interested in the same thing. Mounting the camera behind the ductworks lens would be easy, but it may cause clarity issues. I simply have never tried it.

Marvin I am doing the same thing on my 10. What lens tip did you use? Does the stock Van's work? I was planning on using the Cee Bailey wing tip lens, but was concerned the modification for the Aerosun VX may not allow me to use the stock or Cee Bailey wing tip lens.

Stock Vans lens

dspender said:

Marvin I am doing the same thing on my 10. What lens tip did you use? Does the stock Van's work? I was planning on using the Cee Bailey wing tip lens, but was concerned the modification for the Aerosun VX may not allow me to use the stock or Cee Bailey wing tip lens.

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Hello Dennis,
I used the stock Vans lens.

Any guess whether the Cee Bailey lens would work? I have had such a good experience using their windows.

Never seen em

dspender said:

Any guess whether the Cee Bailey lens would work? I have had such a good experience using their windows.

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Sorry no guess. I've not seen the cee bailey lenses.

dspender said:

Any guess whether the Cee Bailey lens would work? I have had such a good experience using their windows.

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No way.

The Cee Bailey lenses fit the stock opening (with no trimming in my case). The AeroSun tips are way bigger.

Also, I'm very happy with my Cee Bailey windows, but I'm not real thrilled about the Cee Bailey tip lenses. They are aren't perfectly transparent like the windows, but almost "wavey", like antique glass, but not quite that bad. They fit well, but I'm not really happy with the way they look.