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Flyleds (finally!) does landing lights

Paul from Flyleds

Well Known Member
Advertiser
Hello all

Flyleds now sells landing lights! Introducing the Flyleds "The Works" kit.

2018-04-07-21.59.44-Small.jpg

(Please excuse the prototype mounting hardware on this example RV10 wing kit. Proper aviation components sourced from the usual suspects are supplied in the kits!)

We?ve been selling ?The Skinny? boards for a while now, which has allowed customers to fit lights like the Baja Designs Squadron Pros in their wingtip as well, and they?ve proven to be a popular option. Meanwhile we continue to get emails every week asking if we sold landing lights, so the decision was made to make our own.

Over the past eight months we have researched several LED varieties, found some fantastic collimators ('lenses') made all the way over in Finland, had some heatsinks custom made for us, and made more than a few prototypes that we have learned from. So many hundreds of hours have gone into the development of these that I should have kept a builders log...

We have selected (we believe!) the same LED chip from Cree that is found in the Squadron Pros. Obviously they have four LEDs where we have three so there is going to be a difference, but we think the results show that our lights still turn night into day. Three spotlights draws 3 amps per wing, producing 3600+ lumens of bright and clear 5000K white light.

20180408_183940-Small.jpg

The view out of the window of our world headquarters... The car at the base of the tree is a measured 200 feet away.
This is the light from one wingtip, ie the same light as shown in the picture above...

Our landing light mounting geometry is based on Van?s proven screw-and-spring mounting style. There is a dual LED and a single LED board in each wing, which are independently adjustable. We?ve done the soldering on the spotlight boards for you already. The spotlights each require about 15 minutes of your time to rivet some nutplates on and assemble.

We have designed a new controller board as well. It will wig-wag the landing lights as you might expect. If you turn the strobes on at the same time, the controller can be set to either wigwag the strobe LEDs in sync with the landing lights (which then becomes 6000+ lumens of light forwards, 3000 lumens outwards?), or the strobes will flash on the opposite wing to the active landing light, which will enhance the visibility of the strobes.

The new controller board will also allow the strobe LEDs to be turned on continuously (at reduced power) to act as flood lights. They will flood the area around your plane with light, not just down the road.

If you have a lighting controller on board like a Vertical Power VPX or Advanced/Dynon quick panel, we encourage you to use their system to control your landing lights and the wigwag function, as the landing lights can be wired entirely independently of the Flyleds strobes and position lights.

Just like in our existing position and strobe circuits, each landing light is driven with an individual constant current power supply, not a switching supply. This means there is no noise to be heard in your headset.

We're looking forward to updating the pictures with some completed installations in the coming weeks! We have a few kits in progress and several more in transit.
Assembly instructions are available to view on our website.

 
Fantastic

And just moments before I cut my wing skins too!!

Paul-
I've been flying with your -10 kit for a year now. What's the cost to swap out?
 
Are these available for an RV9?
They will be soon, as well as for "batwing" RVs. I will need to use a different LED for the strobes because the working area is so small, but it does all fit.

Will the RV-10 LED's fit the RV-14? If not, when will you have it available for the RV-14?
RV-14s share the same wingtip as the -10, so we have them available now! Thank you, I updated the website as well.

And just moments before I cut my wing skins too!!
Paul-
I've been flying with your -10 kit for a year now. What's the cost to swap out?
There's an option for an Upgrade Kit for our previous customers that brings the price to $379. You get to build half our standard kit again for a substantially reduced price!

 
Flyleds

Great work Paul, based on previous experience I feel I know these are going to be an excellent example of your work - & at a very reasonable price :)
 
And in breaking news, Police today arrested a South Yarra man following complaints from residents of a Darling St apartment building being sunburnt in their beds at 2am. :p

PilotJohnS said:
Are these available for an RV9?
They will be soon, as well as for "batwing" RVs. I will need to use a different LED for the strobes because the working area is so small, but it does all fit.
Sing out when they're available for the -9's. I have a set of Duckworks HID's sitting in my shed, but would definitely prefer the LED's. If/when I can get the -9 transferred from RAAus -> VH keeping the weight down isn't a factor anymore.
 
I'm glad I've been procrastinating on upgrading my 10's lighting. Basically I had two paths identified and they each had a significant downside. This resolves that!
 
AMP Savings Wanted

I too have HID lamps in my 9A wings and would relish shedding a bunch of amps. But I don?t want to modify the wingtips.
Having a kit for in the leading edge replacement is very attractive.
 
Too bad I cut my leading edges a couple years ago!

I bought the wingtip kit for my -8 a while back and I've been super impressed. The instructions did a great job of walking this novice solderer through things, and when I found myself short a couple green LEDs, Paul shipped them out posthaste. Now I just need to finish that last board with those two LEDs, then I want to wire everything up on a test board and try it outside at night.
 
And in breaking news, Police today arrested a South Yarra man following complaints from residents of a Darling St apartment building being sunburnt in their beds at 2am. :p
...and there were reports of a crackle of cockatoos being disturbed from a tree in the park across the road from the apartments, some 350 feet from the alleged offender's residence...:D

My friend Joe found some time this afternoon to begin trial fitting a light board to his RV7. Lots more room in this wingtip!
JoeO-RV7-Small.jpg


Making the landing lights available separately is not out out of the question...

 
I've already got landing lights in my leading edge and have the fly led in the tips but how cool would you look coming in to land with lights in the tips AND the leading edge? Is there ever too much light?
During the day you could wig wag the 4 lights in some cool patterns I bet.
 
VPX

How does your system integrate with a Vertical Power VPX since your controller is supplying power?
 
I've already got landing lights in my leading edge and have the fly led in the tips but how cool would you look coming in to land with lights in the tips AND the leading edge? Is there ever too much light?
During the day you could wig wag the 4 lights in some cool patterns I bet.
I'm seeing images of David Hasselhoff flying a blacked out RV here...:)

How does your system integrate with a Vertical Power VPX since your controller is supplying power?
If you have a VPX/AFS/Dynon/Garmin/etc lighting controller already, please wire the Flyleds landing lights directly to it! They automatically wigwag the lights based on airspeed, which means one less panel switch and one less thing for you to think about.

A feature I have planned for but not yet implemented is to also connect the Flyleds controller to the VPX/etc landing light wires. When the controller senses the external device wigwagging the lights, it will either wigwag the strobe LEDs in sync with the lights (is there ever too much light...) or strobe the LEDs on the opposite wing to the wig or the wag to maximise the contrast of the flash.

The modes described above is how the controller works by itself now, and is your choice based on one of the on-board switch settings. I figured you'd either be a day VFR pilot who just wants wigwag lights (...all of them!), or you'd be a night or IFR flyer and wanting your strobes to function as expected.

Otherwise as far as the strobe and position lights go, the VPX is just a big red power source, and we're just another load!

 
Paul,

Excellent addition to what builders were looking for, and keeping it affordable makes this an easy choice. For the guys that have nav/pos/strobe already I would like to put my vote in for landing lights sold separately with additional hopes that you will also make it available for the older batwing tips.


Ken
 
Landing Lights Vote

Nice solution. I would also like the landing lights separately.
Cheers,
Frank
 
Separate landing lights👍

Very nice setup.
If this is turning into a straw poll, I too would like a
separate landing light option.
Thank you,
Lorne
 
I've already got landing lights in my leading edge and have the fly led in the tips but how cool would you look coming in to land with lights in the tips AND the leading edge? Is there ever too much light?
During the day you could wig wag the 4 lights in some cool patterns I bet.

Sadly I just cut my leading edges too. I wonder if it would make sense to use these landing lights plus use the Duckworks LE kit as dedicated taxi lights or something?
 
Sadly I just cut my leading edges too. I wonder if it would make sense to use these landing lights plus use the Duckworks LE kit as dedicated taxi lights or something?
Have the LED's set up to wig-wag in flight, and keep the DuckWorks for steady-on when in the circuit? I am still thinking I'll install my set anyway and do that myself, even though I will spring for a set of Paul's LED's soon as he has them available. Too much light is not enough. James Bond said that, apparently...:p
 
Paul, you'll be at the Flyboy Accessories/Team Rocket display right behind Van's tent at Oshkosh this year, correct? Sounds like a good place to invite all these interested people to see you and your products first hand! :D
 
Oshkosh Flyleds on display

Paul, you'll be at the Flyboy Accessories/Team Rocket display right behind Van's tent at Oshkosh this year, correct? Sounds like a good place to invite all these interested people to see you and your products first hand! :D

That's booth 652 for any of you that are interested in being blinded in person. Lucky for you all, we also sell sunglasses...
 
Sadly I just cut my leading edges too. I wonder if it would make sense to use these landing lights plus use the Duckworks LE kit as dedicated taxi lights or something?

It's not to late...

I put one of these in my duckworth cut out for a taxi light. and was going to put a couple of these in the wingtips. But if they sell just the landing light as a kit I'll think hard at using the FlyLed landing lights
 
PAR36 replacement

For those of you lamenting the fact that you cut your leading edges already, don't! It's a fantastic spot for lights to go.
So if you already have some metalwork in there from Team Aerodynamix or Duckworks, how about this then?
PAR36-concept-2-1.jpg

Designed as an oversized board so that you can trim it to fit your application, but the larger circle around the spots is 100mm diameter and represents the hole size of a PAR36 globe. In other words, it'll drop right into place.
Note the top LED is adjustable for angle. That one can be a flood lens for taxiing, especially suited for you non -A drivers.
It exists on the computer only for now, but we should have some in time for Oshkosh where I'll be hanging out with the awesome crew from Flyboy Accessories, right behind the Van's display. :)

 
For those of you lamenting the fact that you cut your leading edges already, don't! It's a fantastic spot for lights to go.
So if you already have some metalwork in there from Team Aerodynamix or Duckworks, how about this then?
PAR36-concept-2-1.jpg

Designed as an oversized board so that you can trim it to fit your application, but the larger circle around the spots is 100mm diameter and represents the hole size of a PAR36 globe. In other words, it'll drop right into place.
Note the top LED is adjustable for angle. That one can be a flood lens for taxiing, especially suited for you non -A drivers.
It exists on the computer only for now, but we should have some in time for Oshkosh where I'll be hanging out with the awesome crew from Flyboy Accessories, right behind the Van's display. :)


there is never enough light but this may do it.
 
$$$???

Looks like that will fill the bill right nicely for leading edge, amp reduction.
Speaking of bill... What $ ~ $$$ range are you thinking of putting on them?

And then a follow-up question... When do you plan to have them on the market for those of us not going to OSH?
 
Sign me up for two of the leading edge lights! I'll buy them at OSH if you have them there.
 
For those of you lamenting the fact that you cut your leading edges already, don't! It's a fantastic spot for lights to go.
So if you already have some metalwork in there from Team Aerodynamix or Duckworks, how about this then?
PAR36-concept-2-1.jpg

Designed as an oversized board so that you can trim it to fit your application, but the larger circle around the spots is 100mm diameter and represents the hole size of a PAR36 globe. In other words, it'll drop right into place.
Note the top LED is adjustable for angle. That one can be a flood lens for taxiing, especially suited for you non -A drivers.
It exists on the computer only for now, but we should have some in time for Oshkosh where I'll be hanging out with the awesome crew from Flyboy Accessories, right behind the Van's display. :)


I am also very interested in this for the leading edge. When will these be available to those who are not going to Oshkosh?
 
The calendar is telling me I have about three weeks to design and have the circuit boards manufactured, and hand make enough units for you hungry folk out there before I leave for Oshkosh! (Oh, and I fly out to spend a week in the tropics with the family tomorrow... guess who's taking the laptop!)
They will be under $200 each.

The individual LEDs draw one amp for ~1200 lumens, so three amps for ~3600 lumens for the landing light and one amp for the flood in the picture above.


 
The calendar is telling me I have about three weeks to design and have the circuit boards manufactured, and hand make enough units for you hungry folk out there before I leave for Oshkosh! (Oh, and I fly out to spend a week in the tropics with the family tomorrow... guess who's taking the laptop!)
They will be under $200 each.

The individual LEDs draw one amp for ~1200 lumens, so three amps for ~3600 lumens for the landing light and one amp for the flood in the picture above.



Is that for the leading edge or wingtip light?

Carl
 
I just received my "The Works" kit today.

It went together quickly and easily (under 4 hours from start to finish),and these things are bright.

I may have ignored the bit in the instructions about being careful when you apply power to the LEDs as they are bright... It's one direction everyone should follow, sunglasses recommended. :cool:
 
For those of you lamenting the fact that you cut your leading edges already, don't! It's a fantastic spot for lights to go.
So if you already have some metalwork in there from Team Aerodynamix or Duckworks, how about this then?
PAR36-concept-2-1.jpg

Designed as an oversized board so that you can trim it to fit your application, but the larger circle around the spots is 100mm diameter and represents the hole size of a PAR36 globe. In other words, it'll drop right into place.
Note the top LED is adjustable for angle. That one can be a flood lens for taxiing, especially suited for you non -A drivers.
It exists on the computer only for now, but we should have some in time for Oshkosh where I'll be hanging out with the awesome crew from Flyboy Accessories, right behind the Van's display. :)


Yes, yes, and yes again. I love this, especially having the one unit angled down. My OCD and symmetriphilia has always been bothered by having one light aimed for taxi and the other for landing. :)
 
I think I've just decided on a lighting provider ;)

One question though--your manual is very specific about not using a power supply that puts out more than 14V. Will it be a problem to use this in an aircraft with a LiFePo battery (e.g. EarthX) with a system/charging voltage of around 13.9-14.6V?
 
Just finished fitting ?The Works?

I just finished fitting the works into my 7?s tips. Easy to do, even for a mug like me.:D
And I can confirm they are BRIGHT:cool:
 
I think I've just decided on a lighting provider ;)

One question though--your manual is very specific about not using a power supply that puts out more than 14V. Will it be a problem to use this in an aircraft with a LiFePo battery (e.g. EarthX) with a system/charging voltage of around 13.9-14.6V?

That should be OK. There will be a little more heat being generated by the linear regulators and resistors, but nothing too concerning.
I'm away from home, but I will test and confirm when I get back in ten days.

The concern with using battery chargers was that they can have much higher open circuit voltages.

 
Happy Customer!

Before:


After:




When I bought my RV-7A in March, the only significant squawk Vic Syracuse found on the pre-buy was that the plane was not night legal due to inadequate position lights.

So I purchased the standard FlyLEDS lights with the Skinny Boards, but had not yet installed them in the plane. Received what I believe is the first Works (upgrade) kit shipped to the US a couple of weeks ago, and got them installed in the plane last weekend.

All that remains is to complete the connections from the controller board (mounted under pilot's seat) to the switches on the control panel, remove the old Aeroelectric-design wig-wag circuit, and close up the seat pans.

I'm extremely happy with these lights. The product quality is top-notch, and it's clear that a lot of thought & work went into them.

Paul has been amazing to work with. I'm convinced that he doesn't sleep, as I get very quick replies to my (frequent) emails at all sorts of odd hours in AUS timezone.
 
Last edited:
Nothing on Website

There's nothing about the Leading Edge version on their website - yet.

I would like to be informed when they are available for those of us not going to Oshkosh.

If the price Paul indicated above holds true, I'm in for two units (one for each wing).
 
Individual landing/spot lights are now available for purchase on our website.

The larger "PAR36" light board is out for manufacture beginning Monday, however I anticipate that the required lead time will mean having them delivered direct to Oshkosh instead of Down Under.

 
Paul has some HID v FlyLed photos from an RV10 we both know of ;)
He should post them :D
I was hoping for a flight report first, but I guess the weather's been pretty average in Brisbane as well!
David spent a few days this week replacing his ageing MR16 HID lights with a Flyleds Works kit.
DB-RV10-Small.jpg


Sunday night:
DB-RV10-before-Small.jpg


Thursday night:
DB-RV10-after-Small.jpg



 
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