LED landing lights

[cook11]

Just wondering what LED landing lights you guys are using? I have no idea what's involved with adding LED landing lights and I am hoping someone could steer me in the right direction. Can you use the existing landing light assembly and just replace the bulbs or is it better to replace the old landing light assembly with a new kit? Are there even kits available for LED's? I am interested in the strobe feature I have seen on some aircraft.

Thanks!

[Steve Pierce]

Google "LED Landing light site:shortwingpipers.org" and you'll find several good threads. https://www.shortwingpipers.org/foru...-Landing-Light

[Glen Geller]

Two options that I have heard have good results in performance, brightness, longevity and reduced electrical load are these:

Regular Output:
https://www.larsenlights.com/par-36s...-light-20-spot
1450 lumen, Current: 1.05A @ 12V, Power: ~15 watt (assuming ~13.4V)
$27

High Output:
https://www.larsenlights.com/high-ou...r-36-spot-beam
1700 lumen, Current: 1.8A @ 12V, Power: ~25W (assuming ~13.4V)
$34

In a Tri-Pacer and Pacer, the consensus among those I spoke with was two spots was preferred over flood for landing, spot for taxiing.
The flood was less effective at illuminating the runway on final approach and flare (LL switch to "Both".)

GG

PS:
While you have most of the lamp mounting stuff out, remove all the parts, clean & paint flat black if needed, and reassemble the aft mounts (where the lamp will mount) with the screws pre-installed from the back, and short nylok nuts or nuts with Loctite, good and tight.
Now the threaded end is facing forward! Easy to install the lamp, front plate and nylok nuts up front using a nut driver. Far less colorful language involved.
Or, if you have appropriate skills, hardware, and tools, you could install nutplates on the rear of the fixed mounts.
Of course, with LED lamps you might not have to replace a lamp for ten or twenty years...

[andya]

Glen

I might be misinterpreting "two spots was preferred over flood for landing, spot for taxiing."
then
"flood was less effective at illuminating the runway on final approach and flare "

So does that mean go with two spots but would use both spots selected on for landing and taxi or just landing?

[akflyer]

Glen

I might be misinterpreting "two spots was preferred over flood for landing, spot for taxiing."
then
"flood was less effective at illuminating the runway on final approach and flare "

So does that mean go with two spots but would use both spots selected on for landing and taxi or just landing?

I have a spot and flood in each wing. Spot for landing and flood for taxi, but I wired them to run all at once with the twist of the knob, or alternate left and right wig wag for visibility in the air.

[Wag-builder]

I don't like LED landing lights in the Tripacer. They are like laser beams and will light the far end of a 4500' runway, but not the sides. I was hit by a deer on landing because he ran across the runway under the focused beam of light and I had no idea what hit the plane. Yes, they are brighter and use less current, but if they do not illuminate the runway they are useless at night. But to answer your question, they are a drop in replacement.

[akflyer]

I don't like LED landing lights in the Tripacer. They are like laser beams and will light the far end of a 4500' runway, but not the sides. I was hit by a deer on landing because he ran across the runway under the focused beam of light and I had no idea what hit the plane. Yes, they are brighter and use less current, but if they do not illuminate the runway they are useless at night. But to answer your question, they are a drop in replacement.

You can get various light patterns and a combo of flood and spot make for a seriously good landing light system. Way better than the old standard bulbs.

[andya]

so from above, almost sounds like with both the spot and flood lit up for landing, that should be pretty good for approach and landing??

[Wag-builder]

I have one spot and one flood. There is just not a large enough envelope of light for flying at night with only the lights in the left wing. The standard lights aren't as bright, and I cannot see the other end of the runway, but I can see the sides of the runway!

[Gilbert Pierce]

I think it depends on the light manufacture and how the lense is designed. I get good illumination on the sides from the flood.