LED landing/taxi lights

[roamak]

So after going through several pages of led wing tip lights from George's thread a while back I am now looking at landing and taxi lights. LED of course!
Anyone find a light that will replace our great 3 hour lights? I see the nice ones in Spruce and just wonder if there is a good option available to go the route of the wing tip strobes? George, what you got in your wings?!
Thanks for any info!
Greg

[daedaluscan]

This has been discussed at length on the Backcountry site:

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/communi ... ight-14505

[DaveF]

From what I've read, it looks like the choices are three types of PMA lamps and one "tractor" lamp.
Whelen Parmetheus $229, AeroLeds $325 or $438, Teledyne Alphabeam $275, Trilliant $90. Current Aircraft Spruce pricing for the first three. The more expensive AeroLeds have auto-flash. AeroLeds and Whelen have either taxi and landing beam types, Alphabeam are one type only, about the same beam width as the others' landing light.

I hate how much these things cost, but I hate even more having bulbs burn out and not knowing until I need them. Also, I've been very impressed by how well I can see LED-equipped airplanes during the day.

From what I've been able to gather, the AeroLeds and Alphabeam are the brightest, but nobody seems disappointed with their Whelens. The Trilliant is either just as bright or somewhat less bright than the others, depending on whom you ask. When my next 4509 burns out I'll replace it with one of the PMA lamps, still unsure which. I'd have no heartburn installing the tractor bulb (the 4509 isn't TSO'd or PMA'd either), but I don't feel like spending $100 to experiment and find out I don't like it.

George and BL know that after I spend $300 on a light bulb I'll be back here telling you guys how much I like it!!

[bagarre]

Where is the requirement for a Taxi or Landing light to be TSO'd when there isn't even a requirement to have a Taxi or Landing light to fly at night?

Although LEDs are much more visible from a distance ( recognition ), they do not project as well for recognition. The spectrum of light is less wide and thus more easily absorbed by atmospheric dust/mist/fog and there is less spectrum to reflect off the objects back to you. So, great for being seen, not so great for seeing.

I put an LED in my Taxi light which I leave on most all the time but still have a regular lamp in the landing light

[DaveF]

Brightness, beam projection, spectrum ... that's the complication that has kept me from spending the money. I like the 4509 as a landing light, but the LED is a much more effective anticollision light.

What kind of LED lamp do you have?

[bagarre]

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/el/ ... d62120.php

Pretty sure that's the one. Was almost a year ago.

My Taxi/Landing lights are on separate switch positions so I can leave my Taxi on without the Landing.
The method's been discussed here on how to rewire the piano switch so UP is taxi and DOWN is both.

[DaveF]

That's an interesting option. I knew that if I tried to summarize the choices I'd miss something good. Thanks for the link.

I see the unit you referenced uses Rigid Industries optics. I saw their display at OSH 2012, and was very impressed. Rigid's landing light threw a bright beam on the far wall of the large display hangar, in the daylight. It was far superior to any other light I saw there.

[GAHorn]

Where is the requirement for a Taxi or Landing light to be TSO'd when there isn't even a requirement to have a Taxi or Landing light to fly at night?...

There is no requirement that the incandescent lamps meet TSO or PMA. They are "standard" parts. They are also subject to AC 23-27. They are a similar situation as your rudder nav light... a common automotive lamp.

I have standard 4509 landing lamps and 4461 taxi lamps in my custom dual light installations written about elsewhere.

I have on order an LED which claims to be a "perfect" replacement for the 4509, which I will trial and write about here and perhaps the 170 news. It is U.S. made by Grote and costs about $100 at amazon. I plan to install it in one of my dual landing lamp mounts, and thereby have a fair comparison of the performance versus the original incandescent 4509. I am not doing this because I want/need LED land/taxi lamps. I consider $100 each to be outrageous. I am only doing this out of LOVE for you guys.

It arrives in a few days and I'll try to get a report written by the end of the month.

For the impatient, here is the product, and it sells for $99.99 at Amazon plus $10 shipping.
Grote Trilliant® 36 LED Whitelight Work Lamp 63821-5

[DaveF]

I don't think $100 is outrageous, assuming the thing works ok. Depending on what components they use and their volumes, I think they're probably selling these for 3 to 4 times materials cost. That's not bad for a technology product.

[blueldr]

Strangely enough, my old '52 C-170B never seemed to consume landing and taxi lights. I did have a friend who had a C-172 with the lights on the engine cowling. It was leased to a flying club and ate up the lights regularly. I moved the lights out to the wings and that seemed to solve the problem.

[roamak]

Thanks for the info everyone Im interested in what George finds out as I really don't want to drop a couple big bills on a light but will if nothing comes up. Im so sick of changing lights every oil change I could have paid for it years ago!

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Here is a link to a PDF from Grote which on the second page shows some pretty promising actual picture comparisons of the same light from a tractor with incandescent and the same tractor with the Grote LED replacement.

http://www.grote.com/prodcat/attachment ... racket.pdf

[GAHorn]

Unfortunately, that pdf file only claims comparison with certain PAR36 lamps...such as the 4461 which is a 60-watt lamp...not a 100-watt such as the 4509. Therefore I'm not convinced the photos of comparison are valid for our landing lamps. I'll know in a few days when it arrives and will take photos if possible.

[blueldr]

George,
I'm so touched to hear that you truly love me I'm crying tears of joy as big as horse turds and in appreciation of your generous service in this experiment I am willing to send you a buck to help defray the expenses for your experimental light.

Is your snail mail address the one in the directory?

Now if you can find 99 more such touchees ----- ???

[GAHorn]

Are you sending me paper monetary certificates? or .... your tears?