Anyone swapped their Landing, Strobe or NAV lights for LEDs?
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Anyone swapped their Landing, Strobe or NAV lights for LEDs?
Just wondered if they were worthwhile:
- Are they better - i.e. brighter/more effective?
- Cooler (temp-wise)?
- More durable?
- Easy to change (by an engineer)?
- Roughly how much?
thanks
- Are they better - i.e. brighter/more effective?
- Cooler (temp-wise)?
- More durable?
- Easy to change (by an engineer)?
- Roughly how much?
thanks
they should be a direct swop, our A/C have been done.
they run far cooler, they draw less power.
the landing light is a narrow beam rather than a splay of light
they run far cooler, they draw less power.
the landing light is a narrow beam rather than a splay of light
A few times each year, research comes to light that stakes a claim that LED-based lighting is inherently dangerous, presumably because of an excess of energy in the blue end of the human visual sensitivity spectrum. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a fact sheet on the topic that refutes any such issues and concludes that white LED light is no more hazardous than light from other sources
LED beacons and nav lights on our helicopters, nice and bright and no signs of playing up after a couple of years. What a great invention the LED is - definitely way better than globes in many ways.
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led concern
Interesting, I put a old type multi led lamp on the lathe, brilliant light, but I couldn't seem to focus on the spinning chuck, focus not really the right word, more the chuck didn't seem to grab my attention. 2 dings and near loss of fingers later and it was binned. The later SMD type didn't induce this weird innattention effect.
Beware that some LED lighting isn't visible through NVD.
They are a double edge sword. I regularly have to switch them off during night VFR. Even with small amounts of visible moisture, we're getting a lot of reflection back in the cockpit, thus defeating the purpose really. However, they do look great from a distance
we're getting a lot of reflection back in the cockpit, thus defeating the purpose really.
I agree with the regs (yes). But MoD (for example) has ditched this requirement many moons ago.
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To the OP's questions: Yes to all, except the last, I have no idea of the cost in UK. They are brighter than incandescent bulbs, and orders of magnitude more durable. They're drop-in replacements, so any engineer should be able to change them without issues.
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Some clarity on costs would be useful.
My engineer enquired and said - for Landing Light - normal bulb £20, LED £250. Replacement Strobe/Nav combo £450 x2.
So, not cheap! This is for an EN480'B'.
My engineer enquired and said - for Landing Light - normal bulb £20, LED £250. Replacement Strobe/Nav combo £450 x2.
So, not cheap! This is for an EN480'B'.
A few times each year, research comes to light that stakes a claim that LED-based lighting is inherently dangerous, presumably because of an excess of energy in the blue end of the human visual sensitivity spectrum. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a fact sheet on the topic that refutes any such issues and concludes that white LED light is no more hazardous than light from other sources
I think that will probably be the hazard where the Americans and others study rats and find no risk and the French study pigs and find a risk but the Americans don't read anything not published in English.
My engineer enquired and said - for Landing Light - normal bulb £20, LED £250. Replacement Strobe/Nav combo £450 x2.
So a new 4596 28V 250 lamp costs $70.00 each, and the LED Alphabeam replacement is $275. How long (including the paper work) does it take your engineer to replace it? Say a hour at $100. The life of that 4596 is 25 hours, the LED > 5,000 hours. You are going to replace the 4596 about 200 times (assuming no other issue) before you replace the LED. That is $20,000 in maintenance costs. Bell and Airbus Helicopters have both gone to LED.
Flip side, as crab noted, LED's may or may not be visible under NVG. A windmill farm east of here has hundreds of LED lights that are all invisible under NVGs, as are many taxiway lights in the US.
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While perhaps in some cases an easy install from a technical standpoint, I have been advised that an STC may be required to make the swap legal in the U.S. May vary by country.
Avoid imitations
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I've been flying LED lit aircraft for almost ten years and quite a few units have failed exactly as Bruce described.