Anyone swapped their Landing, Strobe or NAV lights for LEDs?

[FLY 7]

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

[ersa]

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

[krypton_john]

... and they are not affected by shock, vibration and temperature stress so should last for a long time - thousands of hours.

[jimf671]

What is the spectrum on these?

Has anyone in aviation done the work on blue light hazard and visual acuity with LED lighting?

[MarcK]

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 What hazard is that, then?

[Arm out the window]

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.

[triskele]

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.

[[email protected]]

Beware that some LED lighting isn't visible through NVD.

[Sir Korsky]

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:E

[tucumseh]

we're getting a lot of reflection back in the cockpit, thus defeating the purpose really.

Interesting point. Would you consider it necessary to assess / minimise reflections in the installation design?

I agree with the regs (yes). But MoD (for example) has ditched this requirement many moons ago.

[Gomer Pylot]

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.

[FLY 7]

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'.

[jimf671]

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

What hazard is that, then?


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.

[mnttech]

My engineer enquired and said - for Landing Light - normal bulb £20, LED £250. Replacement Strobe/Nav combo £450 x2.
Sure, but did he add the cost to replace the lamp each time?
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.

[EN48]

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.

[Eddie Dean]

EN48, same under Australian Regs.
There are non TSOd plug and play available but would need an Engineering Order( Part 21M in Aust) to make legal.

[ShyTorque]

I've been flying LED lit aircraft for almost ten years and quite a few units have failed exactly as Bruce described.

[Radix]

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