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Re: Landing Lights

Subject: Re: Landing Lights
From: Fred Fillinger <fillinger@ameritech.net>
Date: Sat, 28 Dec 2002 13:22:17
I bought a pair of 35W halogen lamps, 12-deg beam, but found them
barely adequate as mere taxi lights at night. Theory was that 70% of a
100W landing light would be 70% effective.  However, in then looking
up specs, the common 13V aircraft lamp has 110,000 candlepower at
similar beam width; the halogens 3500 cp. Or watt-for-watt, < 10% of
the aircraft (but short life, high amps) lamp.

Similarly in a daylight test on a dark overcast day, at 1,000 ft, you
can about see the halogen, but at that distance the airplane itself is
too big to miss visually.  At 1/2 mile, minimum for daytime safety I'd
think, forget it, as brightness decreases with square of distance or
1/7th as bright.  At one mile, that's 1/28th.  Then figure in a
brighter day.

Anyone know of decent candles w/o excessive $$ or amps?  Looked in GE
catalog, and no dice except actual aircraft lamps.

Regards,
Fred F.      

Kevin Taylor wrote:
> 
> I noticed on Thomas Schroeder's web site he has fitted landing lights to the
> wheel spats of his trigear. What a great Idea I thought, nicely hidden and
> effective. I like to be seen especially after last year when on a nil wind
> day a non radio plonker decided to land on a different runway to me!!
> 
> Anyone thought about doing it and putting a mod through?
> 
> Regards
> 
> Kevin


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