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Re: Europa-List: Monowheel dual sealed beam?

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Monowheel dual sealed beam?
From: Richard Holder <rholder@avnet.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 10:07:52

> Lockwood Aviation has a nice little landing light for 25 bucks and I tested
> it to draw 3.7 amps.  Appears to be plenty bright enough.
> 
> Steve 
> A143, Mesa AZ 

Landing lights :

The current will depend on the wattage. An H1 or H3 (I think) halogen
headlight bulb is 55w which divided by 12 volts is 4.6 amps. This would be
bearable for the taxi take off approach and taxi time that it would be
needed for.

However on my day-VFR Europa (UK - PFA) the only reason for a landing light
is to be seen by others (normally on finals when others are contemplating
lining up in front of me). So visibility. Visibility requires as much light
directed to where someone might be looking. So a narrow beam light with a
good reflector will send more light to a given point. It is therefore
important that the beam is pointed exactly in the right direction.

This is hard to do.

Nigel bought two lights for 4 and they had fancy looking bluish lenses. But
at  4 the pair with halogen bulbs they were never going to be too good
optically. He faired one in, under the spinner, but it is invisible from the
ground. We tried it ! There wasn't even a slivered reflector behind the
bulb. Nice idea. But it didn't work :-( It looks good in the cowling !

Richard
Richard F.W. Holder                      01279 842804 (POTS)
Bell House, Bell Lane,                   01279 842942 (fax)
Widford, Ware, Herts,                    07860 367423 (mobile)
SG12 8SH                                 email : rholder@avnet.co.uk
Europa Classic Tri-gear : G-OWWW, EGSG (Stapleford)
PA-28-181 : Piper Archer : G-JANA, EGSG (Stapleford)




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