Navigation lights

[Andy Boylett]

Hi, Can anyone tell me what the best or recommended position for the red/green/white lights is please?

I am also fitting landing ligths and these will be about 2/3 of the way out (either side) on the leading edge of the wing.

[Chris Lane]

Andy,

Same as ships - left wingtip has the red (port wine is red!), right wing tip (stbd) has the green, and the tail has the white. The horizontal arcs of visibility for red and green are from ahead to "two points abaft the beam" which is 112deg from ahead. The white is from 112deg to 248deg. Each light should be visible from vertically above to vertically below.

Good luck - Chris

[Andy Boylett]

Thanks Chris,
I was unsure where they go in relation to the end of the wing or the front, but that is dead clear. I have done a little picture so I can remember. Is this right?

ab2011-03-04 Plane lights.jpg (15.32 KiB) Viewed 6709 times

[Mark Partington 2989]

There should be an overlap of each pair of lights, so you can see which direction the aircraft is moving.

[Andy Boylett]

There should be an overlap of each pair of lights, so you can see which direction the aircraft is moving.

Thanks Mark.
I am trying to decide where on the end of the wing the lights should be fitted. I have not fitted these befoe so am unsure where on the curve of the tip they should go. The LED lights I amusing will not have a sufficiently big viewing arc to cover the 112Deg, even without an overlap . I can't find scale drawings or full size picture to guide me either. I have put a scale pic below. I am guessing the light goes on the end of the tip curve but maybe slightly towards the front?

F101.jpg

[John Rickett]

Andy, The angles are nearly correct - in being predantic, the rear should be 135 degrees, as the others should be 112.5 degrees. It doesn't matter where on the tips the lights are fitted provided there is an unobstructed view through the angles shown.
For your aeroplane there two things to remember, it's a home build so for the reason above, the each aircraft could be different depending on what was convenient to the builder. But more importantly, unless the builder wanted lights for the aesthetic effect, they wouldn't be fitted as an uncertificated aircraft is not allowed to fly at night.

[Chris Lane]

Andy

Here is a Cessna 152 wing tip showing the green light housing. It's quite small and typically on the forward end of the wing tip. The white tail light is the tiny bulge at the top of the rudder. The lump on the top of the fin is an anti-collision beacon.

The standard lamp units are about 40mm diameter but are often housed in larger moulded clear perspex housings.

Chris

[Andy Boylett]

Andy,
But more importantly, unless the builder wanted lights for the aesthetic effect, they wouldn't be fitted as an uncertificated aircraft is not allowed to fly at night.

John, Thank you. That explains why I cannot find any details of lights on this aircraft