Position lights on fuselage?

[ynkster]

I would put a piece of plastic tube on grommets with a string inside, tied off at each end then you could pull wires thru at your pleasure. I did that on mine, and the wires are now in it! its easy while you can get at your ribs.

[ykachuro]

Of course. Or a conduit like Van's supplies or similar, which would actually be handier than grommmets/busshings for pulling wires later, but heavier as well. Or other methods could be experimented with. Putting a protective sleave around the wires (maybe srink wrap them in the areas they would be touching the ribs when pulled) or something similar. I am at least momths away from that decision -- the rest of the kits is still a few weeks away.

[RonFranck]

" I may pull a string through the wings so that I could fish the wires through later."

Simply pulling wires through the wing will not satisfy a chaff-free installation of those wires. Grommets or plastic bushings are needed to protect your wiring against an electrical short. If nothing else, provide a properly protected path for anything you intend to pull later. Just my two cents worth......

[ykachuro]

Bill, thank you for you kind words!

I will likely skip the lights initially. I want to get it built and flying asap. I don't think I will have the patience for a multi-year project without reaching the goal of getting it flying. I will mess with lights later if I decide I want them. I may pull a string through the wings so that I could fish the wires through later.

[blueisthenewblack]

In the spirit of DIY, one option I'm considering is:
http://flyleds.com/

I sent an e-mail about the feasibility of using this on a Panther and here is the reply I got:

Thanks for your query! That's a great looking plane you're building there.

How are your fibreglassing skills? I don't have the facilities here to make the corners for the lights, but I can't imagine it to be too difficult (apart from making that first cut!) to make them yourself.
Van's sells the pre-formed lenses for not a lot of money for all of their wings.

You can get an idea of the various Vans wing sizes from the templates file that I keep on the Flyleds website, also attached. (Make sure to set your printer to 100%, and not 'fit to page'.) If your wing profile height is similar to one of the Van's wings, then I have a kit for you!

I hope that's of some use to you. If there's anything else I can help with, please ask.

Regards,
Paul McVitty

[Jinkers]

Since the subject of lights came up... I am looking for the lowest cost minimum legal lighting solution. What are others using?

Thanks,

Scott

[aerobat]

Yuri,

I'll do the same thing with explanations and questions sometimes.

Looked through your build log, fine looking work!

[ykachuro]

Thank you! It's funny how I phrased my question.

Yes, it's most likely a losing argument trying to convence a DAR or the FAA.

[JimParker256]

I think you were right (possible Freudian slip?) when you said "I question whether having removable wings makes it 'impractical' to place the position lights in the wingtips..." If they were rotary wings (helicopter or gyroplane), that would be a different story. But wingtips lights for removable wings? Really? It's been done a thousand times.

But I've been wrong before (plenty of times!), so I ran it by our local DAR to see what he would say. He laughed, and said that using a "quick-disconnect" fitting in the wiring near the wing root would be a very "practical" way to resolve the issue (one that has been used many times in the past), so he would not even consider an argument that removable wings made it "impractical" to locate the position lights on the wing tips.

Good luck with YOUR local DAR if you take that approach...

[ykachuro]

"§25.1385 Position light system installation.
....
(b)... Forward position lights must consist of a red and a green light spaced laterally as far apart as practicable and installed forward on the airplane so that, with the airplane in the normal flying position, the red light is on the left side and the green light is on the right side. Each light must be approved."

I question whether having removable wings makes it "impractical" to place the position lights in the wingtips and makes them legal to be placed on the side of the fuselage. Has anyone heard or seen another experimental aircraft with removable wings with position lights other than on the wingtips?

I see my panther as a day VFR airplane for 99% of the time. But I'd like to have options for the future or for those very occassional sunset flights. Pulling wires and placing position lights in the wingtips may not be worth it for me, especially if I would be removing the wings regularly. A couple of small/light position lights on the side of the fusalage might be practical though. I believe the position lights would meet the dihedral requirements. Admitedly, I would also most likely need the rear position light in the tail. The built-in strobe lights in the position lights would satisfy the anti-collision light requirements.