Avionics News May 2016 - 19

uring a recent visit with aircraft owners and pilots at a nearby general aviation airport, a
couple of the owners, partners in a Part 23 piston single, lamented an issue unforeseen when
they paired up to buy their circa 1960s aircraft.
"We've been replacing lights too often," one lamented. "Cockpit lights, in particular. We want to go
with a digital panel in our old bird for all the reasons you've heard before." But?
Well, the second partner chimed in, seems like they're always spending their extra money on
lights. Post lights, instrument lights, flood-light bulbs, reading lights.
To compound matters, their avionics shop told them they may need more juice than the 35-amp
generator produces if they want to go all glass and upgrade to an all-in-one GPS/nav/comm box and
a color display serving as a multifunction display and radio-control display - and replace the flight
instruments with a digital primary flight display and a second new nav/comm, an autopilot and new
audio-control panel.
"We truly didn't want to get under the cowl and get into alternators and regulators," the elder partner
explained as the junior partner injects, "But based on what we've been told, we
don't see a way out of upgrading the electricals, too."
A big sigh came from both.
About then came one word from another pilot and owner, one who recently finished building an experimental, amateur-built aircraft. "My bird
has a small alternator, only 20 amps, and it's got all glass, the autopilot, the
works. What helped me pull it off was the right lights, outside and inside
... all LEDs."
He proceeded to enlighten a couple of skeptical pilots, continuing,
"You could probably free up enough power by simply replacing all the
original lighting internal illumination sources with LED versions."
In the partners' one plane, that means swapping out about a dozen
post lights, a couple of cockpit flood lights, the cabin dome light and
step lights.
"You probably can keep the exterior lights if you go LEDs inside -
and still use the generator. But swapping outside would save you in
the long term if you did it as-needed."
Anxious to keep this project from getting them under the cowl, the
partners took notice and went off to consider the idea.
Putting aside the benefits of converting to an alternator of higher
output, the duo recognized the potential power savings available
from converting all the aircraft's illumination sources to the now
ubiquitous light emitting diode.
Between the self-illuminating aspects of the new boxes planned and replacing interior lights with
LEDs, the duo believed, sufficient savings existed to let their old generator continue to fling off electrons through the plane's wiring harnesses.

According to one
avionics shop owner, the

POWER SAVED

by converting to LED
lighting the interior of
a business jet helped
offset the higher load
imposed by a new cabinmanagement system.

Cabin lighting evolved
No surprise, electrical systems and illumination didn't make the Wright brothers' minimum
equipment list 113 years ago. In fact, most early aircraft lacked lighting and a way to power them.
But then, there were no aircraft radios nor enclosed fuselages and little to no night flying ... so
no lights.
Continued on following page
avionics news

may

2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News May 2016