Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: G0ALY on October 30, 2011, 06:05:18 PM
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Hello, I have a left wingtip from a T-6 Texan that I want to display with working navigation lights. My question is, Why would this wingtip be set up for two individual lights? Would they both be red and one strobes? Or could one be clear?
(http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/695/wingtip.jpg)
I’m looking around, mostly on ebay, and it looks like Whelen or maybe Grimes lights would work. Any ideas?
Thanks
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normally strobes are white, but atleast one of those lights would be red. Bodhi would know exactly
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I knew the light should be red. In fact the guy who gave me the wingtip also gave me a red glass lens. But none of the other hardware for the light.
I just noticed while looking at the photo, that there is a hole in middle of the area of the second light. Perhaps from a rivet that was removed? Maybe the second light was an addition?
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well i was a smart boy and did my research, i looked up the T-6 wingtip lights and saw quite a few pics of it with only one light (meaning the second one could quite possibly be an addition) on it, and it was either white or red. i saw very few blue ones.
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The proper color for a navigation light on the left side is red
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I'm thinking the 2 holes are for the wiring, when the lights are attached it should look like one. Given that it's a left wing you'd have a red nav light in front and a strobe behind it. Some aircraft also have white nav light behind the strobe, but that's not required.
Examples:
(http://www.2aps.com/images/90340-90375strobe.jpg)
(http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/thumbnails/11-08172.jpg)
(http://www.flyplatinum.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P1010023.jpg)
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I believe the wingtip is set up for two separate light units. You can see the individual teardrop profiles. Each profile also has three mounting holes. Very similar to the holes in this wingtip light base.
(http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/9779/lightbase.jpg)
The two large holes would be for the sockets that the bulbs go into. Everything seems to line up.
Also, the single unit that you are referencing seems awfully new for a T-6. Thanks though!
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Yeah my pictures were a little new, I just wonted to give you an idea of it's supposed to look like.
The the 2 holes are indeed for separate light units, what are you going to have 6 lights on the wingtip? what for?
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Hello, I have a left wingtip from a T-6 Texan that I want to display with working navigation lights. My question is, Why would this wingtip be set up for two individual lights? Would they both be red and one strobes? Or could one be clear?
(http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/695/wingtip.jpg)
I’m looking around, mostly on ebay, and it looks like Whelen or maybe Grimes lights would work. Any ideas?
Thanks
are you sure that is from a texan? Ive flown them, but the ones i flew only had one Nav light.
Warbirds for the most part dont have strobes by design. If they do, then that is from the owners own doing.
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post deleted
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Most warbirds don't have any lights at all, right?
Incorrect. Most American aircraft (at least) had some sort of Nav/recognition lights on the wings, Landing Lights and Formation lights. However, None that i have seen ever had strobe lights (pulsing white lights), which is why when i said if they had them, it had to have been done by the private owner.
This got me curious about specifics on WWII aircraft, so i did a little searching on the net to see about aircraft other than the P-47, P-51, P-39, B-25, B-17, T-6, A-20H which i have all been arround or have looked through the photo logs of our previous aircraft.
this site seemed to have a good bit of knowledge on the subject. I found it quite interesting and it backed up my above statement
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/recognitiion-lights-11908.html
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Incorrect. Most American aircraft (at least) had some sort of Nav/recognition lights on the wings, Landing Lights and Formation lights. However, None that i have seen ever had strobe lights (pulsing white lights), which is why when i said if they had them, it had to have been done by the private owner.
This got me curious about specifics on WWII aircraft, so i did a little searching on the net to see about aircraft other than the P-47, P-51, P-39, B-25, B-17, T-6, A-20H which i have all been arround or have looked through the photo logs of our previous aircraft.
this site seemed to have a good bit of knowledge on the subject. I found it quite interesting and it backed up my above statement
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/recognitiion-lights-11908.html
Yeah I realized that some time after I made the post. That's why I deleted the post with the hopes that you would not notice it.
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Yeah I realized that some time after I made the post. That's why I deleted the post with the hopes that you would not notice it.
lol ya, i wrote the first part then got curious and came back and finished with the second posted then saw you deleted it lol...
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Hello, I have a left wingtip from a T-6 Texan that I want to display with working navigation lights. My question is, Why would this wingtip be set up for two individual lights? Would they both be red and one strobes? Or could one be clear?
(http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/695/wingtip.jpg)
I’m looking around, mostly on ebay, and it looks like Whelen or maybe Grimes lights would work. Any ideas?
Thanks
As a former Grimes employee I am pretty sure you will be able to fit something in there from that place. A lot of the new aircraft flying today still use the same lights from WWII. They are now owned by Honeywell. Call & ask for the marketing department they should point you in the right direction. :aok
https://commerce.honeywell.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/NECategoryDisplay?catalogId=10251&storeId=10651&categoryId=53435&langId=-1
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I knew the light should be red. In fact the guy who gave me the wingtip also gave me a red glass lens. But none of the other hardware for the light.
I just noticed while looking at the photo, that there is a hole in middle of the area of the second light.
Has the glass have a raised Grimes name on it? Or stamped on the glass edge.
Two slightly different lights most likely one with the hole would be for the original light & the second was added later for what ever purpose. Due to a better design no hole was needed as the wires & mountings are all one piece.
At a best guess.
Or just a screw hole in the wing,rivet like you said?
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As it happens I have an Osprey Colour Series book on the T6 published in 1991. Lots and lots of pics, not one with a double light fitting. So it seems to be a later modification probably for a strobe.
I came across this on the Banaire website. It would seem to fit the bill. although it says it's for an early type nav light. Which were fitted above and below the wing rather than on the tips.
(http://www.banaire.com/Images/37B-4962%20-1%20LIGHT.jpg) There are coupe of warbirds suppliers out there supplying T6 parts. I'm sure you could be up and running in no time.
What colour would you paint the wingtip? Me it would have to Insignia Yellow, the classic T6 colour.
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well i was a smart boy and did my research, i looked up the T-6 wingtip lights and saw quite a few pics of it with only one light (meaning the second one could quite possibly be an addition) on it, and it was either white or red. i saw very few blue ones.
He's right, that's an odd-ball wingtip to have two, likely a custom addition, however both are of the same size and shape as the single-mounted original would be... my bet would be some insurance/safety requirement had to of been met, so they added the addition and tried their best to make it look original. Had you posted this friday I woulda grabed some pictures for you on Saturday when I was working next to two.
As it happens I have an Osprey Colour Series book on the T6 published in 1991. Lots and lots of pics, not one with a double light fitting. So it seems to be a later modification probably for a strobe.
I came across this on the Banaire website. It would seem to fit the bill. although it says it's for an early type nav light. Which were fitted above and below the wing rather than on the tips.
(http://www.banaire.com/Images/37B-4962%20-1%20LIGHT.jpg) There are coupe of warbirds suppliers out there supplying T6 parts. I'm sure you could be up and running in no time.
What colour would you paint the wingtip? Me it would have to Insignia Yellow, the classic T6 colour.
Those look more original, the ones on ours are modern replacements (same general shape and design, but more plastic and acrilic).
are you sure that is from a texan? Ive flown them, but the ones i flew only had one Nav light.
Warbirds for the most part dont have strobes by design. If they do, then that is from the owners own doing.
I am fairly certain, it's extremely similar to two of ours (an SNJ-4 and SNJ-5), I've been cursing and trying to buff out a wicked ding in the paint on one of our two Texan's left wing tip... typical Texan pilot :P
OK, but seriously, it looks to be from a earlier Texan wingtip, very much like our SNJ-4 or SNJ-5
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Goaly,
Are you looking to hook the lights up to household electric supply or are you going to use some other source of power?
If your looking to use something with 110 volts,check out undercabinet lights,the type you find in kitchens! you can get round puck lights in halogen or xenon. If you have the proper lenses for the lights you should have no problems mounting those puck lights and have it working.
And with a name like Goaly you should be right at home with "puck" lights....... :devil Oh and they're not very expensive either!
:salute
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Thanks for all of the info! I am also reasonably certain that the second light was an add-on. Perhaps that is why this wingtip was in the corner of the shop. It was probably replaced by a correct wingtip somewhere down the line.
Here is a picture of the full tip. I plan to mount it on this piece of oak. The bottom part of the photo is cropped to give an idea of the final dimensions.
(http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/7232/tip2u.jpg)
As for the lighting, I plan to use 110volt bulbs. A red bulb in the front fixture, and a blinking clear bulb in the back. Not too bright, because I don’t want them to overpower everything else in the garage. I am considering these recognition lights that are on ebay for the housings. http://www.ebay.com/itm/400253139670?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/400253139670?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649)
For sixteen bucks, delivery included, I can try to grind off the outer flange and make them fit. If it doesn’t work, I won’t have wasted a ton of money. I am keeping my eyes open for other options though.
As for painting the wingtip, I had honestly never thought about it. But I will now keep that in mind.
Thanks for all of the ideas!
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Goaly,
those are 24volt lights,you'll need a stepdown transformer to bring house current down to 24 volts. Maybe look at some wired outdoor lighting,they may have a 24 volt transformer but other than that good luck. you might have an easier time finding a 12 volt transformer and maybe some automotive lighting.
Really if you have the lenses it shouldnt matter what you use to illuminate them,those cabinet lights use IIRC 25 volts and have a transformer so you have plenty of options,it just a matter of selecting a light and any transformer if needed.
hope that helps,besides puck lights and goalies I just couldnt resist. :D
:salute
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An update on the project. I bought these grimes light fixtures on ebay. The total with shipping was only $12.90!
(http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/1175/grimes.jpg)
The red lens was given to me with the wingtip, I still need to find a clear lens. I’m hoping to find something cheap to fill the spot. Maybe the plastic bubble from a gumball machine trinket. Who knows.
I have decided to use LEDs to illuminate the lights. A solid light for the red and a strobe for the clear. That should not cost too much. The rest of the project: painting (I am seriously considering the suggestion of insignia yellow.), staining, etc. will probably be put on hold until spring. I’ll post a new thread when the project is finished.
Thanks for all the help!
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An update on the project. I bought these grimes light fixtures on ebay. The total with shipping was only $12.90!
(http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/1175/grimes.jpg)
The red lens was given to me with the wingtip, I still need to find a clear lens. I’m hoping to find something cheap to fill the spot. Maybe the plastic bubble from a gumball machine trinket. Who knows.
I have decided to use LEDs to illuminate the lights. A solid light for the red and a strobe for the clear. That should not cost too much. The rest of the project: painting (I am seriously considering the suggestion of insignia yellow.), staining, etc. will probably be put on hold until spring. I’ll post a new thread when the project is finished.
Thanks for all the help!
I have made those very lights when I was at Grimes.
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well i was a smart boy and did my research, i looked up the T-6 wingtip lights and saw quite a few pics of it with only one light (meaning the second one could quite possibly be an addition) on it, and it was either white or red. i saw very few blue ones.
i think tupac nailed it. probably a strobe added.
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A quick update… I purchased a 9volt setup for the lights. An ebay seller custom built them for under twenty bucks. It saved me hours of time and many headaches!
(http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9593/lights2.jpg)
(see it in video here) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWev_PiI3Qw
I am considering switching the constant-on LED from white to red in order to deepen the color. I will also lengthen the wires between the on/off switch and the circuit board. But I am very happy with the results. Although I still need to find a clear lens to cover the strobe.
In the spring, I will paint the wingtip yellow and mount it on an backboard.
This will be displayed above the Beech 18 rudder I just finished, and between some landing gear parts that I just purchased. (I will begin that project once the first parts arrive.)
Once again, thanks for the help and suggestions! Cheers
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Nice,
looks like you got things under control,should look cool when it's done! still going to use a strobe??
:salute
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Nice,
looks like you got things under control,should look cool when it's done! still going to use a strobe??
:salute
The strobe is already built directly into the little circuit board. The LED behind the red lens remains on constantly. The second LED where the clear lens will be mounted, flashes once very second.
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Yet another update… While sifting through a box of odds and ends from an estate sale, I found two sleeves of 1950s flash bulbs. I thought, “What are the chances this glass would fit into the space where I need a clear lens on the wingtip?”.
I wrapped a strip of masking tape around the (very thin) bulb to keep it from shattering, and cut it in half with a cut-off wheel on a high speed Dremel tool. It fits great! If not permanent, it will at least do until a better lens comes along.
(http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/7210/clears.jpg)
CHEERS! goaly
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Cool stuff. The company I work for here in nh makes the LED version of the wintip and nav lights, the tail position lights, etc. Also we make the military formation lights earlier mentuined, but those are electroluminescent rather than LED or incandescent. We also make HID wing landing and taxi lights. We have also fitted the interior exit and escape path lighting on countless aircraft, including A380 and now A350.
I love my job. Almost 20 years, last five as production supervisor, and always something new. It is quite cool.
Bob
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Cool stuff. The company I work for here in nh makes the LED version of the wintip and nav lights, the tail position lights, etc. Also we make the military formation lights earlier mentuined, but those are electroluminescent rather than LED or incandescent. We also make HID wing landing and taxi lights. We have also fitted the interior exit and escape path lighting on countless aircraft, including A380 and now A350.
I love my job. Almost 20 years, last five as production supervisor, and always something new. It is quite cool.
Bob
I'm jealous, you have over 20 years of working in aviation, and the hardest thing you've had to do was change a light bulb... No, but seriously, I'm jealous, a good/interesting job that's involved with aviation, can't get much better imo. :aok
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Nice work :aok
If I was still at Grimes I could have got you a lens a large number of them fail final inspection for any number of reasons.
They just throw in the trash.
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I'm jealous, you have over 20 years of working in aviation, and the hardest thing you've had to do was change a light bulb... No, but seriously, I'm jealous, a good/interesting job that's involved with aviation, can't get much better imo. :aok
I wish it was closer to aviation than it is. I just get to see what lights them, inside and out, tip to tail. I never get to be part of the install, we ship our products and the customer does all that. Though I did have to go to the Lockheed plant in DFW once, and that was quite awsome to see our lights installed on the F-16 up close on the production line.
Bob
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Nice work :aok
If I was still at Grimes I could have got you a lens a large number of them fail final inspection for any number of reasons.
They just throw in the trash.
Come on, you know the reasons. The engineers have to come up with a spec that the vendor can meet within a reasonable price range, and then QC looks at the passing product and says "the customer wil never accept this" and makes you toss out passing product. :furious :bhead
Bob