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LED configuration for night flying on Delta wing?
Does anyone have suggestions for how LEDs should be configured (numbers, locations, colors) for evening and night flying on delta wing planes ranging from 24" to 48"? Also, what brightness LEDs would be best?
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I've been flying alot at night lately. Mostly and actually preferably in total darkness. This is what I've learnt (sometimes the hard way )
3500 mcd's is a good brightness. Less is harder to see, more is harder on the eyes. I tried 10,000 and found my eyes were seeing spots after flying. Green is the easiest color to see (imho) and appears the brightest per mcd. Blue appears very bight in a shop-like environment, but in practice is very hard to see at a distance. Red is easy to see at a distance, but tends to get blurred easily. 2 red lights not spaced far enough apart will appear as one. Shine them on the airplane, don't try to use them soley as orientation markers. It doesn't take much to see the shape of the airplane, that is primarily what I use to orientate. I do also use specific "Markers" in specific places for long distance orientation. NEVER have an commonly used angle of veiwing that doesn't have at least 2 lights visible. My last plane didn't have any lights viewable when in a head on desent attitude. (coming right at me - in the dark DOH!!) Keep the lighting plan consistent and simple. You don't want to be 200' out trying to remember if red over green in front of white is inverted or not. I avoid flying in areas where there is alot of "other" bright lights around. Not only does it destoy your normal night vision, but catch a blast directly in the eye from a bright streetlight and you can't see your well lit plane for a couple seconds.... Have fun, I love flying at night. The hardest part is not hitting unlit obstacles or the ground LOL |
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Also beware of having too many lights. I had a slimer with 45 lights on it, 3 red on the left wing, 3 green on the right wing and the rest white on wings, fuse & tail. It was actually harder to keep my mind oriented than fewer lights as it was a cacophony of light points. Too much can be enough. It is a blast though.
Steve-S |
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45 lights!! Wow.
3 other things I forgot. ALWAYS take a flashlight with you when night flying. It's so easy to "just" set something down, like an expensive Lipo pack and then not be able to find it after flying for a while in a dark soccer feild.....or step on it. Test for interference, range and amp draw with all lights on and motor running etc b4 you actually fly for real in the dark. Apparantly coils of magnet wire stuffed in between the ESC and RX are bad - very bad. Don't ask how I found out. Depending on your situation, you might want to consider having at least one light on a separate RX outlet or independant power supply. If you put all your eggs in that one basket and something fails that takes out all your lights.........It hasn't happened to me yet, but I am concerned about that. |
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Tip for night flyers:
When you take a flashlight with you out to the field, take a red lense cover for it. If you have to look at something (or your buddy does) have them use the light with the red cover over it. It doesn't destroy your night vision like an uncovered light does. I used to fly full scale. Always had a red flashlight. It is amazing how much they light up the area without blinding you to the darkness. Night flying, in the cabin, you NEVER turned on an uncovered light. Red lights only. |
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