Fiber optic guide for nav lights

I was wondering if anyone has considered using a lightpipe or
fiberoptic bundle for nav lights. I am considering it for the rear nav
light (white) on my Europa. Is it feasible? Anyone know where I can buy
these lightpipes?

I should clarify. I don't mean the small acrylic stub on Cessna wings
that lets you see the nav light from the cockpit. What I mean is a
lightpipe to send the light from an LED illuminator lcoated inside the
fuselage to the tip of the rudder (or wings).

But the problem is high power LED's like Luxeons require hefty
heatsinks, which makes them not so attractive in composite structures
or confined spaces. That's why I thought a fiber optic illuminator
might be an attractive solution.

wrote in message
ups.com...
I should clarify. I don't mean the small acrylic stub on Cessna wings
that lets you see the nav light from the cockpit. What I mean is a
lightpipe to send the light from an LED illuminator lcoated inside the
fuselage to the tip of the rudder (or wings).\

I don't see the advantage of doing what you are proposing.

The typical nav LED nav light has a cluster of several LED's, both for
pattern, and for brightness. I don't believe you could get the necessary
brightness for one location, let alone multiple locations, using a single
LED, or even a couple.

Even if you clustered the LED's at a central location, and piped them out to
the remote locations using fiber optics, do you think the weight or
complexity would be less? I can't imagine how. You might need lenses to
correctly distibute the light also, which would not be needed with the LED's
out at the locations.
--
Jim in NC

wrote:
But the problem is high power LED's like Luxeons require hefty
heatsinks, which makes them not so attractive in composite structures
or confined spaces. That's why I thought a fiber optic illuminator
might be an attractive solution.


Make yourself a fairing out of 1/4" plexiglass. Well, not a whole
fairing, just a section that would be the glass that you'd have for the
light anyway. Now drill some 3/16" holes in it. Not just any way.
Drill the holes to distribute the light of high power LEDs in the
appropriate directions. Drill the hole with a high speed drill. The
plexiglass will melt a little and you won't be able to push the bit back
in once it cools down. That's good, as the standard superbright LED
will be a push fit. Stick a 1/2W 220 ohm resistor inline with two LEDs,
then parallel all the strings. Pot it with some clear epoxy. A little
paint in the appropriate places, and it'll look like you don't even have
lights.

3/16" holes could be made in a fiberglass fuselage to make running lights.

--
This is by far the hardest lesson about freedom. It goes against
instinct, and morality, to just sit back and watch people make
mistakes. We want to help them, which means control them and their
decisions, but in doing so we actually hurt them (and ourselves)."

"Ernest Christley" wrote

Make yourself a fairing out of 1/4" plexiglass. Well, not a whole
fairing, just a section that would be the glass that you'd have for the
light anyway. Now drill some 3/16" holes in it. Not just any way.
Drill the holes to distribute the light of high power LEDs in the
appropriate directions. Drill the hole with a high speed drill.

I like your thinking, but I'll add one more thing.

Modify your drill bit, or buy one for Plexiglas, or you risk cracking your
Plexiglas.

Use a dermal tool with a thin cutoff wheel, and use the side of it to change
the angle of the leading cutoff edge of the bit. As it is, there is a
positive angle to the bit, which is usually good for lifting the chips of
metal away, and helping the bit to self feed through the metal. That is a
"bad thing" for plexi. You want to have a 0 degree, or perhaps -1 degree
edge to the bit to "scrape" the material away, and that will pretty much
eliminate the chance of cracking the plexi. The drill bit, unmodified, will
try to pull it's way through the soft plexi too fast, which can cause the
cracking.
--
Jim in NC

On Fri, 9 Dec 2005 00:20:23 -0500, "Morgans" wrote:

Use a dermal tool with a thin cutoff wheel....

A dermal tool with a cutoff wheel? Maybe you ought to start seeing doctors who
were trained SINCE the Civil War.... :-)

Ron "Dremel" Wanttaja

"Ron Wanttaja" wrote

A dermal tool with a cutoff wheel? Maybe you ought to start seeing
doctors who
were trained SINCE the Civil War.... :-)

chuckle

"Curse you, Red Baron!" ((now mounting his trusty low monowing))

I've been doing my share of laughing at other's typo's lately... Bad karma
was destined to come my way! g

Darn Spell Checker! Yeah, that's the ticket! That's my story, and I'm
stickin' to it! g
--
Jim in NC

In article , Morgans says...

Typo?? What Typo? I happen to own 3 Dermal tools with cut off wheels! Slavo
Dermal built them in an obscure corner of the Black Sea years ago. It runs on 7
,12 volt car batteries and weighs a mere 18lbs ready to go ,less batteries. It's
a very portable unit. I had a bit of trouble with the chain drive lubrication
but since it can cut railroad tracks I don't see why it won't cut fiber optic
parts just as easily if properly lubricated. Mine are mounted on a horse drawn
cart for portability.

DERMAL ..if your not careful it'll take your skin off!! That's the Dermal motto
as is "If it's gotta go ,we can send it". Opps that's the motto for SPU.Never
mind

Chuck (sorry I couldn't help myself) S


wrote

A dermal tool with a cutoff wheel? Maybe you ought to start seeing
doctors who
were trained SINCE the Civil War.... :-)

chuckle

"Curse you, Red Baron!" ((now mounting his trusty low monowing))

I've been doing my share of laughing at other's typo's lately... Bad karma
was destined to come my way! g

Darn Spell Checker! Yeah, that's the ticket! That's my story, and I'm
stickin' to it! g

In article , Morgans says...
I like your thinking, but I'll add one more thing.

Modify your drill bit, or buy one for Plexiglas, or you risk cracking your
Plexiglas.

Use a dermal tool with a thin cutoff wheel, and use the side of it to change
the angle of the leading cutoff edge of the bit. As it is, there is a
positive angle to the bit, which is usually good for lifting the chips of
metal away, and helping the bit to self feed through the metal. That is a
"bad thing" for plexi. You want to have a 0 degree, or perhaps -1 degree
edge to the bit to "scrape" the material away, and that will pretty much
eliminate the chance of cracking the plexi. The drill bit, unmodified, will
try to pull it's way through the soft plexi too fast, which can cause the
cracking.

It doesn't hurt to use some water for a coolant while drilling to keep the
plexiglass from expanding .On a small hole I just dip the drill bit into a cup
of water ,enough will stay on the drill to do the job. Flattening the drill bit
or getting one specifically for plastic definitly will make the job alot
easier.Good Luck

See ya

Chuck (I have 3 Dermal tools) S