REFLECTOR: Canard Landing Lights

Mon Mar 26 09:29:02 CDT 2007

I plan to use the landing lights for both functions, steady for landing and wig-wag for
recognition.  Keith, I agree with your comments and never intended to affect the
structural integrity of the canard.  In this case, the idea was to add a bubble underneath
it. 

All the modifications I have made, and plan to make, respect the structural integrity of
the kit's design.  Once I am seriously considering something that might impact structure,
then I run it by the factory and friend Velocity builder/owner and structural engineer
with Lockheed.  My son is graduating at Embry Riddle in May (Aeronautical Engineering) and
"Dad" has been asking questions and requesting calculations a couple of times already.  

Having said this, it never hurts to be reminded to make sure one recognizes the
implications.  I greatly appreciate the comments and the reminder as well.

Regards,
Jorge

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Keith
Hallsten
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 10:11 PM
To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Canard Landing Lights

If you are after RECOGNITION lights, the lower winglets would be a great
place to put them.  In order to keep them from reflecting off the canard,
you would want them pointed straight ahead or even slightly outboard.
However, with that aiming, they would probably make lousy landing lights.
They might well work as taxi lights.

One of the problems with lights in the canard is that the small-radius
curvature of the leading edge of the canard results in a small-radius
curvature of the clear lens, which then scatters the light upwards and
downwards.  That's why Rene' reported that his canard lights don't work as
landing lights, but make fairly good taxi lights.  Again, it it's
recognition lights you want, this placement may work pretty well.

I would advise extreme caution before mounting lights inboard in the canard.
The maximum stress on the canard is in the inboard area near the fuselage,
so there should not be any discontinuity in the glass lay-ups there.  By
contrast, the stress is zero at the canard tips and low near the canard
tips, so a little notching can be tolerated there.

Keith Hallsten

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Hal Smith
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 8:33 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Canard Landing Lights

What problems would you have with the lights in the bottom of the winglets 
instead of the canard>

Hal Smith
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jorge Bujanda" <bujanda at dslextreme.com>
To: "'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'" <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 6:20 PM
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Canard Landing Lights

> Improved visibility is my goal with the wig wags in the canard tips. I 
> also have thought
> about placing them in the canard but next to the fuselage.  Although not 
> as visible as in
> the tips, they will probably be better for landing... Still debating.
> It does help Rich, I'll check your websiite.  Thanks
>
> Regards,
> Jorge
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On 
> Behalf Of Rich
> Guerra
> Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 11:51 AM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Canard Landing Lights
>
> Jorge,
>
> I have a Shaw canard with built in lights.  There are lots of incidental
> pictures of the setup throughout my web site.  Alan Shaw made the covers 
> for
> the lights with some kind of jig - I don't know if he still makes them or 
> could
> do a  custom job still.  I think they do improve visibilty of the plane 
> (or so
> my local tower comments) and wig-wags would make them even better but as 
> for
> landing lights, not so useful.  Do help in taxi though.
>
> See:
> Annual 2006 section for dusk, night shots with lights on final approach 
> and
> landing.
> The Voyage Home section (under Adventures) for lights on on ground shot 
> (1st
> pic)
>
> In Building Velocity XL RG N724X section:
> 'More details'section for closeup of lights
>
> Hope that helps
>
> Rich Guerra
> Velocity XL RG N724X aka RACE 24
> http://www.rguerra.com/velocity/
>
>> I am thinking about installing two separate wig-wag halogen landing 
>> lights,
>> inboard of the
>> elevator counterweights area in the canard tips for better visibility.  I
>> already have the
>> lights and estimate I would have to add about a 1" (H) x 4" (W)  flat 
>> fairing
>> to the
>> bottom of the canard, similar to the one covering the outboard elevator
>> counterweights, to
>> fit the light inside the canard and leave some clearance for heat
>> dissipation.  I was
>> planning to insulate the cavity with a box of phenolic material.  Has 
>> anyone
>> done
>> something similar or know of other canard aircraft with a similar setup?
>> Could adding
>> this semi-bubble negatively affect the characteristics of the canard? 
>> Your
>> thoughts,
>> experience, references or pictures are all welcome.
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>> Jorge Bujanda
>> Velocity XL FG
>> Palmdale, CA
>> Website:  http://members.dslextreme.com/users/jbujanda/
>>
>> "Make your best case... not the best case."
>> "Spare the noise... convince through silence."
>>
>>
>
>
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