Rotating beacon

Lawson Laslo

Lawson Laslo

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Jan 18, 2019
Messages
403
Location
Sundance airport Oklahoma
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Display name:
N2005H
can you replace a normal flashing beacon with an old timey rotating beacon?
Or how hard would it be to just add one to a new spot on a airplane
 
Ugh? It’s all about visibility. Everything is going led nowadays, which is heads and shoulders above the old style stuff...why would you want to revert to the old fashioned style?
 
Lawson Laslo said:
can you replace a normal flashing beacon with an old timey rotating beacon?
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Why? The best thing that happened was dropping the old timey beacon and going with a flash tube. The rotating beacons would break on a semi-regular basis depending on installation location. Besides if your aircraft came off the line with a flasher it would take a field approval/337 at a minimum to replace it. Then there would be the airframe modifications to install it.
Lawson Laslo said:
how hard would it be to just add one to a new spot on a airplane
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But if you really have to have it, this would be the path. Adding the light itself could be a minor alteration but the airframe structural changes to mount it will more than likely fall as a major which requires a field approval/337.

A third option would be to mount the beacon in a box, plug it in, and place it on a shelf in your T-hangar for some mood light while enjoying a refreshment or two.
 
The old rotating beacons I've seen required space inside the airplane under the fixture. They're like an iceberg. What you see isn't all that's there. Self contained flashers usually have flat bottoms. They still need a base to mount to but nothing penetrates inside the airplane. LED beacons can go either way. The same is true for LED tail strobes.
 
What legal issue would there be? I replaced a rotating beacon with a flasher. No big deal.
 
Ryanb said:
Ugh? It’s all about visibility. Everything is going led nowadays, which is heads and shoulders above the old style stuff...why would you want to revert to the old fashioned style?
Click to expand...

It's not a big one but, as relayed to me by a CG trainer, one reason would be that those flying with NVGs (military) cannot see LEDs. Important for search and rescue too.
 
bflynn said:
It's not a big one but, as relayed to me by a CG trainer, one reason would be that those flying with NVGs (military) cannot see LEDs. Important for search and rescue too.
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@Velocity173 could confirm that.
 
Stewartb said:
What legal issue would there be? I replaced a rotating beacon with a flasher. No big deal.
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I wouldn't venture a guess without seeing what he's doing.

Are we changing structure of the aircraft? we don't even know what aircraft. Rag & tube - stressed skin?
 
Bell206 said:
Besides if your aircraft came off the line with a flasher it would take a field approval/337 at a minimum to replace it.
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How could you know that without knowing type aircraft ?
 
Ryanb said:
@Velocity173 could confirm that.
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All depends on the wavelength. LEDs designed for aircraft use are visible with NVGs. We coverted to LEDs on our aircraft at work a few years back. While brighter than incandescent to the naked eye, with the NVGs their intensity is less. Still easily identifiable with NVGs but not as much as incandescent.

Some pad lighting and obstruction lighting use LEDs that are completely invisible to the NVGs. FAA is working at getting them replaced with a different wavelength. There’s actually a hospital that I go to on a regular basis that has all green LEDs. Unfortunately they used different bulbs so half are bright and the other half completely invisible.

https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/avi...afety/safo/all_safos/media/2009/SAFO09007.pdf

On the military side, they use either incandescent or LEDs on the aircraft but we (Army) had IR as well during NVG ops (formation / combat). Obviously some operate completely black out if the situation dictates.
 
Tom-D said:
How could you know that without knowing type aircraft ?
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It's not specific to aircraft type. The beacon/flasher is a FAR/CAR certification item and the specific type of light is part of the Type Design. So if the aircraft was originally certified (came of the line) with a beacon (or a flasher) any substitution would be an alteration to the basic electrical system and some "luminance" requirement for navigation lights/beacon. Now if there was an OEM bulletin that provided changing between the beacon or flasher after production then no field approval required.
 
The light requirement is determined by year of aircraft manufacture. Approved lights are typically TSOd. Not a big deal to change them.
 
Stewartb said:
The light requirement is determined by year of aircraft manufacture. Approved lights are typically TSOd. Not a big deal to change them.
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That's where I am with this,, we don't know if the change was back to OEM,
 
Bell206 said:
It's not specific to aircraft type. The beacon/flasher is a FAR/CAR certification item and the specific type of light is part of the Type Design. So if the aircraft was originally certified (came of the line) with a beacon (or a flasher) any substitution would be an alteration to the basic electrical system and some "luminance" requirement for navigation lights/beacon. Now if there was an OEM bulletin that provided changing between the beacon or flasher after production then no field approval required.
Click to expand...

Until you know what the OP is doing you can't make a determination as to major or minor alteration.
How do you know what has been done prior. He may simply going back to the original rotating beacon.
Lots of aircraft out there that have been converted with no paper work.
As long as he meets the lighting requirements of the make and model. The FAA will have no problem accepting it as a minor, with a proper return to service entry.

that's MHO
 
The OP was earlier asking about an Ercoupe. I can make a couple of guesses:
(1) He might be looking at buying that and putting a beacon on it, and
(2) That airplane might easily have a generator on it.

If so, adding an old beacon, with its incandescent bulb and motor, will use up power he can ill afford.
 
Rock it old school, I say. I’d also recommend navigating via pilotage versus using any modern nav equipment.
 
Just make sure you don’t screw it down near your chute port. A think a throwback cirrus is a sweet idea.
 
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