Tailbeacon on PA28?

[focal_plane]

Any installation reports yet. Curious mostly about whether rudder re-balancing was required.

 

[murphey]

Probably not, since it is not on the rudder but the top of the vertical stabilator. From the uAvionix website:
"Remove your standard rear position light and replace with tailBeacon for ADS-B compliance. "

Local A&P will be installing one on a cherokee (not mine) this coming weekend and his Bonanza. Will post update after.

 

[focal_plane]

Mine’s on the rudder. Believe all PA28s are on the rudder.

 

[Timbeck2]

Rear stationary top of the vertical stabilizer.

 

[WannFly]

Speaking of tail or wing beacon .... I could not find 181 mentioned in their STC document.... what am I missing ?

 

[GRG55]

Speaking of tail or wing beacon .... I could not find 181 mentioned in their STC document.... what am I missing ?

181, apparently.

 

[focal_plane]

Originally, uA were working STCs for C172 followed by PA28 according to their website. This would give high wing and low wing basis of approval for TC aircraft outside of 172 and PA28 with a logbook entry (uA statement). Recently after having C172 STC approved, the website ceased referencing the PA28 STC; instead the C172 would be the basis for TC aircraft. The website now again references pursuit of PA28 STC. Just a bit puzzled.

 

[WannFly]

181, apparently.

Grr...

 

[MajorTurbulence]

Probably not, since it is not on the rudder but the top of the vertical stabilator. From the uAvionix website:
"Remove your standard rear position light and replace with tailBeacon for ADS-B compliance. "

Local A&P will be installing one on a cherokee (not mine) this coming weekend and his Bonanza. Will post update after.

My TailBeacon was installed yesterday on the vertical stabilator of my 181. No balancing necessary. Worked great with no errors in the report, only my failure to fly at least 30 min (only 28:08 was recorded in rule airspace ). Will see if the FAA needs me to fly it again.

 

[Domenick]

I doubt replacing an existing white navigation light with a TailBeacon would raise rudder balance issues.
My Warrior (PA-28-161)has a Grimes Model A2064 Tail light. It is shown in the equipment list as weighing 0.2 pounds. That's 90.8 grams (3.2 oz).

The uAvionix TailBeacon is listed at 80 grams (2.9 oz)
That's a difference of 10.8 grams--the weight of 4 new US pennies @2.5g each).

My TailBeacon arrives today!

 

[focal_plane]

Thanks for the update Domenick.

 

[Pilawt]

Mine’s on the rudder. Believe all PA28s are on the rudder.

Up through the 1981 model year, yes. After that, the aft nav light at the top of the rudder was replaced by two aft-facing white lights, one in the strobe/nav light housing on each wingtip. So a Tail Beacon probably won't work on those.



[Edit: The photos Piper recently released of the new "Pilot 100" fleet trainer version of the PA-28-181, appear to show they've gone back to the rudder-mounted nav light.]

 

[Domenick]

TailBeacon arrived yesterday.
Update on tailBeacon weight.
The latest specification lists 85 grams. However, I weighed the unit and all its mounting hardware and found 91 grams.

I doubt replacing an existing white navigation light with a TailBeacon would raise rudder balance issues.
My Warrior (PA-28-161)has a Grimes Model A2064 Tail light. It is shown in the equipment list as weighing 0.2 pounds. That's 90.8 grams (3.2 oz).

This weight makes the issue of rudder balance moot.
I'll weigh the Grimes taillight and report when I remove it.

 

[MajorTurbulence]

I thought the anticollision light on my 1980 PA28-181 was above the tail but the pictures don’t lie. It is on the rudder mechanism. My IA said the weight difference was minor on the TailBeacon install.