Tail NAV light

[whee]

How are you guys mounting and getting wires to you tail NAV light? I've been nerding over this a little but haven't come up with anything I like. For wires I see Eric welded a bushing into the tail post and rudder but my rudder is built and painted so I don't want to do any welding or drilling.

[marcusofcotton]

My efforts to lighten up the tail put mine at the wing tips.

[whee]

Look at that. I didn't remember the "or and each wingtip" part in the regs. Thanks!

[Zzz]

Another vote for wingtips, which is what I'm planning.

[whee]

I agree. I'll be going with all the lights on the tips.

[alaskabearhawk]

I have the tail light and strobe, in addition to tip lights and strobes. I don't think there is such a thing as too much visibility in flight. The wire is a non-issue, a couple of grommets and a sleeve. Lots of production aircraft employ this method.

[Zzz]

Alaskabearhawk, is that the main reason you terminated the fabric/covering early on the tail?

[Battson]

Alaskabearhawk - very tidy job you have made of the intersection there for that wire. In fact all the work in that photo looks well presented.

You might like to consider the benefits of a protective shield, if you do lots of off-airport work on rocky surfaces? Perhaps you have already used an armoured cable?

Basically everything under the horizontal stabiliser on my plane has been beaten and cut-up my rocks flying past at high speed. Although the taper of the fuselage offers a little protected to the area of that wire, it would be a pain if a rock cut into your wire and caused an electrical short. The lower sections of my rudder has taken numerous hits, some very severe and putting deep cuts into the fabric and denting metal.

Zzzz - it is also common to leave that area of steelwork uncovered to allow for easy inspection for cracks, caused by the tailwheel taking a beating, you often see this on working Ag aircraft like Fatman, Air Tractor, etc. But then you probably know that already.

[Zzz]

Did you finish yours like that Jon?

[alaskabearhawk]

Not my aircraft, just a picture of what is common here in Alaska. Many finish their tails like that...leave it open. I plan on welding two 1/4in tubes in the tail section to allow for an opening that will look like that. I have other pics as well, same configuration. Durability isn't much of an issue when it comes to the wires...they hold up just fine.

[bestbearhawk1231]

If you are concerned about the wires holding up, you could run a shielded twisted pair or triple wire and go up a gauge. Or put disconnects there with heatshrink to "encourage" the wire to break at a predetermined place so it is easier to repair if it gets hung up. Disconnects could be something as simple as handshakes or fast on connectors.

[alaskabearhawk]

Here are some pics of Rob Taylor's tail, and one more of a Husky. He has the small tubes in place for fabric, the "box" structure for reinforcing against twisting of the tail and tabs welded on the back with a former the first station forward of the tail. He is putting a sheet metal plate there for ease of maintenance.

[Battson]

I'm surprised that the Husky didn't have heat-shrink covering the tag-ends of the rudder control cable, where it sticks out of the nicopress sleeve. Do they coat it in resin or something else? Hard to see that in the photo.

[alaskabearhawk]

Here are close-ups taken from the photos, hope that helps. One is an Arctic Tern. I know of a Husky locally and will try to get some more pics later.

[DesertBearhawk]

I just love the stuff you learn on this forum!