I've decided to install the AeroLEDs X-treme Landing lights, one in each wing. I chose the AeroLEDs X-treme because it puts out 1600 lumens for only 28 Watts of power and because it is designed for "non-airflow enclosed environments". I don't expect to get much if any airflow into the partial cavity where the lights will be mounted so this was an important consideration to me. I also like the built-in "wig-wag" mode which I think will improve the ability of other aircraft and birds to see me and avoid collisions. The down side is that I have to develop the whole landing ligth installation myself. I started by sketching out what I wanted in the way of a cutout.
Image 1 shows what I hope will be my final layout for the landing light cutout in the leading edge and the spacers/doublers to reinforce the hole in the leading edge and the support for the plexiglass lens. I decided to go with 0.125 thick plexiglass based on a simple bending analysis where I treated the lens as a flat plate and assumed an airload equivalent to flying 240 mph at sea level. This is faster than Vne for the RV-7 and a conservative approach to the analysis so I am confident the lens will not fail due to airloads. One of my considerations is that I want to put the landing lights on the inboard side of the outboard leading edge so that I have as much metallic leading edge as possible outboard. I want this because I plan to use the Archer wingtip antennas to reduce drag (fuel is not getting any cheaper...) and when I e-mailed Bob Archer to ask him some questions about his antenna design he told me that part of the reason his antennas work well (when installed per his directions) is that the antennas take advantage of the abikity of the wings to act as antennas and that the radio signals are carried by the wings as electric currents that flow along the leading edge of the wing. So I want the leading edge in the vicinity of the landing lights to be as pristine as possible. Image 2 shows the layout taped to the leading edge of the wing
Full-Size Layout of Landing Light Cutout and Support Hardware
Full Scale Landing Light Layout Taped on Leading Edge
