Landing light install

[sbmackie]

Hello,
Want to install landing light as I will be teaching and want to give students that experience. There is a bay for the grimes. No parts. Avlite may or may not have individual parts.

Is this outpatient surgery assuming I can find new parts or serviceable unit?

Or, go the leading edge route? AC spruce has a 14 volt kit, and a lens can be sourced. Install looks like deeper surgery. Havd call in to STC owner up in Woodstock

Any direct cost experience with either? Wondering as A/C I'm in negotians on has no landing light.

Thanks

[a64pilot]

Leading edge may be cheaper in the long run, but of course Grimes is more authentic.
If you source a Grimes, I’d leave it down most of the time and not run it up and down each lap of the pattern.
It does cause a slight out of trim condition, but it’s easily dealt with

[per ardua ad astra]

Like the OP, my ‘20 has no landing light provision whatsoever. Nor does it appear to have the Grimes ‘bays’ the OP mentions. I hope the OP won’t mind me tagging onto his thread, however, I am thinking of recovering the wings, and am wondering whilst I’m doing that, is there anywhere I can find the pattern to fabricate the bays to install between the ribs under new fabric? Then at least I leave open the future option of fitting Grimes should I be fortunate enough to ever find the elusive parts! I believe they can be fitted on both wings?

Many thanks to sbmackie.

[regular122]

The wings on most post '47 aircraft have the brackets installed in the wings. Expect to spend a while looking for a decent light. The D3040A or the G3602 are in the manual and from what I can tell, look very similar. They both use the G2905 motor. I am about to install mine after clean up and paint removal and will post in the Rebirth thread in the showcase section. You can see a pic of the lamp on page 8 of the Rebirth thread. The 11-screw mounting bracket corresponds to the 11-screw flange on the light. It appears the screws are held by the usual clip retainers.

If the wing had the bracket, it will also have the wiring but we are installing new wires to be safe, even though the original seem to be in good shape. I am not all that excited about cloth covered wires of old though.

The cost of the light on my search was averaging around $550.00 with old bulb and as high as $850 LED. The LED can be added later. I was fortunate to find a lamp on eBay and won the bid for only $215 but I was prepared to go much higher having missed them before.

Steve

[regular122]

I just posted a restoration of a Grimes D-3040-A Landing Light for my Cessna 140 restoration project. Might give you some idea of what is involved.

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1137&start=80


Steve

[8474]

For those looking for one....

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/324462254562?ul_noapp=true

[6643]

US link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324462254562?ul_noapp=true

Seller does not state if it is working or not.