Add a Wingtip Landing Light

Experimental Aviator
Updated:
Zach Chase
By Zach Chase
A pre-cured glass web was fitted and bonded into the tip while the tip was positioned on the wing. The web was glassed over and onto the tip with three layers of cloth. The Baja light was then positioned just a bit high to allow any adjustment to aim downward.

So you want to install a landing light in your stock wingtips?

This looks harder than it really is, and for many builders, working with composites is intimidating, but with some careful cuts and a bit of glass work, you can end up with a clean installation that looks like it came that way from the factory. This guide also assumes you’ve made or purchased the lens already. The photos below walk through a straightforward approach.

Overlay your lens and mark the perimeter. Also mark a set of cut lines inside (smaller) than your lens. In this case, the cut line is 1.5-inch outboard of the wingtip edge. With a 13/16 overlap, there is plenty of room to glass later and clear the overlap area. Plan ahead so you cut once.
Cut along the inside line, not the lens line.
Mark the cutout piece for a wider-than-needed flange.
Prep the inside of the wingtip and flange piece for bonding. Position the cutout flange piece about 3/16 inch inside the tip and mark it to reposition for bonding.
Cut the center and bond the two halves into the tip. In this instance, a little polyester filler (Bondo) makes a real quick glue, but a vinyl ester putty could be made and clamped until cured. The gaps will be filled with putty after all the glass and lens fitting is completed.
Cut the top off the remaining piece of the original cutout.
Trim, fit, and bond into the tip.
Two layers of cloth inside overlapping the flange and onto the tip. Pay particular attention to the inboard edge where your tip will overlap the wing. You need to keep the glass back from the overlap area.
Position the lens and mark with a wet-erase marker. Trim and fit to fit into the flanged cutout.
Locate, drill, and cleco your desired fastener locations.
Install nut plates and trim the flange to your desired minimum.
In this case, we installed Baja Squadron lights. In order to allow the light to move farther forward, we marked the flange perimeter and cut it off.
After cutting the flange off, the overall size of the light was substantially smaller.
Let there be light!
Zach Chase
Zach Chasehttps://www.fibertechcomposites.com/
Zach has been mixing resin and vacuum-forming fiberglass structures since Orville and Wilbur first felt the rush of air over the Wright Flyer's wings—or thereabout. He's known as the fiberglass guru among builders of composite airplanes and operates Fibertech Composites in Knoxville, Tennessee. When he's not making composite layups, Zach can be found in the Glasair Aircraft Owners forum helping builders.

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

Latest
Related

2 COMMENTS

Subscribe to this comment thread
Notify of
guest
2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Don
Don
3 months ago

Very nice. Now, where did the lens come from???
How do I make one?

0
Reply
Zach Chase
zach chase
Author
Reply to  Don
3 months ago

This particular install was on a Glastar. The lens was supplied by the new parts sales company. If you need to fabricate a lens, a male plug matching the leading edge shape needs to be made. The acrylic can be drape molded in an oven and clamped to the plug.

1
Reply