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LED strobe lights on a Socata TB20

Does anyone know, maybe @Peter, what’s the best way to completely change all the lights on an old TB20 with new, LED ones?

My existing tail strobe doesn’t work anymore, and I think the best approach would be to take out the heavy and defective high voltage transformer and simply change the tail bulb with a 12V, LED strobe light (if that even exists), maybe from Whelen or some other company?

Also it would be nice to replace the static red / green position lights from the wing tips with new LED ones, that eventually provide both color and white strobe in one package.

Any ideas?

Thank you!

LRIA, Romania

See here (I hope the link works; merged threads tend to break links). Otherwise search on “Wheelen”.

That thread deals mainly with the main lights (landing+taxi). I have those installed.

The tail strobe on the older TB20s, I have no idea. Can you post a photo; someone may recognise the manufacturer?

There is some extra labour in doing the wingtip strobes because while the existing system flashes the two strobes concurrently, the LED replacements don’t get fed from a central box. There is a “sync wire”, IIRC, which needs to be run through – probably a day’s work.

I would be interested in seeing this solution installed on a TB20 too, although mine work OK and since I fly mostly in daytime I don’t use the wingtip lamps (I do use the strobes) so the bulbs are still original.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

It would help if you would specify if this is N-reg or EASA-reg. From your previous posts I gather you have a N-reg one, but if the question is about an EASA-reg plane you should look at CS-STAN. Several threads here.

tmo
EPKP - Kraków, Poland

It’s an N-reg, the N660MM Socata TB20 G1 we were talking on another thread a couple of months ago.

The plane it’s not in a very good condition and I basically need to upgrade everything. I thought changing the lights would be the easiest one :)

I upgraded the landing and taxi lights and they seem to work, being a 12V system I’ve got no error due to the lower consumption. But the strobes for the tail and position seem to be harder to change, however.

I’ve read the previous posts indicated by Peter, it seems everybody has a different opinion on the paperwork needed…

LRIA, Romania

For N-reg

If you can get PMA replacements, applicable to the airframe etc, then you should be fine. That’s gold plated.

If you can’t then getting a TSOd part will be good enough for a Field Approval (Major Alteration) which is also a gold plated route, though nowadays hard to organise in Europe.

A more complex way, which avoids any FAA approval, is the DER 8110 route and then you send that off with a 337 (Major Alteration again) to Oklahoma direct. This is favoured by some UK avionics shops (who get the client to pay 2k+ for it) but it is expensive.

Otherwise, IMHO, this is a Minor Alteration (no W&B change, no performance change, no “basic change” to the electrical system, etc) and then you just need to find an A&P who agrees. You don’t need pilot forum agreement

The above options apply pretty well to any mod on an N-reg, where the part doesn’t come with an airframe-specific STC. An STC is the favoured route by all A&Ps which can’t or won’t read the regs to check out the other options

On forums, A&Ps are reluctant to express a view on anything but the gold plated route, because the FAA reads them (including EuroGA) and occassionally they contact the A&P and give him a bollocking. I have seen such an email so this does happen. An A&P, especially an A&P/IA, does not need this sort of attention…

For EASA-reg

It may be that CS-STAN covers all of this project, but I am not sure. Maybe someone knows what the exact conditions are? There are some past threads on CS-STAN. A search on a string like this

“CS-STAN” AND LED*

digs out various threads but I don’t see any of them conclusive – the various posts are too brief.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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