Aircraft lighting

[+Jug 99]

This is a cut and paste from ICAO lighting regulations for all aircraft (including all military aircraft):

 

Aircraft navigation lights are placed in a way similar to that of marine vessels, with a red navigation light located on the left wingtip leading edge and a green light on the right wingtip leading edge. A white navigation light is as far aft as possible on the tail. The anti collision light system (either strobe lights or rotating beacon) is required to be operational and to be turned on for all airplanes built after March 11, 1996 on all aircraft operations. Anticollision light systems on aircraft must at least meet the anticollision light standards of ICAO, as applicable, except that the color may be either aviation red or aviation white.

 

Anticollision lighting systems consist of a rotating beacon on the top of the fuselage and a rotating beacon on the bottom of the fuselage. The color on all US aircraft is red. On the ground the beacons should rotate (flash) and the navigation lights flash. In the air, the beacons should flash and the navigation lights should be steady.

 

I thought this might help the modding community since we can turn the position lights on, position them correctly, turn the rotating beacons on and position them correctly on the add-on aircraft built for Third Wire sims. In future models, if the modder is interested in getting it right, green light on right wingtip (sitting in the cockpit) and red light on the left wingtip, white light on the tail, dorsal and ventral red anticollision beacons. First click of CTRL-L should turn the landing lights on (gear extended), navigation lights to flash, and anticollision beacons to flash. Second click of CTRL-L should turn the landing lights on (gear extended), navigation lights to steady, and anticollision beacons to flash. Currently in the sim, the first CTRL-L turns the landing lights on (gear extended), navigation lights to flash, and anticollision beacons to flash. The second CTRL-L turns the landing light on (gear extended), navigation and anticollision lights to steady.

 

OK, I get the award for rivet counting this week, but it appears this can be done relatively easily in the build up phase and why not?

[FastCargo 412]

Jug, all that can be done in the ini files, my T-38s do it already in the correct layout (ie my position/nav lights are steady, my red anti collision lights flash to simulate rotation, my landing lights are on only when the gear extends). The only thing you can't do is make the nav lights flash on the ground...which I never remember seeing (and I do A LOT of night ops...but most aircraft are older than 1996, except for some of our A300s).

 

Heck, you can do it yourself for your aircraft if you like, just take a look at models that already have them and you can figure it out pretty quickly. The hard part is just figuring out the exact coordinates of each light.

 

FastCargo

[+drdoyo 2]

I'll have to echo what FastCargo said. Especially about the nav lights flashing on the ground. Most aircraft in service today were built before March 11 1996 so probably won't, and aren't required to have flashing nav lights because they were certified as airworthy before that date.

 

To change that certification on a per airframe basis would require an Airworthiness Directive or AD (TCTO or Time Compliance Technical Order in the Air Force) which would have to be complied with by a specific date, or the airframe(s) failing to comply would have to be withdrawn from service (grounded) until such time as they would comply. That is a big costly snowball rolling down a very big hill for all involved,....operator, governing bodies, and just as notable the consumer recieving services from the operating aircraft.

Edited October 17, 2008 by drdoyo

[eightlein 10]

Jug,

 

Pretty easy, for example if you so desire.

 

SystemName[004]=LeftPositionLight

SystemName[005]=LeftPositionLight2

 

[LeftPositionLight]

SystemType=LIGHT

Position=-4.194,0.04,-0.476

LightSrcOffset=-0.0,0.00,0.00

Color=1.0,0.0,0.0

Brightness=0.03

LightSrcRange=0.5

CanFlash=FALSE

 

[LeftPositionLight2] <<<<

SystemType=LIGHT

Position=-4.194,0.04,-0.476

LightSrcOffset=-0.0,0.00,0.00

Color=1.0,0.0,0.0

Brightness=0.04

LightSrcRange=0.5

CanFlash=TRUE <<<<<

IsLandingLight=TRUE <<<<<

FlashTime=0.90

[+Jug 99]

Jug, all that can be done in the ini files, my T-38s do it already in the correct layout (ie my position/nav lights are steady, my red anti collision lights flash to simulate rotation, my landing lights are on only when the gear extends). The only thing you can't do is make the nav lights flash on the ground...which I never remember seeing (and I do A LOT of night ops...but most aircraft are older than 1996, except for some of our A300s).

 

Heck, you can do it yourself for your aircraft if you like, just take a look at models that already have them and you can figure it out pretty quickly. The hard part is just figuring out the exact coordinates of each light.

 

FastCargo

I knew all you smart guys would have an easier way than I suggested. Thanks. Hey, I can even do it. Thanks to all for the way forward.