Lighting/Spotlight Options for R44s?

[lwalling]

I would like to add some external lighting to my ship, it really sucks landing off airport late in the day or at night with the landing lights - especially at my house, I often have to call in someone to help me out with lightning up the pad and approach area.

 

Not to mention, I wouldn't mind volunteering my time for some search/rescue or other nice tax-writeoff stuff.

 

Any ideas on what options are available to me? Something detachable or "streamlined" to not kill my airspeed would be great.

 

Thanks.

Edited April 20, 2008 by lwalling

[klmmarine]

I would like to add some external lighting to my ship, it really sucks landing off airport late in the day or at night with the landing lights - especially at my house, I often have to call in someone to help me out with lightning up the pad and approach area.

 

Not to mention, I wouldn't mind volunteering my time for some search/rescue or other nice tax-writeoff stuff.

 

Any ideas on what options are available to me? Something detachable or "streamlined" to not kill my airspeed would be great.

 

Thanks.

 

Before you install anything, make sure it has an STC...

[delorean]

The only thing RHC has (that I know of) is the point&focus spotlight that mounts below the front passenger's floor. It has a manual handle and is operated by the observer/co-pilot. Not for you if you're solo.

 

One of the British companies (Sloan, I think), has a kit that mounts 2 lights to the rear cross tube. That would help, but they're not pointable and they don't focus. I've never seen them anywhere in the US, so there probably isn't an STC for them. Regardless, it looked like a pretty simple install, so any good IA or DER could do a 337 and get it blessed by the FSDO.

 

The ideal for a compact pointable light is the NightScanner. It retracts back into it's housing and pivots & tilts from a little "chinese hat" mount on the collective. They have them for Bell products, but I don't know about Robinson. Don't get it confused with a "NightSun". This is just a compact 500K-750K candlepower light, for t/o and landing or under 500AGL........not 20M CP arc light for SAR.

 

Don't screw around with search and rescue in your R44.......believe it or not, it's very ineffective from a helicopter unless the person really WANTS to be found. If you want to do it during the day with three light weight observers on board, ok. But keep your eyes on the horizon and instruments, and don't even think about doing it at night.

[jtravis1]

>>>>>>>>

Edited January 25, 2009 by jtravis1

[Whrilwind50]

Try these guys.

 

http://www.devoreaviation.com/Index.htm

 

There is no spotlight STC'd for the R-44 other than the Night Sun and not the big one either.

 

If you have an R-44ll you might try the new High Intensity Robinson Lights. Zenon on the BMW's

 

The best option for R-44 stuff is to ask on the

 

http://www.robinsonhelicopters.org/ site

[Goldy]

The only thing RHC has (that I know of) is the point&focus spotlight that mounts below the front passenger's floor. It has a manual handle and is operated by the observer/co-pilot. Not for you if you're solo.

 

I think that is the same unit that I have...its basically 3 halogen spot lights together on a frame, which is connected to what looks like another floor cyclic, comes up thru a 4x4" plate in the floor. Simple, manual control....seems to work pretty good...if you have someone in the seat next to you. It comes out pretty easy as well.

 

Goldy

[Whrilwind50]

Goldy

 

I have not seen one of those.

Would you post a few pictures of it?

Is it from Robinson themselves or after market.

 

I am a bit concerned about after market products on Robinson machines. My new R-44 was supposed to come with the Bose System installed, somehow it was forgotten and Robinson admitted the mistake and said to bring it back and they will install it. Well, I live in Canada so it was a while before I got it back to the factory. By then I had sheep skin covers put on the seats and memory foam installed and designed with a lumbar support all nicely done by Oregon Areo at a big cost but all certified as well.

 

I dropped off the ship and flew home commercially to wait for the rebuild. It had to go back on the Assembly line for a new wiring harness. Anyway a FedEx truck showed up one day at home with my nice sheep skin seats in it. When I went back to pick up my machine there were new standard leather seats installed. I never got a bill for the new seats or labor or shipping. The rumor was that Frank saw the seats and said that it was to go back to the owner in original shape.

 

 

Thanks

[Goldy]

Goldy

 

I have not seen one of those.

Would you post a few pictures of it?

 

Sure thing. We have not installed or used it, and I have no clue if its sanctioned by Frank or not. I will take a couple shots of it in the hangar next time I am down there and try to get a manufacturer name as well. Each lamp is about 6 inches in diameter, and there are three mounted together on one frame. No special alternator was required (it was a police ship in its prior life)

 

Goldy

[delorean]

RHC will remove anything that they did not personally install on that helicopter before it leaves the factory.....they would probably make an exception for avionics though.

 

They claim it's a liability thing, but it's also an ego thing. The R22 didn't get a cabin heater until the mid-1980s. Why? Frank lives in southern CA, so why the hell does it need a cabin heater? I'm serious.

 

You're lucky you got your covers back. Usually they'll trash that stuff. I know people who have lost their Airwolf oil filter on overhauls. When they got the bill, it had a new firewall tacked on. So not only did you lose a $700 kit, but parts and labor on a new firewall.

 

I had a hard enough time getting RHC manufactured parts back off a larger scrapped component. Student had a tailstrike on a solo and cracked the T/R gearbox. Factory scrapped it and said it would be 3 months until they got a spare, so we bought used one off a rollover ship. It came without a chip plug, vent, or sightglass. Luckily we had a spare set, but it took me 6 months of writing and fighting RHC to get those three SERVICABLE parts back off the scrapped TRGB.

[EC120AV8R]

I know I have seen the Spectrolab SX5 on an R44, in fact, I think that's what the R44 Police model comes with. That's pretty big money though. Bulbs alone for our SX16's (although bigger) are about 1500 bucks each. The manual lights sound like the old Carter lights. They are cheaper and fewer moving parts.

[Goldy]

Ok, I went over and located the R22 spotlights. They are two ( not 3) spots put together, about 8 inches each, about 1M CP each..so 2M Candle Power total. Should work great for landings, but I have never flown with them to actually try it.

 

Here are a couple pix. I believe this was installed at the factory...the ship is now about 3 years old.

 

The unit is light, about 6 pounds maybe..but no name on it...

 

Goldy

Edited April 24, 2008 by Goldy

[rotormatic]

RHC will remove anything that they did not personally install on that helicopter before it leaves the factory.....they would probably make an exception for avionics though.

 

 

They also take out avionics that have been installed in the field , because...

-

Robinson does not authorize installation of electrical equipment without their approval. This is stated in their maintenance manual. Also, on the price list, there is this note:

-

CAUTION: To prevent possible control system interferences or malfunction of the electronic tachometers, electronic RPM governor or low RPM warning system, no field installation of avionics, lights or other items requiring internal wiring is permitted without written approval by RHC.

[HeloJunkie]

RHC will remove anything that they did not personally install on that helicopter before it leaves the factory.....they would probably make an exception for avionics though.

 

 

They also take out avionics that have been installed in the field , because...

-

Robinson does not authorize installation of electrical equipment without their approval. This is stated in their maintenance manual. Also, on the price list, there is this note:

-

CAUTION: To prevent possible control system interferences or malfunction of the electronic tachometers, electronic RPM governor or low RPM warning system, no field installation of avionics, lights or other items requiring internal wiring is permitted without written approval by RHC.

 

 

I was just at the factory and as the owner of a new R44, I was curious about this very issue since my R44 is currently undergoing a change in avionics.

 

According to the information that I received at the factory, it was not so much a "Frank" thing, but the basic issue that Robinson has been able to streamline their entire manufacturing process based on a specific set of components. This is a great help in keeping costs down. When owners install other things, even when STCd of 337d, they (Robinson) has no way to mingle that ship in with their processes when the ship shows back up at the factory for work. Nor do they want to become responsible for any damage to it during the process of any other repairs.

 

At the 2200 hour mark, when your ship goes back in, its absolutely incredible what is done to it. I could not tell the difference from a used ship to a new one coming down the line. Its 100% disassembled and sent down the line like a new build. Because of this, if it needs a new wiring harness, does it become their responsibility to now create a new harness because I put in different radios..? There is no way they could do that and continue to provide us with the helicopters at the cost we enjoy right now.

 

Now, I am not an attorney, but I am a business owner and I would imagine that the seat issue might have been something different. But we do live in a very litigious society and maybe the seats were replaced when the ship left the factory so that in the event of an accident further down the road, no one could claim Frank gave tacit approval of them because no one at the factory said anything while it was there. The same holds true for the oil filter.

 

The bottom line is that the Robinson factory cannot prevent you from putting things on your helicopter but they can revert it back when you drop it off at the factory for repairs under warranty or the 2200 hour overhauls. The same holds true if you hold Pathfinder insurance. As I understand it, ALL repairs covered under their insurance have to go to the factory, I would expect anything after market would be removed at that time as well.

 

In the end, the final answer that I received while at the factory was this - when your ship comes in for its 2200 hours overhaul, Frank will hand you your avionics back in a cardboard box when you pick your ship back up. That is the risk I am taking when I have work done that is not "factory approved" but is FAA approved.

[Goldy]

I believe this was installed at the factory...the ship is now about 3 years old.

 

Goldy

 

Like I said, I believe this to be a factory installed option. However I do not see it on their options list or sales configurator. You may want to send an email over to Pat at the factory to see if they offered it.

 

Goldy

[Whrilwind50]

Like I said, I believe this to be a factory installed option. However I do not see it on their options list or sales configurator. You may want to send an email over to Pat at the factory to see if they offered it.

 

Goldy

Are you selling those lights?

[Goldy]

Are you selling those lights?

 

 

Yeah, they are kinda cool arent they ? Nope...at this time they are not for sale, might wanna light up my neighbors house some night.

 

Goldy