Hi,
we are going to rivet sportsman STOL kit on A185E.
According to installation note I should cut a hole in the new leading edge for lights.
But I would prefer to keep leading edge smooth and install lights in in the lower cowl like newer A185F has .
Did anyone do this upgrade?
It is very hard to find any light support kit that I could use.

It is easier to find kit for C182, but I', not sure if it helps.
e.g. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/2252051-10-4591 ... 1914901730

Any idea please? Thanks.

niente qui

Another option would be to add the Sportsman Stol kit and remove the leading edge lights as you want to. Then add Stene’s Quasar wingtips with built in LED landing/taxi/recognition lights.

Cowl light longevity can be improved by aligning the light filaments vertical...don't sag and break as much when hot. But yes there are better locations plus the cowl has to come off for bulb replacement. I did like them there in winter tho to illuminate snow drifts.

Gary

Having flown and owned identical airplanes with both types, wing and cowl, I'd vote to stick with the wing lights.

Properly aimed, and especially if you opt for better than incandescent lights (I have HIDs), the wing lights are much superior IMHO. My only objection is that the area to the passenger side is less well illuminated, and from time to time I've thought it would be good to have lights installed on that side--but then I don't do all that much night flying, so it's not worth the expense.

There is the problem with shortened bulb life with cowl lights, and whether I'm a person who is more sensitive to prop flicker, I don't know, but I see the flicker and find it annoying.

All in all, STC issues, light longevity, etc., I think if it were my decision, it would be to cut the hole and stick with the wing lights.

Cary

robw56 wrote:Another option would be to add the Sportsman Stol kit and remove the leading edge lights as you want to. Then add Stene’s Quasar wingtips with built in LED landing/taxi/recognition lights.

This ^^. Go for the full Stene complement.

As Dogpilot noted, 185s EAT cowl lamps. The 1985 I flew never made over 50 hours on a set of bulbs. Never ran LEDs, but.....

Either install Stones tips with lights or RMD’s tips with lights. Stock Cessna tips are POS anyway.

No way I’d put lights in a 185 cowl.

MTV

robw56 wrote:Another option would be to add the Sportsman Stol kit and remove the leading edge lights as you want to. Then add Stene’s Quasar wingtips with built in LED landing/taxi/recognition lights.

What Rob said ^ That's how mine is going to be.

robw56 wrote:Another option would be to add the Sportsman Stol kit and remove the leading edge lights as you want to. Then add Stene’s Quasar wingtips with built in LED landing/taxi/recognition lights.

This is honestly what I wish I would have done with my airplane. It’s too late to cover up the leading edge lights without it looking stupid now that I have the Stene CX tips. Guess I’m stuck waiting till someone gets an STC to put some in the right wing. All about being symmetrical you know. Yo @aeropod where you at???


As a side note, @Zzz please add a function to tag people like that. It would make things so much more fun around here!

Thanks for the replies.
I already bought wingtips with lights from Knots2u but it does not have STC as replacement the original lights.
Reading what you wrote I decided to keep leading edge lights but will replace bulb with LED.
Landing with them turned ON together with wing tips lights will be like a flying UFO

pilotryan wrote: ...This is honestly what I wish I would have done with my airplane. It’s too late to cover up the leading edge lights without it looking stupid now that I have the Stene CX tips. Guess I’m stuck waiting till someone gets an STC to put some in the right wing. All about being symmetrical you know. ...

I think a good aircraft sheet metal man could flush-patch that opening to where you'd hardly even notice it.
Personally I like the idea of adding a RH leading edge light.
Not sure if that's a major alteration, requiring an STC or field approval, or a minor (logbook entry only) alteration?
If required, a field approval might not be too difficult to get if you have an IA with a good relationship with his FAA inspector.
And some patience.

The rated life of a GE 4509 12V filament landing light is about 25 hrs. If you get more be pleased. Quartz bulbs are rated 4x that. LED's will outlive us.

Gary

pilotryan wrote:Yo @aeropod where you at???

Being a responsible adult is terribly inconvenient and gets in the way of fun projects.

hotrod180 wrote:Personally I like the idea of adding a RH leading edge light.
Not sure if that's a major alteration, requiring an STC or field approval, or a minor (logbook entry only) alteration?
If required, a field approval might not be too difficult to get if you have an IA with a good relationship with his FAA inspector.
And some patience.

I got an FA on my 170 several years ago. Not a difficult mod with the wing opened up for a rebuild. I've never tried it when the wing is assembled. I will say that it was probably my favorite mod on that airplane. The tower at our little airport could see us 20 miles out pretty easily with the pulse lights blinking. On a 1 mile final. the runway was lit up like a ballpark.

Egerberk wrote:….I decided to keep leading edge lights but will replace bulb with LED.
Landing with them turned ON together with wing tips lights will be like a flying UFO

As Aeropod pointed out, pulsing (aka "wigwag") lights catch your eye, and stand out from a long ways away.
I replaced the 4509 lamps in my leading edge with LEDs.
I'm told that wigwagging two lights so close together just makes it look like a single, on-all-the-time light from a distance.
So I wired just one of them to a blinker.
People tell me they can spot me from a long ways off now, which is what I was aiming for.