Can I fly it at night?

See an aircraft mechanic who will ...
install a legal anti-collision light (LED strobe uses the
least power)
fabricate a proper battery box for a battery,
perhaps install a voltmeter,
fabricate an electrical bus, circuit breaker and switch,
perhaps an external power connection for charging,
do the weight and balance and update the paperwork and
aircraft logs.

The airplane may have had an external wind-driven generator
originally, you could restore that with a modern alternator
at the cost of a 1 or 2 mph.



--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"bstanton" null.com wrote in message
...
|I have a 1941 Chief with lights on it. There's one light
on
| each wingtip and one on the top of the fin. There's no
| anticollision light/strobe or landing light. There are
| wires from the 3 position lights to the cockpit, where
they
| end. The engine has no alternator or generator and never
| has had one. There's no battery, battery compartment,
| starter or electrical system. I do have a portable
sealed
| lead acid battery that I charge between flights to power a
| radio and intercom.
|
| There's nothing in the paperwork about "day VFR only" and
| there's no AFM or even any POH.
|
| I've looked at 91.209 and 91.205 (c). I've got position
| lights, I won't be operating for hire, so I suppose a
| landing light is not legally required. I suppose a larger
| battery would be an adequate source of electrical energy
for
| short flights. Can I fly at night if I install an
| anticollision light? Anyone want to comment on what I
need
| to legally fly at night for short local flights? Does
| anyone think the disconnected lights have made the
aircraft
| legally unairworthy for the last 65 years? Does anyone
know
| how these were originally powered (Dry cells?)
|
| Thanks for any information.

Is there room in a Chief to put an alternator? When I had my Chief we
thought about this for a minute and decided it was way too much work. I
did look at a Champ that had the wind generator thing but it seemed
that it put out very limited power. When you only have a few hundred
pounds of useful load adding a battery can seem overwhelming.

-Robert

I'd call the local FSDO.

"Jim Macklin" wrote in news:l%
Tuf.40406$QW2.18045@dukeread08:

See an aircraft mechanic who will ...
install a legal anti-collision light (LED strobe uses the
least power)
fabricate a proper battery box for a battery,
perhaps install a voltmeter,
fabricate an electrical bus, circuit breaker and switch,
perhaps an external power connection for charging,
do the weight and balance and update the paperwork and
aircraft logs.

The airplane may have had an external wind-driven generator
originally, you could restore that with a modern alternator
at the cost of a 1 or 2 mph.




But with a "modern alternator" you now have an engine driven electrical
system, and all of the requirements that go along with it...
(transponder within mode c veil).

I would do the battery thing and/or investigate the wind generator.

--
-- ET :-)

"A common mistake people make when trying to design something
completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete
fools."---- Douglas Adams

You can drive the alternator with a propeller just like the
old generator, it just makes power with less drag. I'd use
a self-exciting alternator that would not need to battery,
that would make it fully redundant. A standard automotive
alternator requires a battery to energize the rotor, the
aircraft types used by Beech, have small magnets and will
build a current as soon as they begin rotation and will have
DC output even with the battery turned off.

Not all aircraft manufacturers use such self-exciting
alternators because they cost a little more.



--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"ET" wrote in message
...
| "Jim Macklin" wrote
in news:l%
| Tuf.40406$QW2.18045@dukeread08:
|
| See an aircraft mechanic who will ...
| install a legal anti-collision light (LED strobe uses
the
| least power)
| fabricate a proper battery box for a battery,
| perhaps install a voltmeter,
| fabricate an electrical bus, circuit breaker and switch,
| perhaps an external power connection for charging,
| do the weight and balance and update the paperwork and
| aircraft logs.
|
| The airplane may have had an external wind-driven
generator
| originally, you could restore that with a modern
alternator
| at the cost of a 1 or 2 mph.
|
|
|
|
| But with a "modern alternator" you now have an engine
driven electrical
| system, and all of the requirements that go along with
it...
| (transponder within mode c veil).
|
| I would do the battery thing and/or investigate the wind
generator.
|
| --
| -- ET :-)
|
| "A common mistake people make when trying to design
something
| completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of
complete
| fools."---- Douglas Adams

"Jim Macklin" wrote

You can drive the alternator with a propeller just like the
old generator, it just makes power with less drag.

You do need to use a special propeller, that is designed for converting
thrust into power, instead of power into thrust. The more curved surface
needs to be on the backside of the airstream, unlike a regular prop.

For a generator, you can use a 12 volt motor with magnets in it, and a
voltage regulator added to it.
--
Jim in NC

True, but a modern alternator will produce power at lower
rpm which means less drag. Also it should have lower frontal
area and internal cooling drag. Alternators don't need
heavy cast iron housings and w/o a commutator, should be
electrically quieter.

Ag planes often use a wind driven pump, so getting a proper
prop isn't difficult, just tell the prop shop how many watts
and what a/s, etc.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Morgans" wrote in message
...
|
| "Jim Macklin" wrote
|
| You can drive the alternator with a propeller just like
the
| old generator, it just makes power with less drag.
|
| You do need to use a special propeller, that is designed
for converting
| thrust into power, instead of power into thrust. The more
curved surface
| needs to be on the backside of the airstream, unlike a
regular prop.
|
| For a generator, you can use a 12 volt motor with magnets
in it, and a
| voltage regulator added to it.
| --
| Jim in NC
|
|

Jim Macklin wrote:
True, but a modern alternator will produce power at lower
rpm which means less drag. Also it should have lower frontal
area and internal cooling drag. Alternators don't need
heavy cast iron housings and w/o a commutator, should be
electrically quieter.

Ag planes often use a wind driven pump, so getting a proper
prop isn't difficult, just tell the prop shop how many watts
and what a/s, etc.

This one say 6 amps (yep, not much, but a lot more than nothing) at
85mph, weighs 5 lbs and is 5" diameter. Seven hundred bucks though...

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...s/turboalt.php

Let's see... a lot more expensive than another battery, but a lot
lighter too.

"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
news:zoXuf.40449$QW2.13845@dukeread08...

You can drive the alternator with a propeller just like the
old generator, it just makes power with less drag.


Maybe you can, maybe you can't. This is a certificated airplane, not a
homebuilt.

Field approval. No doubt there is an approved wind
generator from the 1940s. The conversion should be a simple
matter, even on a certificated airplane.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in
message
nk.net...
|
| "Jim Macklin" wrote
in message
| news:zoXuf.40449$QW2.13845@dukeread08...
|
| You can drive the alternator with a propeller just like
the
| old generator, it just makes power with less drag.
|
|
| Maybe you can, maybe you can't. This is a certificated
airplane, not a
| homebuilt.
|
|