Lighting
ATA Chapter 33 — N720AK Systems Reference
Overview
N720AK uses LED lighting throughout — AeroLEDs products in the wingtips and tail. The wingtips are attached with piano hinges for easy removal during maintenance.
Components
| Component | Part Number | Supplier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wing tip lights (x2) | Pulsar NSP/660 | AeroLEDs | 3-in-1: position, strobe, rear position |
| Landing/taxi lights (x2) | AeroSun VX | AeroLEDs | Built-in wig-wag mode |
| Tail light | SunTail | AeroLEDs | Position (white) + strobe |
Lighting Controls
| Switch | Function |
|---|---|
| NAV | Position lights (wing tips and tail) |
| STROBE | Strobe lights (wing tips and tail) |
| LANDING | Landing lights (wing tips) |
| TAXI | Taxi lights |
How It Works
Each wingtip contains two units:
- Pulsar NSP/660: Combines red/green position light, white strobe, and rear-facing white position light in one housing
- AeroSun VX: High-intensity LED landing and taxi light with wig-wag capability
The wingtips attach via piano hinge modification — they can be removed entirely for maintenance access to the wing internals.
Wiring
Wingtip wiring references:
- Wing wiring overview
- Grounding block approach
- VAF AeroSun discussion thread
- Wing light grounding points discussion
Wingtip Connectors (CPC Series 1, 9-Pin)
Each wingtip connects via a CPC barrel connector. Pin assignments are identical left and right.
| Pin | Function | Wire Color |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AeroSun VX | Orange |
| 2 | AeroSun VX | Blue |
| 3 | AeroSun VX | White |
| 4 | Pulsar | Orange |
| 5 | Pulsar | Blue |
| 6 | Pulsar | White |
| 7 | AeroSun VX sync | Green |
| 8 | (unused) | — |
| 9 | Ground | — |
The Molex connector on the left wingtip is for the pitot heater (routed through the wing root CPC, not the wingtip CPC).
Pulsar / SunTail Wiring (Position + Strobe)
Recommended wiring for Pulsar 11-1180 / 11-1100 and SunTail 11-1160. Uses three-conductor 20 AWG shielded cable. Shield is used for ground return. Green sync wires from all strobe lights connect together for synchronized flashing.
Pulsar/SunTail connector (ST1):
| Pin | Wire | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red | Position (nav) power |
| 2 | Yellow | Strobe power |
| 3 | Green | Sync |
| 4 | Black | Ground (shield) |
Ground via mounting screw (H1).
Current budget (14V system):
- Position light input: 0.5A per Pulsar/SunTail
- Strobe light input: 5A per Pulsar/SunTail
AeroSun VX Wiring (Landing / Taxi / Wig-Wag)
Two-light wig-wag configuration. Each AeroSun VX has a 5-wire connection:
| Wire | Function |
|---|---|
| Red | Landing power |
| Black | Ground |
| Green | Recognition (wig-wag) power |
| Blue | — |
| Yellow | Taxi power |
Three switches control the pair:
- S4 (Landing) — both lights steady on
- S5 (Recognition / wig-wag) — alternating flash
- S1 (Taxi) — both lights at reduced intensity
See also: Wing root connector pinouts in the Electrical reference for the full wing-to-fuselage wiring.
Inspection & Maintenance
References
- AeroLEDs Pulsar NS Installation (Experimental)
- AeroLEDs AeroSun VX Installation (Rev C)
- AeroLEDs SunTail Installation (Rev A)
- RVbits RVTLR3 Tail Light Adapter Ring Installation — P/N RVTLR3, lower rudder fairing. 6 mounting holes drilled to #30 (countersunk), light mounting screws 7/8“ from center.
- AeroLEDs RV-10 Wingtip Cutout Procedures (Rev A) — Doc 0002-0006, P/N 01-2500-KT-1 / 01-2500-KT-2. Cutout templates for RV-9/10/14.
- AeroLEDs Vx Wiring Diagram — Wig-Wag Configuration — 5-wire per light (R/Blk/G/Blu/Y). Switches: S4 Landing, S5 Recognition/Wig-Wag, S1 Taxi.