Hi Gang-------

For this week only, LoPresti Speed Merchants is offering a bunch of things at Sun N Fun show prices. You can get the deal in person at Sun N Fun or by calling them at (877) 565-1731 or (772) 562-4757 and mail order from the factory. I just ordered a pair of their SkyStruck HID lights (one for taxi, one for landing) for $375 for the pair. Normally, they are about $300 each. Single units are going for $199 this week, by the way.

This is the experimental only version of their Boom Beam lights. They draw 50 watts each instead of the 35 watts the STC'd units draw, but that is still half the current draw of normal landing lights and they put out many times the light for that power! Also, bulb life is close to forever and they are not bothered by vibration. They are a direct fit into the standard PAR 36 landing/taxi light bulb location. The power pack has a 60 inch lead to connect to the bulb, so you can put the pack anyplace convenient. I will put it someplace where there is going to be an access cover anyhow, and run the lead to the bulb. They also have a rectangular shaped light if you are scratch building your lights instead of using the factory landing light install kit, and want the square look.

The lights come in three variants. The landing light is a tight spot beam, puts all the light in a confined area, similar to a regular 4509 landing light bulb but with much longer range and brightness. The intermediate light is a much wider beam, but still a spot light type unit. Since the HID puts out so much more light than a standard 4509, you get more light ahead of you, spread over a larger cone and it reaches further into the dark. The taxi light is a very wide fan shaped beam with a flat top, it puts light all over the place ahead of and beside you for taxi but does not reach out so far into the distance. I ordered an intermediate and a taxi, but Liz, the nice woman at LoPresti, thought that maybe only the intermediate was included in the sale. If that is true she will send me two intermediates, one for the landing position and one for taxi. We shall see what I get, but either will be wonderful.

If you have a certified plane, by the way, they are also offering some amazing deals on other things such as improved cowlings, wheel pants, speed mods and so on. I did order a pair of their Hubba Hubba Caps, also. They are wheel hub caps for 6 inch wheels that have a removeable door to get at the valve stem for tire servicing without having to remove the cap from the wheel. I live on a grass runway and have snow all winter as well (New Hampshire), so I will not be putting on wheel pants. The Hubba Hubba option should work well for me and my birdie.

Bob