Projects Adding LED's to Scratch Built Plane

[Derek]

I've always been entertained by night flying (planes, helicopters, and quads). This year, I'd like to give it a go, myself. I am scratch building a 60" wingspan motorglider from 3/16" Readyboard Foamboard ( love this stuff). I'd kinda like to put to the LED's inside the wing airfoil and fuselage but I'm wondering....in the airfoil....if I were to adhere the LEDs to the upper or lower part of the airfoil, would the wing glow enough to be seen? In the fuselage, same question. Without a doubt, putting the LEDs on the outside of the plane would be VERY visible but I think having the LEDs on the inside would be a cleaner build.

Any thoughts on this???

 

[Stambo]

I would say inside judging by some I have seen.
Better protected there too.
Just try some behind your foam board and see if it shines through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tw2SdK1U0I

 

[Derek]

Sounds good to me, Stambo! Thanks for your thoughts!

I'm cutting the fuselage right now. Once I get the bends made, I'll add the LED's before I close up the fuselage tube. Once that's done, I'll start working on the main wing...again, adding the LED's before I close things up.

Now, because the vertical and horizontal stabilizer are simply single sheets of foamboard, I have no idea how I'll illuminate them. I'll just work on the fuselage and main wing for now. I'll sort out the tail section later.

 

[Derek]

I have some 24 gauge wire that I'm using to string up my LED's. Would servo connectors be ok to make the connections or should I go out and purchase some JST plugs for this?

 

[Tony]

Servo connections should be just fine.

 

[wolfman76]

on the wing you doing 1 color facing top of wing and another facing down for orientation??

 

[Stambo]

on the wing you doing 1 color facing top of wing and another facing down for orientation??

This is what I would do, it is hard enough to determine which way is up in daylight.
Or I suppose white inside the wing and different coloured tape top and bottom would work.

 

[Derek]

Thanks Tony! I figured servo connectors would be ok to use to connect the LED's but I wanted to ask.

As for the color scheme...I'm lighting the left wing with red, the right wing with green, and the fuselage with blue. I'm also going to put a few white LED's on the belly at the nose. I'm thinking the white, on the belly of the nose, will help with orientation and it will help light up the ground when I come in for landings. I have the LED's enclosed in the main wing and fuselage. I stuck the wire ends into a 3S battery to test and they light up beautifully. I'd like to add some LED's to the tail but I don't know how to do it and have it similar to the fuselage and the wing because the wing and fuselage LED's are enclosed in the wing and fuselage so they illuminate the wing and fuselage more than they actually "light up" the wing and fuselage. Since the vertical and horizontal stab are just single pieces of foamboard, I can't think of a way to add LED's to match because they would be on the outside of the stabs.

 

[Derek]

I'm just wondering....since the vertical and horizontal stabilizers are just single pieces of foamboard, if I were to place the LEDs along the leading edge of the stabs (with the LEDs facing inward), would that "illuminate" the stabs?

 

[wolfman76]

I would get a scrap piece of foam board and a led strip turn lights out and see lol

 

[Stambo]

I would be tempted to put them at the root of the horizontal stabilisers facing up towards the tail and see how it looks.