Tailbeacon on a Waiex

[Bryan Cotton]

Rev 2 of the mount:

Screenshot_20240623-230719.png (956.75 KiB) Viewed 2964 times

Rev 2 may not be totally accurate. But next I glued it on with 5 minute epoxy. Once it seemed strong enough I did a trial fit.

beacon trial fit.png (931.05 KiB) Viewed 2964 times

I cut the heads off some long #8 screws and sharpened them. Then I screwed them in, with some WD40 on the threads. Put a piece of heat shrink tubing over it and then glassed over with 4 or 5 layers of thin glass. Before I put resin to it, I cut up to the edge of the mount around the perimiter of the part so the cloth would lay flat around the corner.

[Bryan Cotton]

Ready for paint - finally.

Before paint I weighed it, + 0.06 lbs so far.

[Bryan Cotton]

Here is my wiring scheme:

I need to touch up the paint. Good enough for now.

Powered up, configured, and registered:

tailbeacon powered up.png (936.53 KiB) Viewed 2650 times

Awesome! Weather is spectacular, let's go try it out!



Oh wait....

[Sonex1717]

Those tail beacon pics turned out great Bryan! Van's used to carry something like yours but haven't in years. If possible please let me know if I can purchase one from you. Unfortunately I have no skills when it comes to molds & machining lock rings.

Don

[Bryan Cotton]

Those tail beacon pics turned out great Bryan! Van's used to carry something like yours but haven't in years. If possible please let me know if I can purchase one from you. Unfortunately I have no skills when it comes to molds & machining lock rings.

Don

Thanks Don! We don't have the bandwidth to make parts unfortunately. Are you any good at fiberglass? We can share the 3D model we used to make the cone. If you have a straight tail Sonex you won't have to machine a lock ring for an Uavionix tailbeacon. The one they supply will work.

[Sonex1717]

Yes I have the straight-tail but unfortunately no glass experience. It is hard to believe that no one on the planet is making an after-market flared mount! Thank you for your kind offer to share the 3D. Do you prefer the Uavionix over the AeroLED?

D

[Bryan Cotton]

Do you prefer the Uavionix over the AeroLED?

Two totally different things. Uavionix provides ADSB out. Plus it's a tail light. I have Whelen Orion 600s on the wingtips so I don't need a tail light, but I do want ADSB out.

[Sonex1717]

Thanks again for the info Bryan. I'm gathering details about lighting and radios as I go while working on the tail feathers. A lot of considerate builders like yourself have taken the time to post, and it is appreciated.