Press Releases
ALPHABEAM™ LED Aircraft Light
Direct Replacement LED Landing and Taxi Lights
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – March 20, 2012 – Teledyne Microelectronic Technologies, a business unit of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, announced today it is expanding the ALPHABEAM® LED Aircraft Landing and Taxi Light product line. Teledyne is the first company to obtain FAA Part Manufacturing Approval (PMA) in an LED version for this exterior lighting application. Teledyne first introduced its popular LED Landing/Taxi Light to the General Aviation market in November 2010, leveraging decades of experience combining LEDs with highly efficient, patented optical systems for military and aerospace applications.
The new ALPHABEAM® products will include sizes that replace the traditional incandescent PAR 36 and PAR 46 bulbs (4.5” and 5.75” diameter) and will be a drop-in replacement without any modifications needed to the aircraft and no sacrifice in performance compared with traditional lamps. Teledyne worked closely with major airlines during the design process to assure all critical features of the ALPHABEAM® met expectations and would solve problems without creating new ones.
The FAA PMA for the new ALPHABEAM® PAR 36 and ALPHABEAM® II PAR 46 will cover the transport aircraft category, to include commercial aircraft, regional and business jets, as well as general aviation category aircraft.
The new ALPHABEAM® products are expected for commercial sale in August 2012, although several airlines are expected to begin testing the lights as early as April. “The new ALPHABEAM® will meet all applicable environmental requirements of the RTCA DO-160 for Part 25 aircraft, and is designed to endure the harsh environment of exterior aircraft lighting,” says George Panagotacos, Director of Research & Development at Teledyne’s Lighting division. “The ALPHABEAM® will significantly outlast incandescent bulbs and substantially reduce high maintenance costs associated with this lighting technology.”
These are exciting times for the lighting industry, with some industry experts calling LEDs the third revolution in lighting, after incandescent and fluorescent. The challenge of creating light with LEDs that look and feel like traditional lighting technologies has been the charter of Teledyne’s lighting group since 1997 when Teledyne purchased the company. “The difference between Teledyne and the countless other companies making LED lighting products, is Teledyne does this for markets where failure is not an option. The ALPHABEAM®, with its robust design and high performance will revolutionize exterior aircraft lighting as we know it today,” said Albert Andry, President and General Manager of Teledyne Microelectronic Technologies.
This product line builds upon Teledyne’s long, rich history as a premier supplier to the aviation industry. Teledyne Controls is one of the industry’s major suppliers of Aircraft Data Acquisition and Information Management Solutions. Teledyne Controls has systems deployed in 300 airlines across the globe. Its end-to-end solutions are well known for increasing flight safety and operational efficiency. Teledyne Battery Products, also known as Teledyne Gill, is a pioneer in aircraft battery technology, producing top performing batteries for business jets, propeller aircraft and helicopters. Airframe manufacturers worldwide depend on Teledyne Gill’s unrelenting, superior quality batteries.
About Teledyne Technologies
Teledyne Technologies is a leading provider of sophisticated instrumentation, digital imaging products and software, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Teledyne Technologies’ operations are primarily located in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Mexico. For more information, visit Teledyne Technologies’ website at www.teledyne.com.