8c. Fin Trailing Edge Lighting System

These photos were EMailed to us from New Zealand, where our electronic wizard, Graeme Murray of Murray Design, is developing and prototyping all the F-18 special effect electronic lighting systems (We just love this Internet and how it enables people with common interests to work together instantaneously from any point in the world!).  There will be strobe lights located on the tip of each of the four fins that will flash together about once per second.   There will also be strips of bright red LED's that will run up the trailing edge of each of the four fins.  The red flashes of light will repeatedly grow radially.   Should look just like a Babylon 5 jump gate!!

Strobe Light Tube Wiring	Sequential Flashing LED's

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above is the strip printed circuit board with LED's and the flash tube strobe attached.  The two green wires carry 280 volts to the flash tube.  The center white wire carries the 4000 volt pulse that ionizes the gas in the tube - the flash!   Each of the four fins has one of these strips bonded inside its trailing edge.

Strip Mounted Components	LED Sequence Timing/Control Circuit

This circuit board has a timing circuit and voltage regulator to control the synchronized sequential flashing of the "Painfully Bright" red LED's.