Warbird Information Exchange

ok, what is the purpose of that single red light in the left wing of a BT13 called a passing light?

Sage,

I think it was for overtaking slower traffic.

Steve G

overtaking slower traffic!?! Like what? Aeronica C2's and sailplanes?

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

I'm gonna bring my BT over to your place and let her pee on your lawn for that!

My Dad said that at Newport, Arkansas while flying BT's, he heard a tale of a student who flew into a cloud at night with the passing light on. He thought the red glow was a fire and bailed out.

Steve G

A few years ago I phoned an old guy who had some BT-13 parts for sale. Turns out that he used to fly C-47's in the ETO and I asked him what a passing light was used for. He told me that when going into a civilian field in the states at night that was controlled by light signals, the a/c with the passing light (being military traffic) got priority over civilian aircraft. There must be more to it than that but that's all he could recall about it.

Dan

Red passing lamps are not specific to military aircraft nor wartime conditions. The CAA bought 8 ) 1939 Waco AGC-8 cabins and they were equipped with port wing red "passing" lamps. I was under the impression it is a safety device that when encountering opposing traffic you pass (in opposite directions, not over taking) to the right of the red lamp that you see on the oncoming ship. This places your aircraft clear of the port side of on coming aircraft....akin to roadway traffic in the States. Bear to the right of the red light. The key here is the definition of "passing". It is referring to passing in opposite directions and not overtaking.

Were those Waco's equipped with wing tip nav lights, do you know?

Yes they were. Standard civilian required lighting was supplied.
Here is a link to NC60.....

NC60 Waco AGC-8

These nav lites are the Grimes leading edge style pre-war (not tip lites). The passing lamp is in the cutout inboard of the nav lite on port upper wing leading edge....outboard of pitot mast.
All black with galatea orange horizontal surfaces and stripes. Note CAA decal on door.

Scroll down to page six of this PDF from a B-26 newsletter and you will find both explanations we have heard so far:

http://b26mhs.bizland.com/forums/index. ... post&id=21