Auto pilot dont work
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Have you turned knob to NAV ?
Have you clicked on the GPS and set it to GPS and not VLOC ?
It is also advisable to manually trim the aircraft and be on course, before activating the autopilot.
....and don't forget.... AKAIK, it only maintains altitude using pitch, so be prepared to adjust throttle manually when turning using the AP, as it may become unstable otherwise.Simply activating the AP, with no mode selected -- for example during climb out -- should maintain current bank and pitch... but if I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me.
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After much testing I can confirm the AP is very dangerous.
Sometimes bank control works, other times it goes haywire.
Switching from bank mode to heading mode again, causes massive instability.
Given JF insist on tickets one is on its way !
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@gabe777 said in Auto pilot dont work:
Sometimes bank control works, other times it goes haywire.
Happens on real a/c with me all the time.
I apologise and will see myself out. -
@walterbeech Glad I'm not flying with you then ... ððð
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UPDATE.
It appears that it has to be used very carefully.
It is important that the AP Heading mode is only activated once the heading bug is centred to current heading.
THEN activate Heading mode.... THEN adjust heading bug slowly...... to desired heading.
If you set the heading bug first .... say to turn right 120 degrees... and then activate Heading Mode.... the aircraft sometimes turns the wrong way.... and violently loses control and it drops out of the sky.
It prolly says this in the manual somewhere ð
Also switching between modes like bank and heading, can be dodgy, unless the aircraft is trimmed, stabilised and then AP 'disconnected' and then reactivated first.
So Tldr; fly trimmed and stable, activate AP, then select a mode. Ensure heading bug is centred, BEFORE activating Heading Mode.
Altitude hold seems fine. Also activating AP on climb once trimmed for steady climb rate, seems to keep wings level.
So, all good, once you know the rules !
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@gabe777 said in Auto pilot dont work:
fly trimmed and stable, activate AP, then select a mode. Ensure heading bug is centred, BEFORE activating Heading Mode
Gabe, this is the normal and correct procedure for any autopilot on any airplane. And it is the only proper procedure. You engage the AP from a stabilised flight regime and into a stabilised regime, only then you apply changes. Some autopilots can cope with incorrect activations, but then nothing is guaranteed. So if you've started to follow this procedure only now, it's no surprise you had experienced trouble. And then it is nothing wrong with the autopilot.
Regarding flying with me :beaming_face_with_smiling_eyes: don't be scared. What I meant to say was that simmers are used to perfectly working aircraft and they expect them to be such. In the real world it is not always the case. It is sometimes a shock for a simmer that something doesn't work in an airplane and everyone is okay about it. AP is not mandatory equipment and it can be malfunctioning and nobody would ground the airplane because of that, because it's easier and cheaper to wait till the next periodic check. I once flew a DA-20 for about 40 hrs before it got its vacuum pump replaced. It was working fine in flight, but on the ground with the engine idling it couldn't provide enough pressure and the gyros would tumble. Everyone was aware. Nobody was creating support tickets or writing on forums about that :beaming_face_with_smiling_eyes: , because the a/c was VFR only anyway. I'm not saying you shouldn't, I just suggest to take it easier. In my JF Warrior autopilot does weird things sometimes, I just disengage it and don't bother. It only adds some reality flavour to it.
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Well it makes sense. I'm used to A2A GAs which -- possibly incorrectly -- let you do what you want.
The Arrow is the first and only addon which goes haywire if you don't do things in a very precise order.
Others have noticed it too, as they too are prolly used to 'over simplified' or forgiving APs.... but clearly if it is actually more realistic, then I'm good with it.
As I said above, I now have it tamed and have been flying around NYC for few hours without incident... well until I realised jyst how high the Empire State building is ððððððððð
...I then disengaged altitude hold, trimmed up to 1500 ft, and re-engaged, levelling out at a 'safe' altitude to enjoy the sights at sunset.
Now I'm getting into the Hawk and will buzz the hills of Snowdonia... and probably wonder why it even HAS an autopilot ðĪŠ.
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@gabe777 Personally, I'm more inclined to trust that A2A above anybody else would make sure they got the AP on their GA aircraft correct.
I've also found in the Arrow that if you don't do things in a precise order with the AP (switching it on AND switching it off) it throws a wobbly and you're screwed for using the AP for the rest of the flight. I guess this accounts for the numerous posts about AP problems. I've got used to that precise order but it would be nice to have it working correctly without the glitches.