Mxsmanic wrote:
Luke Skywalker writes:


Well not remembering which jet leaves the field wide open...but if it
was on the pedestal of a B737 200 series or a B727 or a B707 you were
looking at the rudder trim knob.


I thought of that, but this was larger ... and you wouldn't normally use
rudder trim to turn the aircraft.

I guess it could be a manual turn controller for the autopilot, as Bob said,
but I wonder how it was used and why it's gone now. Maybe it was something
like control wheel steering (also apparently not used much in practice).



Take a look at this pictu

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1149076/L/

At the very bottom center of the photo is the rudder trim knob. Ahead
of it, on the center console, forward of the nav & com radios, and just
below the 3 fuel cutoff levers, is a smaller, grey knob. This is the
autopilot manual turn (and pitch) control knob. It is used to turn the
aircraft left or right, if you're not using a heading &/or nav mode,
while the autopilot is engaged. It is also used to command nose up or
down, unless you are coupled in "approach" mode.

Happy flying!
Scott Skylane