Autopilot questions for small GA aircraft

In article . com,
chris wrote:

On May 9, 8:34 am, "Robert M. Gary" wrote:
On May 8, 1:13 pm, chris wrote:





Other comments welcome as well, of course.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

I think you'll find that it is very odd for a high performance single
to not have some sort of an autopilot. In my personal airplane I have
a single axis autopilot that can follow the loc, vor, etc. Most of the
time I use it on heading mode. For VFR it does a much better job of
holding a heading for 6 hours than I can (I tend to drift around a
bit). For IFR its very nice to not have to hold the plane upright in
mild turb while looking at charts. For any turb beyond mild my
autopilot tends to diverge so I have to turn it off. Incidently the
Mooney is one of the only aircraft certified for full time autopilot.
I later got an addition to my POH allowing me to turn the autopilot
off by pulling the breaker (which puts a big red light on in the
panel). The plane has no "off" switch for the autopilot because it was
certified as "full time". There is a red interrupt button on the yoke
but the second you release it, the autopilot is back in control. Some
pilots put rubber bands on the button to hold it down when they don't
want it.

-Robert

Wow, that's amazing!! So how do you do flight training in it? With
your hand on the button during a wingdrop etc, I suppose.. Sounds
like a bit of an oversight for them to not even include an off
button!!!! How do you get on taxiing??? In a normal autopilot you'd
have the controls trying to take your knees out constantly - Hide
quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yep, that's about what happens. I'm sure pilots had always pulled the
breaker. You do have to explain to pax why there is a big red warning
light on though.

-Robert- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

That's about the most bizarre thing I have ever heard!

Indeed. I find it almost impossible to believe.

rg

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
ps.com...
On May 8, 1:13 pm, chris wrote:
Other comments welcome as well, of course.







--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

I think you'll find that it is very odd for a high performance single
to not have some sort of an autopilot. In my personal airplane I have
a single axis autopilot that can follow the loc, vor, etc. Most of the
time I use it on heading mode. For VFR it does a much better job of
holding a heading for 6 hours than I can (I tend to drift around a
bit). For IFR its very nice to not have to hold the plane upright in
mild turb while looking at charts. For any turb beyond mild my
autopilot tends to diverge so I have to turn it off. Incidently the
Mooney is one of the only aircraft certified for full time autopilot.
I later got an addition to my POH allowing me to turn the autopilot
off by pulling the breaker (which puts a big red light on in the
panel). The plane has no "off" switch for the autopilot because it was
certified as "full time". There is a red interrupt button on the yoke
but the second you release it, the autopilot is back in control. Some
pilots put rubber bands on the button to hold it down when they don't
want it.

-Robert

Wow, that's amazing!! So how do you do flight training in it? With
your hand on the button during a wingdrop etc, I suppose.. Sounds
like a bit of an oversight for them to not even include an off
button!!!! How do you get on taxiing??? In a normal autopilot you'd
have the controls trying to take your knees out constantly - Hide
quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yep, that's about what happens. I'm sure pilots had always pulled the
breaker. You do have to explain to pax why there is a big red warning
light on though.

-Robert

Nah! Just tell 'em to pray loudly, so that God can hear 'em over the
engine.

Peter
(Expecting to fly with high-sulfur fuel)

On May 8, 1:39 pm, "Robert M. Gary" wrote:
I think you'll find that it is very odd for a high performance single
to not have some sort of an autopilot. In my personal airplane I have
a single axis autopilot that can follow the loc, vor, etc. Most of the
time I use it on heading mode.[...]

I'm not that familiar with Mooneys, but I thought all they had full-
time was a simple wing-leveler. I didn't realize it could also be
slaved to LOC, VOR, HDG. Is that normal, or an option or ?

Thanks!
Kev

On May 8, 2:28 pm, Kev wrote:
On May 8, 1:39 pm, "Robert M. Gary" wrote:

I think you'll find that it is very odd for a high performance single
to not have some sort of an autopilot. In my personal airplane I have
a single axis autopilot that can follow the loc, vor, etc. Most of the
time I use it on heading mode.[...]

I'm not that familiar with Mooneys, but I thought all they had full-
time was a simple wing-leveler. I didn't realize it could also be
slaved to LOC, VOR, HDG. Is that normal, or an option or ?

Thanks!
Kev

The basic system was a vac driven system that was just a full time
wing leveler. Later models (such as mine) included an option for the
"PathFinder" autopilot, which is fully electric and has a selector of
leveler/heading/nav1/nav2

-Robert

On May 9, 11:09 am, "Robert M. Gary" wrote:
On May 8, 2:28 pm, Kev wrote:

On May 8, 1:39 pm, "Robert M. Gary" wrote:

I think you'll find that it is very odd for a high performance single
to not have some sort of an autopilot. In my personal airplane I have
a single axis autopilot that can follow the loc, vor, etc. Most of the
time I use it on heading mode.[...]

I'm not that familiar with Mooneys, but I thought all they had full-
time was a simple wing-leveler. I didn't realize it could also be
slaved to LOC, VOR, HDG. Is that normal, or an option or ?

Thanks!
Kev

The basic system was a vac driven system that was just a full time
wing leveler. Later models (such as mine) included an option for the
"PathFinder" autopilot, which is fully electric and has a selector of
leveler/heading/nav1/nav2

-Robert

So is the wing leveler fighting with you when you want to go round a
corner??

On May 8, 4:19 pm, chris wrote:
On May 9, 11:09 am, "Robert M. Gary" wrote:





On May 8, 2:28 pm, Kev wrote:

On May 8, 1:39 pm, "Robert M. Gary" wrote:

I think you'll find that it is very odd for a high performance single
to not have some sort of an autopilot. In my personal airplane I have
a single axis autopilot that can follow the loc, vor, etc. Most of the
time I use it on heading mode.[...]

I'm not that familiar with Mooneys, but I thought all they had full-
time was a simple wing-leveler. I didn't realize it could also be
slaved to LOC, VOR, HDG. Is that normal, or an option or ?

Thanks!
Kev

The basic system was a vac driven system that was just a full time
wing leveler. Later models (such as mine) included an option for the
"PathFinder" autopilot, which is fully electric and has a selector of
leveler/heading/nav1/nav2

-Robert

So is the wing leveler fighting with you when you want to go round a
corner??- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Technically the way you would initiate a turn is to tell the wing
leveler to make a standard rate turn left or right. It has a 3
position switch on the TC, straight, left, right. So they expected you
would either fly around the pattern using the turn director or hold
the override button down the entire time. Of course the autopilot is
also easily overpowerable.

-Robert

Robert M. Gary writes:

I think you'll find that it is very odd for a high performance single
to not have some sort of an autopilot.

That's reassuring. I wouldn't want to fly anything without an autopilot--a
good one.

How much do autopilots for small aircraft cost? Do they have to be provided
for at the factory, or can they be retrofitted to an aircraft?

The plane has no "off" switch for the autopilot because it was
certified as "full time". There is a red interrupt button on the yoke
but the second you release it, the autopilot is back in control. Some
pilots put rubber bands on the button to hold it down when they don't
want it.

I don't like that idea at all. Even airliners have positive disconnects for
the autopilot.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Robert M. Gary writes:

I think you'll find that it is very odd for a high performance single
to not have some sort of an autopilot.

That's reassuring. I wouldn't want to fly anything without an
autopilot--

You couldn't fly anything, period.


Bertie

On May 19, 6:41 am, Mxsmanic wrote:
Robert M. Gary writes:
I think you'll find that it is very odd for a high performance single
to not have some sort of an autopilot.

That's reassuring. I wouldn't want to fly anything without an autopilot--a
good one.

Well you won't find one of a J-3 cub or a Cessna 150. For short
distance flights I don't even turn on the autopilot I have. Its kind
of like cruise control.

How much do autopilots for small aircraft cost? Do they have to be provided
for at the factory, or can they be retrofitted to an aircraft?

There are some very simple ones that can be installed for around
$12,000. More complete autopilots for a single engine will run to
around $50,000 installed.

-Robert

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Robert M. Gary writes:

I think you'll find that it is very odd for a high performance single
to not have some sort of an autopilot.

That's reassuring. I wouldn't want to fly anything without an
autopilot--a good one.

How much do autopilots for small aircraft cost? Do they have to be
provided for at the factory, or can they be retrofitted to an
aircraft?

The plane has no "off" switch for the autopilot because it was
certified as "full time". There is a red interrupt button on the yoke
but the second you release it, the autopilot is back in control. Some
pilots put rubber bands on the button to hold it down when they don't
want it.

I don't like that idea at all. Even airliners have positive
disconnects for the autopilot.

Not all moron, you're a fjukkwit.


Bertie