Morgans wrote:
wrote

This simple system could be put together for under $300. Any thoughts
on how it might work?

Sounds like you are on the right track. One thing I would think about
adding, is a way to automatically correct for the rate gyro's drift.

Worst case for most of those RC gyros (designed for RC helicopters,
etc.) is about 3 degrees per second. Most of our airplanes will
naturally STAY level better than that. Better gyros are available, of
course, but the price goes up... A good Crossbow 3-axis gyro is $3K or
above.

What most of the cheapo levelers for homebuilts do is add temperature
compensation, then have a microprocessor assume that most of the flight
is straight and level anyway - recalibrates every few seconds. Note
that this system is not foolproof (one reason why it is not certified)
and suffers the same "self erection" problem as does a conventional AH.
Namely, if you hold the plane in a turn for a while, the turn becomes
straight and level, and "straight and level" keeps the plane turning.
{:(