autopilot query...

[lemonadedrinker]

Hi,

I like to fly Stefane Meneghini's G12 and I want to ask about the autopilot. In the cfg it is listed as having one ! (although one or two of the models don't) but it will not follow the generic commands, like Ctrl+H, or whatever to keep to altitude or attitude and I wondered if it was a line missing in the cfg?

Thanks,

Andy.

[kikas]

But there is autopilot and it works, do not expect to find modern autopilot in vintage plane, early models have more primitive one, like JU-52, while late models have one like DC-3, except for CR model who is designed for short routes so theres no need for one

[lemonadedrinker]

Hi,
Thank you Stuart...are you doing ctrl +h+h like that to control it? I'll try the flight director line and see how that works.

I am still hoping for the G212, but I don't think that will be along any time soon! Their models are beautiful and the G18 is another .

Andy.

[falcon409]

But there is autopilot and it works, do not expect to find modern autopilot in vintage plane, early models have more primitive one, like JU-52, while late models have one like DC-3, except for CR model who is designed for short routes so there's no need for one

From a historic sense you're certainly correct, but just from a flight sim general perspective, if the designer has included the section for an active autopilot, it will usually respond to the normal keystroke commands. On some aircraft, if you want to add an AP but the information has been left out of the aircraft.cfg, check the airfile to see if the autopilot is active there. If it is, you can sometimes take a similar aircraft that has autopilot and copy and past the AP section from it into your aircraft and have it work. I have come across aircraft where the developer had the AP active for testing purposes only and when it was ready for release he would delete that section in the aircraft.cfg but leave it in the airfile.

[stuartcox]

Sorry Andy,

I deleted the previous post just as you replied.
I was wrong!
The solution I have now found is to use the default C172 AP entry! Works on every one of the G12s.
If you want a simple pop-up window, just paste these lines into the panel cfg:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Window05]
Background_color=16,16,16
size_mm=360,80
position=2
visible=0
ident=AP_Panel


gauge00=f_ap,5,5,350,70
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Add the following line to [Window Titles] at the top:
window05=Autopilot

Attachment 92821

[lemonadedrinker]

Hi,

Thank you Stuart ! Very helpfull. Is that one ' l ' or 2?

Andy

[Tom Clayton]

On 9/16/05, I started a similar thread. That thread was lost a couple of crashes ago, but I had the good sense to save a copy offline. I've referred back to it many times since. The attached zip contains that thread in both html and rtf formats.

[stuartcox]

Hi,

Thank you Stuart ! Very helpfull. Is that one ' l ' or 2?

Andy

1 or 2? I'm not quite sure what you mean.
Regarding the download, it's the only one I could find. (g12_v10.zip)

Stuart.

[lemonadedrinker]

Hi,
@Stuart.....is helpful one l or helpfull 2 ls:isadizzy: .As the computer shows on it's spelling check, it's one l but it never showed up yesterday as it was spelt right anyway !

....and thank you Tom for the autopilot info.

Andy.

edit. That info about the airfile and other parameters is a bit above my paygrade I think, but I'll search further on the web to try to understand it all a bit better!

A.

[stuartcox]

Hi,
@Stuart.....is helpful one l or helpfull 2 ls:isadizzy: .As the computer shows on it's spelling check, it's one l but it never showed up yesterday as it was spelt right anyway !

A.

LOL!
The spoken word is always better than the written. Less misunderstandings!

Stuart.

[lemonadedrinker]

Hi,

I have put the DH89A autopilot in the LAGO SM79 which makes it a much more controllable plane and with an ILS gauge added it works a treat, but the G12 seems to be modeled differently. For instance, I fly in Windowed mode and if I open up a Window that will stay visible as I cycle through the views, but with any other aircraft it won't. I'm going to try the DH autopilot in the G12 and see how that works.

Andy.

edit;
normally if you set the altitude and the climb rate, the aircraft will stop at the set height !, but the G12 will go sailing right on up unless the climb rate is adjusted to gradually bring the aircraft to the required altitude. It's as if the gauge is set very sensitively, which is no bad thing, but it is odd. I don't understand how it can have a mind of it's own!

A.

[Tom Clayton]

That info about the airfile and other parameters is a bit above my paygrade I think, but I'll search further on the web to try to understand it all a bit better!

Using an air file editor is the only way to get into those files, but don't sweat it - the cfg always overrides the air file anyway. Just make sure that the direction indicators and such are coded in the cfg and most autopilots should work fine. Personally, I prefer to add modern radios and GPS as popups and usually find a place on the panel for a Nav/GPS switch.If the panel is missing modern ILS gear, I also have a compact Nav/Com popup that I can install.