Tecnam Sierra autopilot?

[clmooring]

Is it possible to install the autopilot from one of the default planes in the tecnam sierra? Have it show up in the VC and have it work with the Rxp 530? I already have the 530, but really dont want to spend additional money on an autopilot at the moment.

thx for any info

[anthony31]

Someone has done it.

First thing to do is change the autopilot_available=0 to autopilot_available=1 in the aircraft.cfg.

[autopilot]
autopilot_available= 0
flight_director_available= 0
default_vertical_speed= 700.0
autothrottle_available= 0
pitch_takeoff_ga=8.0

Second thing is to replace the SL30 with the default bendix king autopilot unit in the rxp530 panel.cfg (the last line in the following excerpt):

[VCockpit01]
background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=1024,1024
visible=1
pixel_size=1024,1024
texture=$pan1
gauge00=rxpGNS!GMA340, 4,3, 507,109
gauge01=rxpGNS!GTX327, 4,588, 507,128
gauge02=rxpGNS!GNS530, 4,112, 507,369
//gauge00=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio Audio, 4,3, 507,109
//gauge01=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio Xpndr, 4,588, 507,128
//gauge02=fs9gps!gps_500, 4,112, 507,369
gauge03=..\panel\SierraGauges!p2002_Clock, 550,0,354,114
gauge04=..\panel\SierraGauges!p2002_Hobbs_Meter, 550,122,280,50
gauge05=..\panel\SierraGauges!p2002_EngMgmt, 1021,0,1,1
gauge06=..\panel\SierraGauges!p2002_Rain, 1022,0,1,1
gauge07=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio AP, 4,481, 507,109

In theory that should work, I haven't tested it.

[clmooring]

Thanks for the quick response. Based on that, I plan to buy tonight and try the change!

It looks like a great add-on. The demo imho was brilliant and it ran great on my mediocre PC.

[anthony31]

No worries.

If you have any problems give me an email I'll help you out.

[clmooring]

Worked great, thanks!

Do you know if there are other freeware autopilots that would fit and work better?

[anthony31]

Not off hand.

I usually don't use autopilots :)

[bkeske]

Worked great, thanks!

Do you know if there are other freeware autopilots that would fit and work better?

If you have the RXP 'T' gauges, I would suggest the possibility of swapping the turn coordinator with the RXP unit, and using the STEC AP/Turn Coordinator option.

You would not get altitude hold, but you would get heading and NAV functions, including GPSS.

SimFlyer also has the same unit available packaged with some of their GPS packages, and it does incorporate altitude hold.

In addition, Friendly Panels have some nice Bendix units for ''cheap in their 'gauge pack'.

...But Anthony is probably more correct, in that this aircraft probably is not supplied with an AP stock. Which is why if you have the RXP 'T' package, the STEC turn coordinator would probably be most appropriate in this.

[clmooring]

Is it even possible in the real world to install an AP in the plane? It sure makes cross country easier.

[anthony31]

Well, there is this quote from the Tecnam australia site which indicates that you can have autopilots fitted:

"TECNAM Dealers in Australia have a mix of new TECNAM aircraft in stock or due to arrive shortly. We can quote and install avionics to customer requirements, including AvMap and Garmin GPS, Dynon D100/SkyView EFIS and Trutrak Autopilots. With each new TECNAM aircraft sold we provide two hours of paid instruction with experienced Chief Flying Instructors."

There is also this review of the Tecnam Eaglet which mentions a "two-axis autopilot" fitted as an option:

http://www.recreationalpilots.com.au/tecnam-eaglet-review.htm

Mind you, I've downloaded just about every Sierra cockpit screenshot I could find on the internet and not once have I seen an autopilot fitted.

[bkeske]

"TECNAM Dealers in Australia have a mix of new TECNAM aircraft in stock or due to arrive shortly. We can quote and install avionics to customer requirements, including AvMap and Garmin GPS, Dynon D100/SkyView EFIS and Trutrak Autopilots. With each new TECNAM aircraft sold we provide two hours of paid instruction with experienced Chief Flying Instructors."

The Truetrak would make sense Anthony. Bill L. can confirm, but I'm sure that is what Eaglesoft used in their Liberty.


Mind you, I've downloaded just about every Sierra cockpit screenshot I could find on the internet and not once have I seen an autopilot fitted.

I was checking that out as well, and I have not seen any either. As this began as/is a Light Sports aircraft, I highly doubt there are many out there with an AP. But as I was checking out cockpit photos, and videos of this aircraft....

.....I finally had to break down and bought the Sierra this evening :icon_lol:, have not flown it yet, just getting 'aquainted', but everything looks superb. The options for the RXP 530 are really welcomed and appreciated, though per my earlier post, after looking things over, I don't think it would be 'possible' to swap the turn coordinator with the RXP STEC 30 AP/TC as they are not separate gauges the way you designed them. But heck, I kinda like your stock panel as well, and saw you got the cursor button worked out on the 296. Nice work on that unit BTW, it just seems to fit this aircraft...even more so than the 530...but it sure is nice to have the option.

Not really concerned about the AP myself, I plan on flying this baby as intended, and can't wait to take a couple 'hops' soon.

I have a feeling this aircraft will be racking up some hours. Well done.

[clmooring]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOo89eb_sXo&feature=related

Now I dont feel so bad about installing the autopilot. This Sierra is definately setup with all of the extras.

[gweilo8888]

Hi folks

I'm in a similar boat here in trying to add an autopilot to the Tecnam Sierra, but with a difference. I don't own the RxP530 or 430, so instead I've been trying to customize my panel based on panel.default.cfg in the RxP version of the Sierra.

I've successfully added the default Bendix autopilot to the panel in place of another item in the radio stack, however I've hit a snag. The default autopilot relies on there being a heading bug on the heading indicator, which by default there isn't. Without it, I can't set a heading for the autopilot to follow, so I've been trying to figure out a way to either replace the default heading indicator, or (more unrealistically, I know) to simply add the Cessna's heading indicator somewhere on the panel.

I can't for the life of me see where the default gauge cluster comes from, and am presuming it's somehow hard-coded into the aircraft's design outside of panel.cfg. Thing is, I can't figure a way to get the default gauge onto the panel somewhere either -- I can get it to appear on top of another item (for example, on top of something on the radio stack, or inside the display area on the clock), but not as a standalone gauge on the panel.

So, my question, in three parts...

* Is it possible to replace the default heading indicator with an HI from a different panel somehow?

* If not, is it possible to add an HI from a different panel in the gauge blank location at the bottom of the column beneath the clock?

* If not, is there another freeware autopilot -- either in one of the stock planes, or a third party one -- which I can use that allows adjustment of heading directly through the autopilot?

...or am I simply missing something, and I should be able to adjust heading through some instrument other than the heading indicator?

Cheers

---
Michael