Maybe this is why the aircraft is mistrimmed upon autopilot disengagement?
I agree that’s how it should work, but that’s not how it worked. I kept the AP main on, but just turned off the “NAV” and wanted to steer to a different location. For some reason, it turned main AP off.
You can’t do that! Either the AP controls the aircraft or you do!
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You can’t let the autopilot control one axis while you control the other. There are simple autopilot systems which might allows this (called Control Wheel Steering - CWS mode), pretty sure the CJ4 autopilot is not one of those. Either you fly or the autopilot controls the aircraft but not 50/50.
That would be my guess.
If you try to overpower the AP, the trim very quickly tries to compensate for the control input. Once you reach the disconnect point the trim has reached max input. You now have control of the aircraft with full nose down trim. You also have manual trim now. Your only out is to quickly neutralize the trim while correcting for the nose down attitude.
I guess the way to test that would be to attempt to overpower the AP with a push on the yoke rather than a pull. In theory you should now end up with max nose up trim when the AP disengages.
None of this is correct, but looks like how they modelled it.
In other words, there is no way to have the AP hold climb/descent rate and/or altitude unless it is also following a NAV plan? Is there a way to set a new destination in flight? Let’s say I was planning to fly to Chicago, but wanted to change to Detroit while nearing Chicago, is there anyway to do that? If not, is there anyway to hold altitude while I change the direction?
I guess I can manually input the heading and hold that in AP?
Yep, I think this is spot on and helps explain why the plane can be all over the place when you switch off the AP. Same could be true if you have significant control input in when AP is engaged - it immediately tries to trim out the control inputs. This might explain some of the “AP tries to kill me” experience people have reported.
Also try this: simple flight from EGLC to EGLL with the TBM. Set it up in the world map.When on the runway switch to external chase view with the hub showing. Then turn on AI piloting. Watch what the AI dies with the flaps and trim during take off - they are all over the place. Makes me wonder if the autopilot does something similar.
Exactly my idea.
You don’t need to use NAV but you do need to select a lateral flight director mode such as HDG.
Off topic, what is this “you are reacting too quickly, wait … minutes” about?
Its also this. This is what happens if you give roll input with the AP engaged. For example when dead zones aren’t properly set on an older joystick and therefore giving a slight roll input with joystick centered:
Too clarify, LEFT roll input is given with the AP engaged. The AP steers full RIGHT as can be seen by the in-sim yoke moving full right. Looking from the outside view the ailerons mimic the joystick position (left) while the in-sim yoke basically becomes a dumm y, moving the yoke full right with no effect.
You can manually set the heading and set HDG mode on the AP and the autopilot will follow whatever heading you set.
You can update the flight plan in the FMC in flight. Suggest you have a look at youtube for some videos for this. How you do it will depend on aircraft and particular FMC or Garmin.
If you are flying the longitude, I would strongly recommend the WT G3000 mod and the performance enhancement mod - both are linked a few posts above. They make a massive difference to this aircraft
Edit - ALT mode in the AP will hold the current altitude whilst you change direction or reprogramme the FMC
Edit/edit - worth watching the videos linked above by @StarlessLion50
I fly the WTCJ4 and with an Altitude set and VS works with the AP off.
I just tried to disconnect the autopilot in the middle of such event, there is no sudden increase in roll rate indicating that the autopilot doesn’t actually counter anything. As soon as you apply manual input YOU are in control and the autopilot just moves a yoke in opposite direction without anything attached to it, basically a dumm.y steering wheel.
The forum seems to have imposed some time restrictions on posting. I think generally you can’t post within a minuet of your last post, and some threads have longer restrictions set.
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