FSX Looking for the easiest way to add Auto Pilot To Any Plane?

[Prostock]

I am able to add GPS to any plane easily. Is there a way to add Auto Pilot to any plane? What I've tried so far is copying and pasting the config lines a plane with an operational auto pilot and also adding the [Windowxx]=Auto Pilot line. There has to be a simple way as simple as adding GPS. Thank for any help.

[CRJ_simpilot]

That would be more of a process becuase it involves the IAS hold button, the IAS dial, the ALT hold button, the ALT dial, HDG hold button and dial, etc. Then you need the master AP switch.

 

If you're looking at customizing cockpits, I highly recommend you invest in FS Panel Studio. While I can hand edit aircraft.cfg files, FS Panel Studio makes the job a lot easier. It will show you the cockpit and you just drag and drop gauges into place. But there are some caveats. Like depending on the cockpit, some gauges will slip behind it. Plus you have to make sure the sizes are correct, etc. If you edit the VC, you can mostly only do a gauge add/replace and that gauge needs to fill at least the same size where it came from. If you try to edit a complex add-on plane then that can get complicated. I once added flight attendant announcement switches to the overhead of the VC in the PMDG 737 for FS9. But it was an involved process.

 

All in all, if your messing with basic GA or basic freeware add-on planes, using FS Panel Studio should be relatively simple. It will save you boat loads of time and error trying to hand edit aircraft.cfg files.

[mallcott]

I am able to add GPS to any plane easily. Is there a way to add Auto Pilot to any plane? What I've tried so far is copying and pasting the config lines a plane with an operational auto pilot and also adding the [Windowxx]=Auto Pilot line. There has to be a simple way as simple as adding GPS. Thank for any help.

 

No, there isn't.

It can be done, but it involves the possibility of modification to the aircraft.cfg or the .air file.

[tiger1962]

+1 FS Panel Studio, but there's a bit of aircraft.cfg and .air file editing to do before you get to that stage with an aircraft which has no autopilot:

The autopilot needs three gyroscopes to be installed before it can work at all, so these sections must be in the aircraft.cfg as well as the [autopilot] section:

 

[direction_indicators]

//1 Type: 0=None, 1=Vacuum Gyro, 2=Electric Gyro, 3=Electro-Mag Slaved Compass, 4=Slaved to another

//2 Indicator number of slaving indicator if Type = 4

direction_indicator.0=1,0

 

[attitude_indicators]

//Type: 0=None, 1=Vacuum Gyro, 2=Electric Gyro

attitude_indicator.0 = 1

attitude_indicator.1 = 2

 

[turn_indicators]

//Type: 0=None, 1=Electric Gyro, 2= Vacuum Gyro

turn_indicator.0=1,1 //Turn AND Bank

 

The above sections are from the default C172 aircraft.cfg, and you can also copy an entry from the default Cessna172SP.air file:

You'll need AirEd (search for godaired.zip in the library) to open .air files, and learn how to copy from one .air file and paste into another - just right-click on an entry, select Copy to Clipboard, then right-click anywhere in your 'new' .air file window and select Paste from Clipboard.

From the default Cessna172SP.air file, copy and paste entry: 1199 *Autopilot/Secondary Aerodynamics

into your 'new' .air file.

 

Now you can add ANY autopilot gauge into your panel.cfg and it'll work for you.

Edited December 8, 2018 by tiger1962

[ColR1948]

Can't you just copy the air file and rename it if desired?

[tiger1962]

I wouldn't recommend it Col, the .air file contains specific engine and aerodynamic data for that particular aircraft - if you copied a 747 .air file over to a Tiger Moth I doubt it would even work, but if it did, the results would be interesting to say the least...

[ColR1948]

Hi Tim,

The reason I said it was Tom Gibson from CalClassics uses the fs9 default 737-400 air file on a lot of his aircraft, and they are mostly prop jobs but they fly OK.

So I copied his idea and had good results, in fact I've used many an air file from different aircraft when I've had a particular one that wouldn't fly very well.

I mean not long ago there was someone on here who said his ai aircraft would not turn after being told to by ATC, well I had this a few times, the answer was change the air file, he did that and it worked.

 

Col.

[tiger1962]

Yes, it can work if you choose carefully like-for-like - but I still wouldn't recommend it! :)

[Lowbeam]

You might try FSXPilot which went to freeware earlier this year.

 

http://fsxpilot.com/index.php

[Prostock]

Well, First off, I appreciate everyone's knowledge and input in response to my question. Yet, I am disappointed that it's not as easy as simply copying lines from another Aircrafts panel.cfg and pasting into the designated aircraft to achieve my goal, I will continue to research. To be quite honest, I'll go without having an auto pilot before I'll pay for a program to achieve it. When I find the answer, I'll post it here. Thank you for your replies to my question. Edited December 8, 2018 by Prostock

[gentris]

download JTmod-B-52G Stratofortress and use the ap913 cab, then config panel

[ColR1948]

Would this not work if you used the alias= to the panel with an autopilot?

 

example.

alias=b737_800\panel

[tiger1962]

Not unless the necessary entries are made in the aircraft.cfg and .air files which I mentioned earlier.

[PhantomTweak]

Hi, y'all!

 

You don't need any payware to add an AP to a plane. Just NotePad (or NotePad++), and AirED. All free, and quite easy to use.

 

Once you have the correct entries in the Panel.cfg file, with NotePad, like WindowXX=, and the [windowXX] entries, along with an Icon on your 2D and/or VC, if desired, you need the correct entries in your Aircraft.cfg. The 3 gyro's, which may, or may not already be there, and the [autopilot] section.

There are a number of threads out there that will describe how to tune the [autopilot] entries to make them most applicable (big word for this time of day, huh??) to the plane you want to have the AP in.

Then just add the r1199 to the recipient .air file from a similar plane's .air file with AirED, and awaaaay you go!

 

Maybe a 10 minute operation, total. Less, if you get really good at editing .cfg files. A little more if you want to fine tune the [autopilot] section, and/or R1199.

Yes, it's just a teensy bit more complex than adding a GPS to a panel, but not much, really.

 

Good luck to you!

Pat☺

[Prostock]

Well it is as easy as adding GPS. You just have to make the entries correctly. All I did to get it to add a properly working "Basic" Auto pilot was to go into the Panel Config from the Beech King Air which includes radio stack and add it to the Douglas DC-3 panel config. Making sure to name the windows correctly and it works fine. Here's the string I added. Honestly, I kind of answered my own question with a little diligence. Thanks again

 

Window05=AUTO PILOT WITH RADIO STACK

 

[Window05]

BACKGROUND_COLOR=2,2,2

size_mm=156,308

position=8

visible=0

ident=RADIO_STACK_PANEL

 

gauge00=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio Audio, 0, 0

gauge01=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio Nav-Comm 1, 0, 29

gauge02=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio Nav-Comm 2, 0, 86

gauge03=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio ADF, 0, 142

gauge04=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio DME, 0, 180

gauge05=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio Xpndr, 0, 217

gauge06=Bendix_King_Radio!Bendix-King Radio AP, 0, 262

[tiger1962]

All the default aircraft have the necessary aircraft.cfg and .air file entries for autopilot functionality.

You must check that those entries exist in an add-on aircraft which doesn't already have an autopilot installed, or adding the autopilot gauge alone won't work.

[StringBean]

All the default aircraft have the necessary aircraft.cfg and .air file entries for autopilot functionality.

 

[Pedantic Mode]Not all of them do.[/Pedantic Mode]

 

;);););)

 

peace,

the Bean

[tiger1962]

Hehe! Thanks Bean, I must have modded all of mine and forgotten about them!

 

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