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Help adding simple autopilot to vintage aircraft


Leo2789

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Hello,

 

I've recently downloaded this package for an updated Default FS Ford Trimotor (filename in library: new_4at-e.zip), and it contains a really nice but simple autopilot gauge that I've been trying to add to David Molyneaux's Airspeed AS.5 Courier (filename in library: airspeed_courier.zip).

This autopilot gauge simply holds the Altitude and/or Heading that the plane has the moment you flip the switches (or click the respective assigned keys in your keyboard).

This is in my opinion a much simpler, cleaner looking and ''legit'' way of having an AP in vintage aircraft (as opposed to simply add the Bendix AP to the panel :P ).

 

I decided to add the gauge to several other vintage aircraft I have, which I have done so successfully simply by adding the relevant gauge.xx..... line to the panel.cfg (making the switches show up in the main panel), and changing the "autopilot_available=" from 0 to 1 in the [autopilot] section of the aircraft.cfg.

 

All the aircraft I have updated with this AP gauge so far have it working flawlessly; but now enter my problem with David's Courier:

 

The AP holds the altitude correctly, but if I select the heading hold, the airplane just starts banking more and more to the right, until it enters a downward spin and slams into the ground!!

I compared the Courier's aircraft.cfg [autopilot] section with the same section in my other successfully AP updated aircraft and nothing unusual sticks out... though I'm not very knowledgeable of this particular section of the cfg file.

 

*EDIT* I'm not sure if this is also relevant, but I just noticed that while all the aircraft where the AP works perfectly make a warning sound when I disengage the Master Switch (even though the sound is not the same in all aircraft), in the Courier there is no sound! *EDIT*

 

If someone could help me figure out this problem I'd be very grateful!

 

I can post the relevant cfg entries, and the xml text of the gauge if it's also relevant!

 

 

 

Thank you

 

Leonardo Santos

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In the aircraft.cfg look for sections for attitude_indicators, direction_indicators, etc.; these must match the aircraft source -

 

"The indicator codes are:

0 = None

1 = Vacuum gyro

2 = Electric gyro

3 = Electro-mag slaved compass

4 = Slaved to another indicator"

 

If you add an AP to an aircraft for which any of those indicators are set to 0 (zero) there will be no input to the AP for that parameter. A setting of 1 or 2 will usually get an added AP functional.

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Hi Tom,

 

I don't believe I actually tried that, since like I mentioned, I compared the Courier's cfg autopilot section with the same section of other aircraft where I got the autopilot working and I could find no value that was either different or 'strange', but I will give that a go and see if it solves my problem!

 

Thank you

 

Leonardo

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Just curious.....did you actually copy all of this from the Tri-motor over to the Air Courier?

 

[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

[turn_indicators]
//Type: 0=None, 1=Electric Gyro, 2=Vacuum Gyro
turn_indicator.0=2,0


[autopilot]
autopilot_available=1
flight_director_available=1
default_vertical_speed=500.000
autothrottle_available=0
pitch_takeoff_ga=6.000
default_bank_mode=0
default_pitch_mode=0
max_pitch=10.000000
max_pitch_acceleration=1.000000
max_pitch_velocity_lo_alt=2.000000
max_pitch_velocity_hi_alt=1.500000
max_pitch_velocity_lo_alt_breakpoint=20000.000000
max_pitch_velocity_hi_alt_breakpoint=28000.000000
max_bank=25.000000
max_bank_acceleration=0.9
max_bank_velocity=1.5
max_throttle_rate=0.100000
nav_proportional_control=9.000000
nav_integrator_control=0.250000
nav_derivative_control=0.000000
nav_integrator_boundary=2.500000
nav_derivative_boundary=0.000000
gs_proportional_control=9.520000
gs_integrator_control=0.260000
gs_derivative_control=0.000000
gs_integrator_boundary=0.700000
gs_derivative_boundary=0.000000
yaw_damper_gain=0.000000

Still thinking about a new flightsim only computer!  ✈️

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Hey mrzippy,

 

Yes I actually copied all that, though not from the trimotor but from another aircraft cfg to which I've added this autopilot gauge and where it works without a hiccup!

You think copying the trimotor's entry will make a difference?

 

Leonardo

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Hey jgf,

 

I'm so sorry but I apparently missed your reply! :eek:

But thanks for replying!

 

Like I posted earlier, I have so far copied and pasted the relevant entries of other aircraft.cfg's that have this autopilot working, specifically I copied this in regard to the [xyz_indicators] sections:

 

 

[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=3,0

 

[Attitude_indicators]

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

attitude_indicator.0 = 1

 

[Turn_indicators]

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

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

 

As you can see there are some 0 in some of the indicators and this aircraft still makes use of the AP with no problem!

 

The Airspeed Courier however messes up Heading hold :/

 

I'm literally just scratching my head at this point :(

 

Leonardo

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Hey mrzippy,

 

Yes I actually copied all that, though not from the trimotor but from another aircraft cfg to which I've added this autopilot gauge and where it works without a hiccup!

You think copying the trimotor's entry will make a difference?

 

Leonardo

 

It never hurts to try. If the Tri-Motor works then I see no reason the Air Courier can't follow suit.

Still thinking about a new flightsim only computer!  ✈️

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Ok so after some more troubleshooting I figured out that the issue lies with the Airspeed Courier's .air file...

 

What I did was copy an air file from another aircraft where I've installed this Autopilot and got it working to the courier's folder, assigned a fltsim entry to it and started a flight with it.

 

Surprise, surprise! The autopilot now works! But obviously I can't make this a solution,since the flight controls and the aircraft's CG felt very wrong (from it being assigned an air file not designed for this model).

 

So now I ask if anyone can help me figure out what to do or how to edit the air file to fix this, probably help em identify the problem as well, since I have 0 experience dealing with air files :/

 

 

 

Leonardo

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Hey jgf,

 

I already tried that, as it was suggested in another forum. Still the same result :/

 

In the same post in http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/help-adding-simple-autopilot-to-vintage-aircraft.441887/ I've come to the conclusion that even if the air file had 'bad' parameters that would affect the AP in this manner, in FS9 most of the air file parameters are overridden in the aircraft.cfg anyways.

 

The thing that baffles me is that if I copy an [autopilot] section from another aircraft.cfg that has a working AP, like the DC-3 for instance, or the Ford Trimotor (mine is updated with a panel that came with this AP gauge I'm trying to use in the Courier) nothing changes; but if I replace the .air file with another from an airplane that has the same AP working, the flying characteristics of the Courier will obviously be or feel 'wrong' but the AP works no problem! It just makes no sense whatsoever! 0.o

 

Leonardo

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In general the .cfg file overrides the .air file, but there are some parameters in the .air file that still either take precedence or must be compatible (for example changing engine type, turbo to piston, requires major changes to both files to work properly). The fact that a different .air file works with the existing .cfg file indicates there is some crucial difference there.
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Hey jgf,

 

That's what thought too, but if you had the opportunity to look at that thread I linked, a user there has tested himself, using the same parameters as me on the aircraft.cfg and he encounters no problem :/

And he swears that there could be no reason for the air file to be causing this.

 

Leonardo

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