Set Autopilot altitude before flight

Hi,

 

Got an aircraft (BAC111) where I cannot set the AP altitude while on ground before flight. Clicking the + does not move the AP altitude window dial from zero. After take-off I can.

Strangely, I can set the AP altitude OK on the ground using the SAME autopilot at many different aircraft.

 

The [autopilot] settings in airctaft.cfg are the same in all!!

 

Any idea which other setting (assuming in aircraft.cfg) can unable the altitude to be set while on ground?

Thanks for any clue.

 

Peter

which BAC-111 you have??

 

Mr. Maltby's or JBK's ?

Hi,

Mr. Maltby's DMFS.

Peter

I found a Dave Maltby FS2004 BAC-111 full aircraft download at Rikooo. It said NOT COMPATIBLE with my Sim! Yeah right! Is this what your panel looks like and with the A/P popped up. Is the thing I circled the altitude adjustment?? It seems fine to adjust up and down while sitting on the runway!;)

 

Hi Mr Zippy,

I think that the gauge you circled is the altitude alert setting not the altitude hold. In either case I seem to have a bit different BAC-111 cockpit and on top have installed a different Autopilot, in which I cannot set the altitude hold. I am using the same autopilot in other aircraft and the altitude hold setting works fine. When I take off with BAC 111 the setting is OK, only cannot pre-set the alt hold when on ground. Also when I slew up a bit the setting can be done. So probably some tweak in cfg or air file is needed?

Cheers

Peter

OK, just thought I'd try looking for a BAC111 that I could test. Just from your description of the problem, it sounds like it's being caused by landing gear switches that detect that the aircraft is sitting on the ground. As a test, can you set the altitude just after takeoff with the landing gear still extended? I'm trying to determine if it is a gear-up detection or just weight on the landing gear.

 

I would suspect some gauge= line in the panel.cfg causing the problem. I saw a sample of one such line associated with Shockwave lights that prevented the landing lights from turning on when the landing gear was raised.

Edited November 6, 2019 by mrzippy

To see if it is the cfg file, back up the plane's aircraft.cfg file. Then copy an Autopilot section from a plane's cfg file that does work OK and paste it in over the BAC-111's cfg file section. Save it and load the plane. See if it works now.

Hi

Looking on Dave Maltby's web site, there are 2 panels, and if you

don't have the one Mr Zippy has the screenshot for which is,

 

Accurate 1-11 panel.

'Standard fit' that covers all marks except the 510ED.

Includes manual.

 

I assume you must have this one:

 

Accurate 1-11 510ED panel.

The 510ED was the original 'Super one-eleven' as specified by BEA.

The panel was significantly different to all other marks of 1-11 and

was intended to be more in common with the BEA Trident.

The 510ED fleet served on with British Airways until the early 1990s.

 

I have these fantastic aircraft, and with the 'standard fit' panel autopilot,

you don't preselect an altitude, you click the "Alt Hold" switch when the

altitude alerter confirms your at your selected altitude, and if you use

the 510ED panel, there is a height select switch with which you pre-select

your target altitude, it is worth looking on DM's website, and these AC

are not that easy to fly, you really do need to read the manual;)

 

Try this link:http://www.dmflightsim.co.uk/html/1-11/Manual_AP.htm

 

Hope this helps

Hi Gents,

MANY thanks for all your comments. Tom, have tried exactly what you suggested (copy [autopilot]cfg from the aircraft where I could select the altitude to the aircraft where I cannot select it - no luck. This is not a big issue, can always set altitude after take-off but have this habit to set the altitude dial before the flight according to what ATC advises - usually fly IFR.

Peter