Sperry autopilot....

[Guest judge]

Is there a comprehensive tutorial abnywhere on the operation of the Sperry autopilot on the DC3/R4D? I've read the MAAM manual and the C-54 attachment and am getting bits and pieces by e-mail from a friend who flew these things during WW2. But I need a difinitive manual that covers all the aspects.One of the major problems I am having is the nose of the aircraft pitching up or down when I switch off the Sperry. I'm cruising along fat, dumb, and happy with the Sperry holdng altitude and course perfectly. Then I get 20 miles from my destination and switch off the Sperry to start my descent and get a pitch up or down. I have not yet had a smooth transition from Sperry control to manual control and my passengers are threatening to switch to another airline.Noel

[Guest kennethg]

From what I've seen while working on aircraft, you're likely to find a Sperry Autopilot Operator's Manual as an addendum to the regular operator's manual of an aircraft that came equipped with it. It won't always be part of the manual that was published by the manufacturer. Keep in mind, too, that what we know as a pilot's manual today didn't exist until well after WWII, so a lot of the manuals from that time are pretty skimpy on information.As far as the smooth decoupling of the autopilot, I've found that hand flying the aircraft to cruise, trimming for hands-off flight, then only using the autopilot to maintain cruise conditions allows for smooth decouplings. I think that's because the MAAM's version of the Sperry actually operates the flight control surfaces, rather than only the trim tabs like the FS2004 default autopilots. Therefore, when the MAAM Sperry is turned off, the aircraft reverts back to whatever trim condition existed before the autopilot was turned on.Ken Glaze

[Dark Moment 0]

Well, Noel, there are real C-47 manuals out there that tell you, inevitably, much more than you'll find in MAAM's manual, although I'd have to dig to determine whether they had much on the Sperry. I highly recommend the ones put together by the New Zealand company Flight Manuals on CD ...http://www.flight-manuals-on-cd.com/... who will sell you three C-47 manuals covering most marques at $20 for the set; fantastic value. All on disk, and high quality.Otherwise, there's more on the Sperry at DC-3 Airways:http://www.dc3airways.com/train_top_2004.htmlBut beyond that I can't really help you, short of Googling for more as you can do yourself.The jumpy transition from Sperry on/off or off/on is a little harsh at times, I know, but until we have a nice new Sperry designed for us you may have to live with that. You could try holding the yoke more firmly, LOL. As Ken says above, correct trim is everything and that will minimise your issues.Hope this helps, anyway.Mark "Dark Moment" BeaumontVP Fleet DC-3 Airwayshttp://www.swiremariners.com/newlogo.jpg

[Guest judge]

Thanks guys.I'll follow your advice and look into those DC-3 manuals.Noel