alabeo Mooney M20 Ovation Auto Pilot

[Rod 1]

I have the Alabeo M20 Ovation for P3d V4 and can't get the autopilot to work.  I get to the altitude and the heading that I want then press the altitude hold button, the Heading hold button then the AP button.  The airplane then goes into a right hand bank instead of staying on heading.  I do not know what I am doing wrong.

Rod

[johncott 177]

Simple question, did you set the heading bug on the HSI to the heading you wanted or just pointed the plane to the heading you wanted?

John Cottreau

Edited February 23, 2020 by johncott

[Rod 1]

johncott,

I was just flying around Las Cruces NM. sightseeing and decided to go to Deming.  I got the altitude I wanted pointed the aircraft west, pressed the altitude hold, the heading hold and the autopilot.  I thought it would be simple.  there are few directions available.  Thanks for your reply, looks like I will have to do more studying.

Rod

[MartinRex007 390]

Bert Pieke has done some nice mods and fixes which also includes the autopilot for this plane, so you may want to PM him for this mod. 

Cheers

Martin

[johncott 177]

1 hour ago, Rod said:

johncott,

I was just flying around Las Cruces NM. sightseeing and decided to go to Deming.  I got the altitude I wanted pointed the aircraft west, pressed the altitude hold, the heading hold and the autopilot.  I thought it would be simple.  there are few directions available.  Thanks for your reply, looks like I will have to do more studying.

Rod

Rod,

I do not have P3D just FSX, but I do have the aircraft and the autopilot works ok for me, unless there is an issue with the P3D version of the Mooney Ovation. I also do not know your knowledge of planes and their gauges and cockpits. I apologize if I have oversimplified this.  Here is a quick primer, the HSI has two knobs at the bottom of the gauge.  The knob with the orange symbol is the heading bug.  You just turn this knob until the heading bug (orange symbol) in the HSI gauge matches up to the heading you want.  When the autopilot is on and the HDG is pressed and enable the plane will fly the heading determine by the heading bug. For some HSI gauges, you may be able to hold the heading bug knob for a second or two and it will sync the heading bug with your current heading. This is common with electronic HSI gauges with an LCD display.  I hope this info helps.

Cheers,

John Cottreau

[fppilot 4,353]

2 hours ago, johncott said:

I do not have P3D just FSX, but I do have the aircraft and the autopilot works ok for me

+1, FSX only.  Have not adopted P3D.

[FDEdev 955]

A few notes to avoid confusion when using other APs.

The HDG mode on the Mooney AP is simply HDG mode.  Not HDG hold.

The difference is important because a lot of APs do actually have a HDG hold function and HDG hold does exactly what the OP expected the Mooney AP to do! 

Maintain the present heading when activated.

APs with a HDG hold function have a HDG select function as well, that's what the Mooney AP actually does.

Concerning the heading bug slew to the present heading; That's usually achieved by pushing the HDG button.

Hope this clarifies the various HDG functions. 

 

Edited February 25, 2020 by FDEdev