Cessna 172 autopilot problem

[yankeegolf3 51]

hello,

When I engage the autopilot on the C 172 (non Garmin version), the aircraft starts to bank abruptly in ROL mode (nothing else activated). I have not yet tried the AP with any other aircraft. How can I avoid that? I cannot use the AP.

THX

[fppilot 4,371]

14 minutes ago, yankeegolf3 said:

hello,

When I engage the autopilot on the C 172 (non Garmin version), the aircraft starts to bank abruptly in ROL mode (nothing else activated). I have not yet tried the AP with any other aircraft. How can I avoid that? I cannot use the AP.

THX

Can you describe what you are doing in more detail?  What exactly are you doing with the autopilot starting with when you first click Ready to Fly?

[yankeegolf3 51]

Well actually I do nothing... Well after take off I click on AP, ROL shows and the circus begins... Only way to avoid dying is to disengage the AP 

[Pegaso 53]

This will not happen if you set your heading bug to your actual direction (tap on your heading knob).

[Oldschool61 38]

I have had a similar problem in the 787 and TBM.  Turn on FD and AP and plane fly's banked.  Not turning mind you just banked flying along the waypoints.  Closing sim and restarting has made it disappear.  Seems to be a random malfunction.  Had the 747 go into a nose dive when approaching ORD when I locked on to the ILS.  Had to cancel AP to save the plane.

[Tom Wright 438]

On 2/8/2021 at 8:47 PM, yankeegolf3 said:

Well actually I do nothing... Well after take off I click on AP, ROL shows and the circus begins... Only way to avoid dying is to disengage the AP 

Press AP, then press HDG and ALT. It'll fly the heading that's set on the DI and should maintain the current altitude. Remember there's no autothrottle so you're still controlling speed with the throttle.

[ricka47 611]

On 2/22/2021 at 10:37 AM, Oldschool61 said:

I have had a similar problem in the 787 and TBM.  Turn on FD and AP and plane fly's banked.  Not turning mind you just banked flying along the waypoints.  Closing sim and restarting has made it disappear.  Seems to be a random malfunction.  Had the 747 go into a nose dive when approaching ORD when I locked on to the ILS.  Had to cancel AP to save the plane.

It does appear to be a random thing. I did two flights in the C172 today. The first one was fine. On the second one, activating the AP rolled the plane to the right and down. I really had hoped that they would have fixed this by now.

[andyjohnston.net 617]

33 minutes ago, ricka47 said:

I really had hoped that they would have fixed this by now.

There may be nothing to fix.  It doesn't happen to everyone, I've never experienced this.  It's not like it's a general issue that all people have.

[ray hughes 165]

What about control input senstivity settings?? As you probably know those of the FBW A320 require the user to start at setting of around 20 and work down from there to around 10..Is it possible your sensitivity settings are just too low??

Edited March 27, 2021 by ray hughes

[APbjoern 1]

@yankeegolf3 I do suffer the same. How could you solv it? Many thanks Bjorn

[aniiran 431]

It happened to me in the C 208 Today.  I had a flight plan direct to an airport, but the AP just would not follow the magenta line. I even put it on the magenta line and then tried it.  Nope, just immediately starts veering one direction or the other until it nose dives. Tried several ways of doing it.  I turned everything off then engage the FD and AP but as soon as I hit AP it started turning tight then nosedived.  Took off NAV mode tried HDG mode... nope.  Instant tight turn into to a dive.   Deleted the flight plan.  Nope. The second I put AP on it started turning again until it nose dived.   

I went back to the main menu. started a new scenario.  AP works as advertised....    Wierd.   

Edited June 2, 2021 by aniiran

[Bert Pieke 7,585]

4 minutes ago, aniiran said:

Nope, just immediately starts veering one direction or the other until it nose dives.

This may be random.. but in my case, I find that recalibrating the yoke fixes it.

[fppilot 4,371]

On 2/8/2021 at 3:47 PM, yankeegolf3 said:

Well actually I do nothing... Well after take off I click on AP, ROL shows and the circus begins... Only way to avoid dying is to disengage the AP 

In my early MSFS experience, with the G1000 models, I would do as I have done with GNS and GTN aircraft (previous sims) and preselect HDG, ALT, and VS in those model's respective AP units.  In MSFS, during my learning curve, I found that if before takeoff if I messed at all with the AP master switch and/or the VS and FLC functions the issue you are describing would take place once I was aloft and engaged the AP.  Took me some time to understand the G1000 VS and FLC features.   

Since becoming more familar, I preselect the HDG and ALT on the PFD, but I do not even touch the AP functions on the MFD until I have taken off and established an initial altitude.  Then I engage the AP master and set my climb rate for FLC.  The issue has not since occurred in my flights.

Edited June 2, 2021 by fppilot

[Immunol 10]

On 2/22/2021 at 10:38 AM, Tom Wright said:

Press AP, then press HDG and ALT. It'll fly the heading that's set on the DI and should maintain the current altitude. Remember there's no autothrottle so you're still controlling speed with the throttle.

I tried this and HDG worked fine to establish the heading, but ALT did absolutely nothing and the plane kept on climbing. In fact, nothing seemed to give me vertical control. It has been this way in the past (I keep thinking they might release a patch to fix this, but nothing yet). Even after I had to reinstall MSFS 2020 a couple weeks ago for a different problem, things didn't change. Would love to find a fix for this.

[aniiran 431]

APs have been buggy since day 1.  I have noticed NOW for some reason all of the airplanes in AP> HDG heading mode are flying past the selected heading the back through the selected heading the other way and then finally aligning with the heading.  So far I have that issue in the FBW A320, PMP A330, C 208 C 172, B36.   It was not doing that before. No one else is experiencing this?

Even if I get rid of my joystick and rudder pedals it does this.