How to use the autopilot?

[iRocco]

Alt hold is kind of working, but the other modes do not seem to do anything.

[razo+r]

Probably WIP

[Wags]

Hello, the curently available mode is Pitch Hold that holds the aircraft at its current altitude. Just move the switch to the up position.

 

Thanks

[Steph21]

Is it planned to have a Autopilot PITCH ALT/OFF and Autopilot PITCH ATT/OFF as special joystick button like for the Autopilot Roll ?

That will allow us to map a 3 position switch on it

[Wags]

Is it planned to have a Autopilot PITCH ALT/OFF and Autopilot PITCH ATT/OFF as special joystick button like for the Autopilot Roll ?

That will allow us to map a 3 position switch on it

 

Hello, we plan all AP permutations.

 

Thanks

[Cupra]

It is EA, not a final product.. so no problem. It flies, that has to be enough for the next weeks :D In a few months I completed my cockpit section, then I will take a look how easy DCS handles DX inputs and outputs of instruments and display via LAN :D :D And then I will look back at the AP :)

[BaronZ]

It's been six months and still no Autopilot PITCH ALT/OFF and Autopilot PITCH ATT/OFF as special joystick button.

Sigh...

[BIGNEWY]

Hi

 

We have the AP switches modelled correctly, if you want a special key combination it would be a wish list item and low priority at the moment.

 

Thanks

[SGT Coyle]

If your using Warthog Throttle w/ TARGET SE (Thrustmaster TARGET Script Editor), and want to use the AP Select Switch or any other 3 way toggle, you need to remove any "PULSE +" modifiers for those switches.

 

Try this:

//Autopilot Select Switch *************************
MapKey(&Throttle,APPAT, DX1);
MapKeyR(&Throttle,APPAT, DX2);
MapKeyR(&Throttle,APALT, DX2);
MapKey(&Throttle,APALT, DX3);

 

These commands need to be made with DX button pushes.  If you use keyboard commands you will get conflicts and sticky keys, because the toggle switch, without the "PULSE +" modifier, will send a continuous key press to the system.

 

 

[Datajack]

@Steph21

See this post for lua code that will add this functionality:

 

[macedk]

I use the front hat switch on the throttle. up/down for the right one and left/right for the left one. 

Also a small thing, just to explain   . Right switch is a on switch with 2 modes. The left is a mode switch only and cannot work without the right switch in up or down position.  
 

[LeCuvier]

I have added these 2 lines to the file "default.lua":

{down = control_commands.ApPitchAlt_EXT, up = control_commands.ApPitchAlt_EXT, cockpit_device_id = devices.CONTROL_INTERFACE, value_down =  1.0, value_up = -1.0,    name = _('Autopilot PITCH Switch ALT HOLD/OFF'), category = {_('Instrument Panel'), _('FLCS')}},
{down = control_commands.ApPitchAtt_EXT, up = control_commands.ApPitchAlt_EXT, cockpit_device_id = devices.CONTROL_INTERFACE, value_down = -1.0,    value_up = -1.0, name = _('Autopilot PITCH Switch ATT HOLD/OFF'), category = {_('Instrument Panel'), _('FLCS')}},

These two bindings work like the existing ones for the A/P roll switch. I use them with the AUTOPILOT switch on my TM Warthog throttle.

My problem is: I do not see the Pitch autopilot holding altitude. I climb to the desired altitude, trim the pitch as required and set the switch to the upper position (ALT HOLD). But very soon she will start climbing or sinking. I have tried time and again, I'm back to fine-trimming the pitch to hold my altitude.

Is the ALT HOLD working for everybody else?

Edited May 11, 2021 by LeCuvier

[SGT Coyle]

Works fine for me.
 

[Machalot]

On 5/11/2021 at 2:40 AM, LeCuvier said:

I have added these 2 lines to the file "default.lua":

{down = control_commands.ApPitchAlt_EXT, up = control_commands.ApPitchAlt_EXT, cockpit_device_id = devices.CONTROL_INTERFACE, value_down =  1.0, value_up = -1.0,    name = _('Autopilot PITCH Switch ALT HOLD/OFF'), category = {_('Instrument Panel'), _('FLCS')}},
{down = control_commands.ApPitchAtt_EXT, up = control_commands.ApPitchAlt_EXT, cockpit_device_id = devices.CONTROL_INTERFACE, value_down = -1.0,    value_up = -1.0, name = _('Autopilot PITCH Switch ATT HOLD/OFF'), category = {_('Instrument Panel'), _('FLCS')}},

These two bindings work like the existing ones for the A/P roll switch. I use them with the AUTOPILOT switch on my TM Warthog throttle.

My problem is: I do not see the Pitch autopilot holding altitude. I climb to the desired altitude, trim the pitch as required and set the switch to the upper position (ALT HOLD). But very soon she will start climbing or sinking. I have tried time and again, I'm back to fine-trimming the pitch to hold my altitude.

Is the ALT HOLD working for everybody else?

 

Why do you find the need to trim just before turning on the autopilot? 

[LeCuvier]

2 hours ago, Machalot said:

Why do you find the need to trim just before turning on the autopilot? 

It's a habit acquired from flying the hog. In the hog you need to trim before engaging the autopilot, else it will lose control very quickly.

In the hog, the AP is really just a stabilizer.

I suppose it wouldn't harm to trim the Viper before engaging the AP, would it?

[Machalot]

5 hours ago, LeCuvier said:

It's a habit acquired from flying the hog. In the hog you need to trim before engaging the autopilot, else it will lose control very quickly.

In the hog, the AP is really just a stabilizer.

I suppose it wouldn't harm to trim the Viper before engaging the AP, would it?

I almost never use trim in the Viper, especially not pitch trim. The FLCS holds 1g when you release the stick. 

[LeCuvier]

2 hours ago, Machalot said:

I almost never use trim in the Viper, especially not pitch trim. The FLCS holds 1g when you release the stick. 

I found the cause of my issue. I'd had a similar issue with the Hornet and that led me to the solution for the Viper.

Background: I use a TM Warthog grip in a VRP MongoosT50 base. The Warthog grip is rather heave and its center of gravity is forward of center. That makes the stick always lean forward some degrees and therefore produces a small pitch input when the stick is free.

In the Hornet, I had to enter a 3% deadzone for the pitch axis to make the AP BALT and RALT work.

When I tried to apply that solution to the Viper, I found that I needed a deadzone of 6% which I didn't like. So I increased the Pitch axis stiffness in the VRP base quite significantly.

The stick is now very stiff in the pitch axis and the pitch autopilot works for both Hornet and Viper now.

With deadzone back to 0 for the Hornet and a whopping 5% for the Viper.

Bottomline: the Viper's pitch AP is extremely sensitive to small pitch inputs - much more so than the Hornet, and this interferes with the Viper's pitch AP.

I have no way of knowing whether that's realistic and therefore won't call it a bug. But I don't like it, and that's putting it very mildly.

[skywalker22]

Is it possible to use autopilot for auto follow the waypoints? If not, does this feature exists IRL on F-16?

[_SteelFalcon_]

8 minutes ago, skywalker22 said:

Is it possible to use autopilot for auto follow the waypoints? If not, does this feature exists IRL on F-16?

Yes you can. Make sure waypoints are set to auto, means if you overfly one, it‘ll switch to the next. Then activate AP and Strg hold. It‘ll fly from waypoint to waypoint

Edited June 13, 2021 by _SteelFalcon_

[Sinclair_76]

On the top of my head press 4 (STPT) and then dobber right. The MAN in the upper right should change to AUTO. If I may add a pointer switch back to MAN as a FENCE IN item. I've had the STPT switch 5 sec prior LGBU impact one too many time.

 

 

Edited June 14, 2021 by Sinclair_76