Mysteries of the Auto pilot

[AlphaOneSix]

The autopilot does a great deal of work just flying straight and level. Having a more effective rudder just means you need more stabilization because it would be affected by smaller forces.

 

In-game and for real, when flying along straight and level, all three modes wld normally be engaged. If you want to make any kind of change, you press the trimmer button, make your adjustment, then release the trimmer button. When the trimmer button is pressed, the stabilisation function of the autopilot is disengaged, until you release the trimmer button, at which time the autopilot goes back to stabilizing the aircraft. For example, you are scooting along but you are out of trim slightly, so you'd press the trimmer button, adjust the pedals, then release the trimmer button. If you adjust the pedals without hitting the trimmer button, the autopilot will try to correct your input and bring the nose back to where it was. Of course, if you have the yaw channel off, you never have any stabilization for yaw. This is probably fine in the game, but it is a real pain in the butt in the real thing (I only have experience with Mi-17, though, not Ka-50 specifically).

 

Basically, anytime you move the controls, you should be hitting the trimmer button: press trimmer, move controls, release trimmer.

[V1Rotate]

ronht - Actually, I suspect the yaw stabilisation is damped as you say at higher speeds. Often powered controls (hydraulic) are damped at higher speeds to reduce the forces experienced by the control surfaces themselves. Full deflection of a Boeing 737 rudder in the cruise for example will literally destroy the fin/rudder combo and in turn the aircraft itself. (If you want to read more - google "737 rudder hardover")

 

There are various ways of acheiving this but a common one is having the controls damped at higher speeds as dictated by the pitot/static system. It wouldn't surprise me if the Ka50 had a similiar system.