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Help with autopilot from cold start?


Coole28

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I'm having difficulty engaging the autopilot from a cold started F-14.  I use the startup procedure that is included via the in-game lesson.  I have wing sweep in auto and all three AFC switches set to on.  The "A/P ref" light will go on when I set the autopilot switch to engage, however pressing the NWS button won't engage the autopilot.  On a hotstart F-14, autopilot works just fine for me, engaging at the same flight parameters (level pitch and moderate speed, stick in neutral position, plane is trimmed properly to fly level without pilot input.) wherein the cold start won't work.  I can't find anything in the various guides and tutorials indicating there is some other setting I need to have in order for it to work.  I read on another forum that it requires "trim neutral stick position" but have no idea what that means. 

Anybody have any tips?

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Excuse the phrasing, I'm not perfect with the lingo, but in order for the autopilot to engage level flight, you have to be within 200 feet per minute climb or descend. If you're over that, it won't engage. It doesn't need to be trimmed like that, I can hold the stick to where she's stable, then pinky switch and she'll hold altitude. You can still roll gently without breaking the parameters.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

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10 hours ago, Dannyvandelft said:

Excuse the phrasing, I'm not perfect with the lingo, but in order for the autopilot to engage level flight, you have to be within 200 feet per minute climb or descend. If you're over that, it won't engage. It doesn't need to be trimmed like that, I can hold the stick to where she's stable, then pinky switch and she'll hold altitude. You can still roll gently without breaking the parameters.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

Yep, im in level flight.  As I said, the parameters at which I engage autopilot are the same for cold starts and hot starts, but it will only engage on a hot start.

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Yesterday I was having same issue (I never used before). It seems that is related to the trim position. Clicking it several times until I found the right place the NWS activated it. Odd as I had it also trimmed as you. I suppose the "trim neutral position" is reset the trim to cero? even the plane is not trimmed?

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You didn't mention that you actually turned the auto pilot on. It sounds like you may have just tried to engage Altitude Hold without first enabling the autopilot (two switches to the right).

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On 10/23/2021 at 6:30 PM, Spiceman said:

You didn't mention that you actually turned the auto pilot on. It sounds like you may have just tried to engage Altitude Hold without first enabling the autopilot (two switches to the right).

Well I did say that I had no issues turning it on and engaging it in a hot start, so it stands to reason that I am hitting the right autopilot switches.  I’m thinking that it has something to do with trim as Japo32 said, but I just can’t figure it out.

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