Autopilot to Steerpoints

[C3PO]

Hi,

Apologies if this is a simple thing, but how do I set the AP to follow a set of steerpoints automatically - for location / height etc?

[Frederf]

The pitch switch to either alt or att. The roll swtch to strg. Then for automatic sequencing of steerpoints, you set man to auto on the ICP 4 STPT page.

The roll steering is lateral only. The vertical steering is only attitude or altitude hold.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Frederf

[CobaltUK]

After ICP 4 then dobber down (4 way switch down) to put the asterisk adjacent to Man then ICP 0 M-SEL  to toggle Man to Auto. Displayed on the DED.

Edited December 29, 2021 by CobaltUK

[C3PO]

Thank you both!

[skywalker22]

What about the Elevation, is it possible that autopilot uses pre-defined altitudes of steerpoints? In this case Pitch Alt (Att) hold shouldn`t be turned on.

Also one thing which is odd, the plane doesn`t respond it self in autopilot mode if close to ground, it does not rise its nose by it self (I know FA-18 does have something like it implemented, although it works quite lame). F-16 doesn`t have something like it at all?

Edited March 1, 2022 by skywalker22

[WHOGX5]

2 hours ago, skywalker22 said:

What about the Elevation, is it possible that autopilot uses pre-defined altitudes of steerpoints? In this case Pitch Alt (Att) hold shouldn`t be turned on.

Also one thing which is odd, the plane doesn`t respond it self in autopilot mode if close to ground, it does not rise its nose by it self (I know FA-18 does have something like it implemented, although it works quite lame). F-16 doesn`t have something like it at all?

 

The autopilot will either maintain current altitude or maintain current attitude. There is no way to set a specific altitude or to follow steerpoint altitudes.

Also, the F-16CM-50 has PGCAS which is an advisory system which will warn a pilot whenever he's about to fly into terrain (but not make the aircraft pull up) based on information from stored digital terrain data in the aircraft. The Block 50 can do automatic pull up using the LANTIRN navigation pod but ED has said they're not modelling it. Also, later blocks have GCAS which performs automatic pull ups which expectedly will not be modelled either. Actually, last I heard from ED we're not even getting PGCAS even though it's a M3 feature IIRC and we're getting an M4.3+, so you're just gonna have to keep your eyes open.

[Bunny Clark]

5 hours ago, skywalker22 said:

What about the Elevation, is it possible that autopilot uses pre-defined altitudes of steerpoints? In this case Pitch Alt (Att) hold shouldn`t be turned on.

No, The F-16 does not have the ability to automatically climb or descend to a pre-programed altitude. It can only hold an altitude it is already on. This is generally true for most western military aircraft.

If you turn off the Pitch A/P button you will disable the autopilot entirely. Pitch must be set to either ALT HOLD or ATT HOLD for the autopilot to be engaged. That's why the center position is labeled "A/P OFF"

[skywalker22]

I assumed all that, thx guys for confirmation.