Rudder and Trim

[FFlyer]

So if I fly Convoy hunt using regular autopilot channels w/o Flight Director. So I use the trim button to trim bank and elevator. However, do I also need to use the trim button when using the rudder? Say I use the rudder to move a few degrees to the left/right. If I let go of the rudder, then the stupid thing starts going to the original position. If I hit the trim and then it sticks with that heading. Is this the way the rudder is meant to be used?

[manne]

IIRC the rudder is also incorporated into the trimming. I remember that there have been discussions about this and people asking to remove it from the trimming "system" (for lack of me having better words to describe it ;))

[AlphaOneSix]

If I hit the trim and then it sticks with that heading. Is this the way the rudder is meant to be used?

 

Yes. Yaw, pitch, and roll are all tied into the trimmer. Pitch and Roll are related to attitude hold, and Yaw is related to heading hold, but all three use the trimmer switch to set new states (upon trimmer button release) and to temporarily disable the hold functions (while the trimmer button is pressed). Altitude hold uses the collective brake to set a new state when the altitude channel is on.

 

To make small heading adjustments with yaw, you can either hold the trimmer button down while adjusting your yaw, or if that is too much trouble, you can simply turn off the yaw channel of the autopilot (although note that you will lose heading hold until you turn it back on).