Auto pilot pilots release at random..?

[lineman55]

Well ,Im not really sure how and why but at times while I might be manuevering around at a hover or skirting low looking for something to destroy (no longer in auto hover)..all of a sudden the bird seems to get a bit ahead of me and while Im trying to regain control..daring to look down to see if the auto pilot is still on..I find all 4 blue auto pilot buttons have been turned off.

After I engage them all again all is well and back under control.

Is there a key press that I might be hitting that kills this operation Im hitting by accident? or are there paremeters that the KA-50 needs to be within ot keep the auto active or else it shuts off.:joystick:

[Vitesse2l]

I think you lose some electrical power (generators drop off-line) if your rotor speed gets too low. Autopilots are one of the things you lose - usually the Skval goes off as well.

 

The best way to keep rotor RPM up is to be gentle with the collective, even under high stress moments (which is when I can get very ham-fisted!).

 

Cheers!

[primus_TR]

Altitude <4 meters suspends auto pilot, says manual

[Bucic]

Autopilots are one of the things you lose

Are you sure?! :shocking:

 

 

Altitude <4 meters suspends auto pilot, says manual

I think it's the right answer.

[lineman55]

so at 13 ft you lose all functions?? during a landing this can be crucial no?

usually Im holding trim in during a landing...so at least I have full control.

[Haril]

The autopilot channels only disconnect in the below-4m-condition if auto-hover is on. Do not land with auto-hover on or you'll go spinny-side down.

[lineman55]

I never land with auto-hover on.Just the auto pilot inputs...holding in trim button for full control till touchdown. Its amazing..I have built a 206 Bell cockpit with full collective twist,cyclic ,and pedals and I feel Im learning all over again.

Here is a video of what I have now..thinking of converting fully to the Blackshark

[Vitesse2l]

Are you sure?! :shocking:

Oh yes, underspeed your rotors and see! I find it happens in a VR situation where you only just recover (and pull lots of collective). Obviously such a situation is not a planned one! Can be the result of too much beer and KA50 mixed.

 

I tend to drop the throttle by one notch when landed (to help keep the helo stable while refueling/re-arming) and the skval switches off then as well.

Edited November 20, 2010 by Vitesse2l

[topdog]

Shortage of throttle / underspeeding rotors (power management problems)

Dropping below 4m

Manually switching off INU

 

These all seem to have one thing in common, and that is it stops the INU 'working', which in turn stops the heli from using INU to determine where it is on the ground in relation to a position (presumably other devices like gps can still help determine your position, but not for purposes of maintaining a hover point automatically).

 

If you're under 50kph the line that extends from the center of the hud to give you a relational speed and direction indicator also seems to derive from this. Lose that line (below 50kph) and you lose the heli's ability to apply dampeners to keep the heli on position at a hover point.

 

(Track recorded in v1.0.2 by the way).

hover_vs_inu.trk

[Frederf]

There are three typical ways that the AP channels get disengaged without touching the actual blue buttons:

 

• Engaging ALT HOLD below 4m radio alt
  
• Engaging ALT HOLD before the Doppler system has a running picture
  
• Pressing the cyclic stick's emergency channel disconnect