Loose Autopilot

[Britt007]

Why do I loose autopilot sometimes?

 

I'm flying around admiring the lovely view, blowing a few things up :thumbup: I use autopilot while trying to prep my weapons, then disengage it, then on and off a few times while flying around, then all of a sudden no autopilot, pressing the buttons like mad but no autopilot.

 

Is there a key I'm accidentally pressing in all my excitement and panic :joystick: thats turning off the autopilot permanently :doh:

 

I'm using the Thrustmaster HOTAS with the DCS Warthog settings, no TARGET or any other input.

[Joyride]

Hmmm, only thing I can think of is that you are opening the air refuel door. Next time it happens see if you are getting the green "ready" message to the right of your HUD, which indicates the fuel door open. That is the only thing I can think of that turns off your ability to engage autopilot.

[Jona33]

Try resetting the trim (the T/O button you use at startup.) I find I need to do it, like I've trimmed so much the AP no longer has any authority.

[Britt007]

Cheers, I'll try them next time it happens.

 

Jona33 whats the T/O button, I'm still very new to Warthog :music_whistling:

 

Is the reset trim mapped on the HOTAS does anyone know?

Edited March 8, 2012 by Britt007

[GGTharos]

First: RTFM. ;)

 

Second: Understand the requirements for a functioning autopilot

 

Third: Practice trimming. Trim reset is unnecesary.

 

If your AP is failing or not coming on at all, you may not be trimmed for the flight you're flying, or you're allowing your airspeed to change too much, thrust throwing the trim out of bounds from when you engaged it.

 

Another possibility is that you are exceeding AP parameters such as bank angle.

 

A third is that your EAC popped off, and I'll leave you to RTFM to diagnose that one ;)

[Britt007]

OK OK I'll RTFM with my coco in bed tonight.

 

It's not engaging when I've trimmed a lot, if I reset trim it comes back online, I only engage it when flying level not when throttling madly or banking wildly .. :music_whistling:

 

I'm slowly working my way through the manual (all 600 pages) but just tried to get a quick answer :thumbup:

 

Thanks for the input.

 

O and whats EAC .... ?

 

Only joking :D

[maxmax]

It can happen when you are doing attack runs.

 

I.e. you go for a target in a bank. That will lower your speed. Then you go straight for the target, apply autopilot. Now, going straight will gain speed. Higher speed gives more lift, so your nose will go up. Autopilot doesnt work beyond 5 degrees lift or bank or whatever. And it says *bing* and turns itself off. The solution is to trim, as people have pointed out.

 

That's my guess.

 

*edit*

ok didnt read properly. ignore this post.

Edited March 8, 2012 by maxmax
im stupid

[july865]

which a/p mode are you in/trying to use? alt, alt/hdg. or path?

[maxmax]

All of them, depending on situation. Gaining altitude, I use path. So usually after takeoff. When circling above target I use alt. alt/hdg for straight flight.

Did I get them right now? anyway, use them for appropriate situation.

[GGTharos]

OK OK I'll RTFM with my coco in bed tonight.

 

Very good! :D

 

It's not engaging when I've trimmed a lot, if I reset trim it comes back online, I only engage it when flying level not when throttling madly or banking wildly .. :music_whistling:

When you say you've trimmed a lot, do you mean you are out of trim (ie. you cannot let the plane fly hands off because it will start climbing/diving/banking a lot immediately) or that you have just been using trim a lot, but you're still trimmed for hands-off flight?

 

To engage the AP, you should be trimmed for your chosen airspeed.

 

You know you are trimmed well when you are able able to let go of the stick and the plane should fly straight - not perfectly straight, you'll always get a little pitch or bank drift, but it shouldn't have you doing more than just moving your stick a little with your pinky to correct it. The AP can handle more than that of course, but it's always good to be trimmed well.

[Britt007]

I'm still very new to DCS Warthog, I usually trim the aircraft flying to the target range (I'm still working through the tutorials) then line up on target and engage AP, thats when I get a bit carried away trimming, then after the drop and coming out of AP it's usually out of trim so I trim again, Like I said I'm learning, getting there slowly.

 

When I trim the aircraft it does fly level and straight hands off, think I'm being a bit over enthusiastic and excited when getting to the target, lots going on :joystick:

 

I'll get there in the end with the help of this great community. :thumbup:

[july865]

i wonder if your JS has some wild glitching going on and in turn kicks off the AP.

would anyone else know if the axis display can catch this in game?

[GGTharos]

Why are you engaging AP when lining up on target? I mean, what exactly are the circumstances here, what do you mean by 'lining up on target'?

 

And why are you trimming with the AP engaged? :)

 

I'm still very new to DCS Warthog, I usually trim the aircraft flying to the target range (I'm still working through the tutorials) then line up on target and engage AP, thats when I get a bit carried away trimming, then after the drop and coming out of AP it's usually out of trim so I trim again, Like I said I'm learning, getting there slowly.

[Britt007]

Just keeps it nice and stable while approaching the target, like I said I'm only on the range dropping LG bombs.

 

Getting the bomb lines lined up, the one on target and the one extending from the reticle.

 

If I'm not 100% in line while in AP I just give the trim a quick flick to move over slightly then back again.

 

I drop them without AP to :smilewink:

Edited March 8, 2012 by Britt007

[july865]

your dropping laser guided <------ guided to target by laser. you could be off a few degree's and the munition will "guide it self".

everytime you trim while in AP, it will try to correct what you just trimmed. once it gets to its limits, then it will disengage and your ac will have a heavy nose up, down, bank.... what ever.

[Inseckt]

yeah, this is my understanding as well, trimming while in autopilot will accumulate to the degree it's no longer sustainable. Very small control inputs should be fine though...