Britten autopilot

[flyingcheesehead]

This is listed on a plane I'm looking at, and I can't find any info at all on it. Googling simply results in about 3 used airplane ads. Anyone know anything about them, or where I could find more info?

Thanks.

 

[SCCutler]

http://www.brittainautopilots.com/

They still service them. Vacuum-operated.

Either junk, or decent stuff, depending upon whom you ask.

I called the factory once, JOOC, in connection with a plane I was looking at which had a B-5. THey assured me that they still supported and serviced them, did complete overhauls, and would even sell new ones.

 

[Henning]

This is listed on a plane I'm looking at, and I can't find any info at all on it. Googling simply results in about 3 used airplane ads. Anyone know anything about them, or where I could find more info?

Thanks.

They work, nothing super, not particularly bad.

 

[ejensen]

The pneumatic boots get old, crack and need replacing, there are four. And the controller sometimes needs attention. I like the smoothness of the vacuum control. But AFAIK you can't get gpss steering or GS coupling. Mine tracks the VORs or LORAN. Wish I had the model with the heading bug. Don't think I'd install one today but it work fine for me. STEC PSS altitude hold was added, a nice addition.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Kent:

We had that system on our old A-55 Baron. Ours was to the point it was just a wing leveler. Autopilot Central in OK City serviced it for us. I don't know who's close to you, but it's probably worth getting someone knowledgeable to look it over. IIRC, it was two axis when it worked properly.

Best,

Dave

 

[Ken Ibold]

Are you looking at an old Mooney with Positive Control? Lots of owners simply stick something on the yoke to keep the button depressed and consider it inop.

 

[gismo]

This is listed on a plane I'm looking at, and I can't find any info at all on it. Googling simply results in about 3 used airplane ads. Anyone know anything about them, or where I could find more info?

Thanks.

Like the others said, they can work fine or hardly at all depending on condition. IME very few shops really know how to maintain them so finding a suitable repair facility would be mandatory. IIRC most of the systems required the plane be equipped with a pressure rather than vacuum system and that's a good thing because the vacuum operated ones used to get gummed up by tar from people smoking in the cockpit (yuck). Typically there's no connection to a DG or HSI, the autopilot flies headings using a flux gate (electronic compass) which can make for some interesting wandering if you fly near the iron range. The ones that work this way have a heading selector knob on the autopilot control panel. Another oddity is that they (all?) used a specially modified turn coordinator which was powered by both air and electricity so that the autopilot could continue to operate as a wing leveler without electrical power. Unfortunately many such units have a TC with one of the power sources inop (usually the electrical one) and the owner/pilot hasn't a clue that his redundancy is gone.

 

[ejensen]

IIRC most of the systems required the plane be equipped with a pressure rather than vacuum system

Unfortunately many such units have a TC with one of the power sources inop (usually the electrical one) and the owner/pilot hasn't a clue that his redundancy is gone.

They come in both pressure and vacuum. Cessna/Mooney sucked and Bonanzas blew.

I check the electric on startup and try to remember to check vacuum side once in awhile. Later models had a flag. Don't recall if it flaged both or just power.

 

[gismo]

They come in both pressure and vacuum. Cessna/Mooney sucked and Bonanzas blew.

I can believe that. I thought I remember that some worked on vacuum and therefore were susceptible to "smoke inhalation", but I was thinking that all the ones in Bonanzas ran on pressure.

I check the electric on startup and try to remember to check vacuum side once in awhile. Later models had a flag. Don't recall if it flaged both or just power.

I believe the "flag" signifies the loss of AC electrical power to the rotor (the output of an inverter).