Good approach practice last night

[Bill]

I did all my IR training in the 172, then recently got checked out in the 182, but hadn't flown any appoaches in the club Archer III. Futher, for some reason, I haven't flown that plane since the return flight from Gastons last June. So, I grabbed the club instructor and we went out to play last night.

First, off to the practice area, where he showed me some of the IFR features of the 430 and S-Tec 55x autopilot. Then we did GPS 33 fully coupled, followed by ILS 02, fully coupled. With each approach, the wind conditions were getting worse. I don't know if it was the wind, or the differences between the 55x and the KAP140 in the 182, but the 55x had a real difficult time finding and keeping a good wind correction angle in the gusty winds. Not a very smooth or stable approach.

Then for the last one, I wanted to hand fly the entire approach, and did a very nice job considering the wind: 32018G27. I worked my butt off, but actually flew a better approach than the 55x did, and stayed on LOC and GS the whole way down, while maintaining 15 to 30 degrees of crab depending on gusts. HSI's rock, I love being able to see the wind correction so well on one instrument.

Me not having flown that plane 7 months, combined with my instructor not having flown that plane in several months, along with a crosswind component of 16 to 23 kts and gusts, resulted in us making the wise choice of going missed at DH and circling to land on 33. Even so, I had to really work it on the approach and landing to 33.

A good night, got familiar with 4147T again, learned some of its avionics, and got some good approach/landing practice in difficult conditions.

That was good training value for the dollar!

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

~Rock~On~!~

 

[gismo]

First, off to the practice area, where he showed me some of the IFR features of the 430 and S-Tec 55x autopilot. Then we did GPS 33 fully coupled, followed by ILS 02, fully coupled. With each approach, the wind conditions were getting worse. I don't know if it was the wind, or the differences between the 55x and the KAP140 in the 182, but the 55x had a real difficult time finding and keeping a good wind correction angle in the gusty winds. Not a very smooth or stable approach.

Does that plane have roll steering (GPSS)? IIRC it's stanard on the 55x. I think you have to engage it though or you will be coupled with the analog GPS output. I suspect your autopilot would have done better with roll steering active.

 

[Bill]

Does that plane have roll steering (GPSS)? IIRC it's stanard on the 55x. I think you have to engage it though or you will be coupled with the analog GPS output. I suspect your autopilot would have done better with roll steering active.

I believe it does, but we were shooting an ILS, so we were navigating from the NAV radio, not GPS. (GPS for situational awareness only)

Let me look at the 55x pilots guide.

This is a good time to ask a question, as we were flying from the NAV, the HSI (King KCS-55) was showing LOC and GS from the NAV. Does the autopilot get its information directly from the NAV radio, or an output from the HSI?

 

[wsuffa]

This is a good time to ask a question, as we were flying from the NAV, the HSI (King KCS-55) was showing LOC and GS from the NAV. Does the autopilot get its information directly from the NAV radio, or an output from the HSI?

Typically it taps off the difference voltage from the nav radio to the HSI/nav head. IIRC, some radios have a separate output, and on some it taps into the wiring between the radio and nav head (HSI).

 

[Bill]

Does that plane have roll steering (GPSS)? IIRC it's stanard on the 55x. I think you have to engage it though or you will be coupled with the analog GPS output. I suspect your autopilot would have done better with roll steering active.

So, GPSS is a direct digital connection between the GPS and 55x? Also, the 55x is getting roll input information from the TC. I believe the KAP140 is also a TC based autopilot, but don't know about GPSS.

Although not an expert on each (yet), my overall vote goes to the KAP140. It flies smoother, and the altitude pre-select and VS functions are fairly straight forward to learn. The altitude pre-select on the 55x has to be accomplished on a seperate panel mounted controller/annunciator, and is a bit arcane in the actions/procedures needed to set up the altitude, etc.

 

[Bill]

Typically it taps off the difference voltage from the nav radio to the HSI/nav head. IIRC, some radios have a separate output, and on some it taps into the wiring between the radio and nav head (HSI).

I'd sure love to get ahold of the pin outs on this stuff someday, that would be some interesting rainy Saturday type material. I love to learn how things work. (I'm one of those nut jobs that buy the service manual when I buy a car, and read it nearly cover to cover to learn the systems. Even if I never do lift a wrench myself)

 

[wsuffa]

So, GPSS is a direct digital connection between the GPS and 55x? Also, the 55x is getting roll input information from the TC. I believe the KAP140 is also a TC based autopilot, but don't know about GPSS.

Yes. It's an Arinc digital bus spec. Similar to RS232. The 55x gets roll info from the TC (which most likely says "STec" on the front of it). Dunno about the KAP140. (I have an STec 60-2 with the PSS box).

Although not an expert on each (yet), my overall vote goes to the KAP140. It flies smoother, and the altitude pre-select and VS functions are fairly straight forward to learn. The altitude pre-select on the 55x has to be accomplished on a seperate panel mounted controller/annunciator, and is a bit arcane in the actions/procedures needed to set up the altitude, etc.

 

[wsuffa]

I'd sure love to get ahold of the pin outs on this stuff someday, that would be some interesting rainy Saturday type material. I love to learn how things work. (I'm one of those nut jobs that buy the service manual when I buy a car, and read it nearly cover to cover to learn the systems. Even if I never do lift a wrench myself)

At one time (may still be, I don't know...) Garmin had the install manual for the 430's on its web site. It included sample diagrams and pinouts. Likewise, STec used to have their monthly newsletters to service folks on their website. If you spent some time digging through those, there were some sample diagrams.

I had the Garmin manual somewhere here, 'though I may have thrown it out...