What's involved in installing an auto pilot?

Jeff07W

Jeff07W

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Jeff07W
New to site... I was wondering how difficult it is to out fit an aircraft with auto pilot... I know nothing about auto pilots but I see in older airplanes if is often noted that the auto pilot is unreliable... I would be thinking of installing it in a bellanca and wondering what used parts are worth considering?
 
You just need the Certified Aircraft Installation Kit.

Pile-of-Cash.jpg
 
Hate to say it but...when I upgraded I sold three heads and two servos for $200 per piece....much smaller pile than Dale's!
 
What runs an auto pilot? Head servos actuators? Again I know nothing :)
 
Depending on the autopilot, they may or may not be able to be installed used. I think S-Tec is one that doesn't give out their STC to second owners and all their units are for specific airplanes. New Autopilots are expensive to install and old ones can be a pain to maintain! But, they are handy when they work! :D
If you're looking for an airplane, try to find one with the autopilot and avionics you want. ;)
 
Jeff07W said:
... I would be thinking of installing it in a bellanca...
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Funny you should mention that because I've just recently developed this hankerin' to buy an old Cruiseair. I'm an A&P/IA and I can tell you that what you are considering is certainly possible but to pay someone to basically engineer and install it would indeed equate to that big pile of $$$ in the picture.

For me though, you may have sparked an idea.....
 
We have portable GPS and such. Could one develop a portable wing-leveler? I am picturing a box on the glareshield or floor with an arm that reaches to the yoke. Maybe trim the AC to turn so the arm does not need to pull, only push more or push less to induce a turn. push a button to hold course, flip a switch to follow output from portable gps...Very limited range of motion, very easy to overpower....
 
Installing an autopilot in a certified aircraft is about $10,000 per axis.

Involvement is sensor or sensors - typically turn coordinator (STEC) or AI and HI (Century) - computer, control head, and servo(s). Also might need an altitude sensor - the old Century sensors are expensive - I know because I bought one and had to call folks from one end of the country to the other to find one I could almost afford.

Approval for the installation is either STC, TC, or field. Know before you go.

If a Brittan (spelling, I'm sure) can be installed and one can be found then it might be a little cheaper.

Now the sad news is the experimental world has equal or better autopilots for much, much less...(no surprise).
 
jhausch said:
We have portable GPS and such. Could one develop a portable wing-leveler? I am picturing a box on the glareshield or floor with an arm that reaches to the yoke. Maybe trim the AC to turn so the arm does not need to pull, only push more or push less to induce a turn. push a button to hold course, flip a switch to follow output from portable gps...Very limited range of motion, very easy to overpower....
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Interesting idea. The first autopilot I had in a boat actually fit around the steering wheel (sorry Henning, helm) shaft. It would hold heading or couple to the onboard loran. And it worked pretty good.
 
DaleB said:
You just need the Certified Aircraft Installation Kit.

Pile-of-Cash.jpg
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That would be the Certified Aircraft Installation Kit for the well known and popular models of Cessna/Beech/Piper/etc.

The more obscure and oddball brands and models of certified aircraft like a Bellanca may need a slightly larger kit.
breakingbad_skylerwaltmoney.jpg
 
Clark1961 said:
Now the sad news is the experimental world has equal or better autopilots for much, much less...(no surprise).
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Yup. This is what I recently installed for about the same price:

"EZ pilot and roll servo. Harness and connector. Price lowered to $950 shipped anywhere."
 
It's been a few years, but our club was able to put a two axis (roll and heading) STEC 20 and a Garmin 430 in our Archer for ~$12K. I recall being surprised that the STEC install wasn't nearly as expensive as I anticipated.
 
That would be a single axis autopilot.

If it had altitude hold it would be a two axis autopilot.

If it had yaw damper it would be a three axis autopilot.
 
just wait for the primary non-commercial re-write. Dynon's gonna have a credit card number from me, and a hell of a quarterly report, that year....
 
jhausch said:
We have portable GPS and such. Could one develop a portable wing-leveler? I am picturing a box on the glareshield or floor with an arm that reaches to the yoke. Maybe trim the AC to turn so the arm does not need to pull, only push more or push less to induce a turn. push a button to hold course, flip a switch to follow output from portable gps...Very limited range of motion, very easy to overpower....
Click to expand...

I had an idea for a portable gyro stabilized wing leveler that just hung on the yoke with velcro straps. Picture a centered shaft pivot, with a pendulum much like the clapper of a bell. As the plane veered off the roll axis, a stepper motor would move the pendulum toward the opposite side of the yoke, and the weight would bring the offending wing back up again. The hysteresis and rate servos would need to be designed right and adjusted for sensitivity and weight of the control, and the plane in flight conditions.

There are a few bugs to work out, like the mass needed, and if it would interfere with our fat bellies, but I'm thinking the weighted arm would actually go down, and a bit forward out of the way of the pilots lap. I'm guessing the mass needed would also depend on the control weight. A Bonanza, or a Bellanca wouldn't need much. A 182 would need something pretty huge.
 
I've learned this with spouses, houses and antique cars: it is far more pleasurable and considerably less money to sell what you have and buy what you want than it is to do a massive renovation on what you have.
 
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