Autopilot issues

[JP.Selter 0]

Hello forum!

 

I bought the F-14 Tomcat X a while back and I just started to actually fly it. What drives me nuts is the autopilot. As far as I understood the Tomcat lacks an autopilot like I´m used to from other aircrafts like commercial planes. Instead I try to understand how it´s working but I don´t get it. So the simple question: How can I make the Tomcat fly into one direction for an hour without having it to course-correct every few minutes?

 

What I understand is to arm the "Heading" and "Height" switch and then engage the autopilot main switch. But the Tomcat hardly holds heading and height. It always moves a little bit where it shouldn´t go. Am I doing something wrong?

 

Please help! Thanks a lot in advance!

[miroslavmurin 7]

did you press Shift+G ?

[JP.Selter 0]

Just tested that. It seems to affect height but I cannot see any switch change visually (like I do when I hit "z" for instance, the autopilot master switch moves). What does it do exactly and are there other shortcuts?

[miroslavmurin 7]

look at manual Vol 4 - Flight systems, page 6-10. There is everything about autopilot.

[Victory103 24]

The key to the autopilot is to have the nosewheel steering/autopilot mapped to a joystick button. As you will read in the manual, the system is pretty basic, but will follow a VEC or GPS steer point without altitude hold as it's one or the other. I verify what mode I have selected on the lower left panel and use the mini-HUD. Technique only, I use the pitch hold during the climb to cruise alt, then use ALT, HDG to make steer adjustments. If following a GPS steer, I use VEC and attitude hold (pitch with CWS or stick steering) to maintain altitude. Once the jet is pretty much on course, I switch over to ALT. This mode seems to keep the jet pretty stable allowing me to jump in the back and play Goose with the radar and LANTIRN. Are you using any external weather programs? Like most FS autopilots, this one does not like turbulence.