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FS:Trutrak autopilot

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Tadsargent

Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Posts: 21

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 4:48 am Post subject: FS:Trutrak autopilot

Digitrak

 http://www.trutrakap.com/products/Digitrak.html

 

 Fits Standard 2.25” Round Hole

 Built-in Ground Track DG

 Track Select Mode

 GPS Nav Mode

 Control Wheel Steering

 12 Volts only

 New DT2 - $1,600

 

 This unit has been used for 123 hours. I bought it from a friend and I intended to install it in the RV8 I am building, my partner does not want an A/P in the plane. 

 

 Asking price $1300.00 for a barely used unit

 call 704-591-2035

 

 Tad Sargent

 TeamRV  

       [quote][b]

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rbuckthal(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 6:33 am Post subject: FS:Trutrak autopilot

Tad

You need to get a new partner.  The auto pilot is necessary for safe

operation of your airplane.  You really should not fly without one.



Bob



On Saturday, July 31, 2010, Tad Sargent <tadsargent(at)bellsouth.net> wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  





 Digitrak

 http://www.trutrakap.com/products/Digitrak.html



 Fits Standard 2.25” Round Hole

 Built-in Ground Track DG

 Track Select Mode

 GPS Nav Mode

 Control Wheel Steering

 12 Volts only

 New DT2 - $1,600



 This unit has been used for 123 hours. I bought it from a friend and I intended

 to install it in the RV8 I am building, my partner does not want an A/P in the

 plane.



 Asking price $1300.00 for a barely used unit

 call 704-591-2035



 Tad Sargent

 TeamRV

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deej(at)deej.net
Guest

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 7:56 am Post subject: FS:Trutrak autopilot

On 7/31/2010 10:32 AM, Robert Buckthal wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 Tad

 You need to get a new partner.  The auto pilot is necessary for safe

 operation of your airplane.  You really should not fly without one.


	




	Okay, I'll bite.  How is it "necessary"?



	None of the airplanes I've owned have had autopilots, and I've seen

plenty of RV8s flying without them, and they all appear to be flying

safely...



-Dj



-- 

Dj Merrill - N1JOV

Glastar Sportsman 2+2 Builder #7118 N421DJ - http://deej.net/sportsman/

Grumman Yankee Driver N9870L - http://deej.net/yankee/

Join us on the New England Aviation Forums - http://forum.deej.net/

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bgray(at)glasair.org
Guest

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:46 am Post subject: FS:Trutrak autopilot

While the pilot work load level flying any Glasair VFR is low, the work

load goes up 5 fold flying IFR. If a pilot has everything nailed and

doesn't need to hunt for a chart or approach plate, it's doable.

Anything else and you're in deep sh*t. An autopilot is a go/nogo item

for IFR in a Glasair.



Bruce

www.Glasair.org 



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douglas.dodson(at)pobox.c
Guest

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 12:39 pm Post subject: FS:Trutrak autopilot

I wouldn't say it quite as firmly as Bruce, but I agree with him.  I learned

to fly without a headset.  Now I wouldn't fly without one with noise

canceling.  It is a health and a safety issue.  I am much better off with

the headset and the technology has made it available in my price range.



Autopilot technology has trickled down to us nicely in the digital age.  It

is hard to fine a new airplane without an autopilot these days.  The

venerable C-172 is only manufactured with the G1000.  Nearly every one has

the GFC 700 autopilot because the price bump is relatively small.  This is a

2 axis autopilot that can fly GPS derived step-downs, and track ILS and GPS

vertical guidance.  IN A C-172!



We have 4 C-172's in our flight school.  Every one of them has an autopilot

(only one has a G1000).  Every one who learns to fly at our school does so

with an autopilot equipped aircraft, and a skill set to use it in certain

emergency situations.  Use beyond that is of course, up to the pilot.



My point is you have little or no experience with autopilots so you don't

appreciate what they bring to convenience and safety.  If you have the

space, weight and fiscal allowance, and autopilot will be as good an

addition to your capability as a noise canceling headset.



Doug Dodson

Glasair II-S FT

Flight Test Engineer, CFI-A/S&MEL/I/G

Chief Instructor, Edwards AFB Aero Club 

 




While the pilot work load level flying any Glasair VFR is low, the work

load goes up 5 fold flying IFR. If a pilot has everything nailed and

doesn't need to hunt for a chart or approach plate, it's doable.

Anything else and you're in deep sh*t. An autopilot is a go/nogo item

for IFR in a Glasair.



Bruce

www.Glasair.org 



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deej(at)deej.net
Guest

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 5:17 pm Post subject: FS:Trutrak autopilot

On 7/31/2010 4:39 PM, Doug Dodson wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   My point is you have little or no experience with autopilots so you don't

 appreciate what they bring to convenience and safety.  


	


Hi Doug,

	I'll try not to take offense at your presumption of my knowledge, but

the point is that an autopilot is not a required item to fly an airplane

safely.  Yes, they may add to the airplane, much like a glass panel, but

are not necessary.



	I'd make the argument that if a person is relying on an autopilot for

safe operation, their stick and rudder skills are quite likely not at

the level they should be...



	Bruce makes a good point about IFR flight (whether it be a Glasair or

the RV-8 the original poster wrote about).  The original poster didn't

mention how their RV-8 would be used, but most RV-8s that I am aware of

are used for VFR pleasure flight and aerobatics, both cases where hand

flying the airplane is far more pleasurable than letting George do the

flying.



	Personally, if I already had the autopilot, I'd spend the effort to

convince my partner to install it.  They don't have to use it if it is

there, but it might be useful on occasion.  The only downside I can

think of is a slight bit of extra weight, and possibly a slight extra

drag on the control stick depending on the servo type.



-Dj



-- 

Dj Merrill - N1JOV

Glastar Sportsman 2+2 Builder #7118 N421DJ - http://deej.net/sportsman/

Grumman Yankee Driver N9870L - http://deej.net/yankee/

Join us on the New England Aviation Forums - http://forum.deej.net/

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douglas.dodson(at)pobox.c
Guest

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 6:01 pm Post subject: FS:Trutrak autopilot

No offense intended.  I didn't actually realize I replied to someone other

than the original poster, whose experience I really don't know either.  My

presumption of experience was based on this comment:



"None of the airplanes I've owned have had autopilots..."



Of course, it was a presumption.  Many items are not "required", but safety

is a relative term.   All of the airplanes I have owned have had autopilots.

I have actually owned only one and that was a 1966 Mooney M0.  The autopilot

was far from sophisticated but very useful for the way I employed the

aircraft.  My current ride, a borrowed 1956 Bonanza, has no autopilot and it

can get tedious for anything but the 20 minute $100 hamburger run.  It has

proved to me the points I am making here.



The benefits of an autopilot have nothing whatsoever to do with stick and

rudder skills.  Stick and rudder skills are for landing the plane.  Stick

and rudder skills require a tremendous workload when exercised for high

accuracy tasks.  Autopilots simply relieve workload to allow focus on other,

sometimes life critical tasks in low gain flight conditions (moderate gain

tasks such as an ILS require more sophisticated and more expensive

autopilots.



Anyway, unless the airplane is going to spend [insert some high percentage

number] of its time within 1 hour of home station, or a purpose built

aerobat, or some other very specific exceptional design mission, then in a

modern world an autopilot has practical safety value.



I would be hard pressed (I try to never say never) to be convinced that an

autopilot in a glider is a good idea, but an airplane like a Glasair or RV-8

would almost certainly have increased utility and increased safety with an

autopilot. Many RV-8's are used for long distance cross-country with a

passenger.  "Most" are probably do a good mix of local pleasure flying  and

travel.



The safety feature is realized in its zenith in the all too common VFR in

IMC scenario.  I'll take a wing leveler over a BRS any day (there is a can

of worms, feel free to leave it un-opened).  I teach escape strategies to my

primary students at our school.  "Students" also includes renter pilots

doing recurring checks.  No commercial or instrument pilot gets away without

demonstrating full proficiency in autopilot operations, limitations and

techniques.



And they have to do all of the tasks without the autopilot too.



Summarizing, safety is a relative term, autopilots improve safety in many

circumstances not limited to advanced certificates, and they are light and

not as expensive as they used to be.



- Doug

 

 



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deej(at)deej.net
Guest

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:29 am Post subject: FS:Trutrak autopilot

On 7/31/2010 9:59 PM, Doug Dodson wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   The benefits of an autopilot have nothing whatsoever to do with stick and

 rudder skills.  Stick and rudder skills are for landing the plane.  


	




	*shrug*  We may have to agree to disagree.



	The particular quote I "challenged" initially (made by Bob) was "The

auto pilot is necessary for safe operation of your airplane.  You really

should not fly without one."  Then you and Bruce went on to support that

statement to various degrees.



	If someone is relying on an autopilot in order to safely operate an

aircraft, then IMHO they need to go spend more time with their flight

instructor.  In other words, if they can't fly the airplane safely

without the autopilot, then they should not be flying the plane.



-Dj



-- 

Dj Merrill - N1JOV

Glastar Sportsman 2+2 Builder #7118 N421DJ - http://deej.net/sportsman/

Grumman Yankee Driver N9870L - http://deej.net/yankee/

Join us on the New England Aviation Forums - http://forum.deej.net/

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Craymondw(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 6:20 pm Post subject: FS:Trutrak autopilot

Adding my two cents is that when I fly my Glasair on long cross  countries of a thousand miles or so, I have found that one can't fly those  distances without encountering weather. My experience is, it is better to  have an auto pilot than being in a bad situation wishing you had one. 

  In a message dated 8/1/2010 12:29:42 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  deej(at)deej.net writes:

  	  Quote: 	
		  -->    Glasair-List message posted by: Dj Merrill <deej(at)deej.net>



On    7/31/2010 9:59 PM, Doug Dodson wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   The benefits of an autopilot    have nothing whatsoever to do with stick and

 rudder skills.     Stick and rudder skills are for landing the plane.  


	




       *shrug*  We may have to agree to disagree.



       The particular quote I "challenged" initially (made by Bob) was "The

auto    pilot is necessary for safe operation of your airplane.  You    really

should not fly without one."  Then you and Bruce went on to    support that

statement to various degrees.



    If someone    is relying on an autopilot in order to safely operate an

aircraft, then    IMHO they need to go spend more time with their flight

instructor.  In    other words, if they can't fly the airplane safely

without the autopilot,    then they should not be flying the plane.



-Dj



-- 

Dj Merrill    - N1JOV

Glastar Sportsman 2+2 Builder #7118 N421DJ -    http://deej.net/sportsman/

Grumman Yankee Driver N9870L -    http://deej.net/yankee/

Join us on the New England Aviation Forums -  ===============================================

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  [quote][b]

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