Cherokee 180 Autopilot.

[haseen]

Dear:

I don't know much about A2A products. I need to know the following before I think to purchase A2A Cherokee 180:

1. Does the Cherokee 180 autopilot has Pitch Control, Vertical Speed and IAS hold function?

2. Actually I am interested in a single engine, variable pitch propeller, retractable landing gear Piper aircraft with AP having IAS hold, Pitch hold, ALT hold functions which is as realistic as PMDG's, system wise. Is A2A going to make one like I mentioned in near future?

Haseen
Bangledesh.

[AKar]

Hi there,

1. Nope, just a simple altitude hold.

2. Nobody knows. They probably will get into more complex GA airplane types in their due time while developing technologies needed. I must add that you'd most likely thoroughly enjoy the journey up the GA food chain if you get along from this simple but, in its own way, complex Cherokee!

Generally speaking, they do mainly produce rather classic models, and IAS hold modes are not that common in GA autopilots before G1000-era. It is a bit redundant, as the pilot can do the same with pitch wheel or VS-mode with little additional trouble.

Not exactly sure what you mean by being realistic 'system wise'? If you mean that it's accurate in performance in different modes, the A2A team took the trouble of making it as accurate as reasonable by testing the behavior of an actual unit (not a simulation of one, but a flying one!).

-Esa

[SanderK]

From what you describe in your second point i'd say the Realair Legacy might be the way to go.

[DC3]

Dear:

I don't know much about A2A products. I need to know the following before I think to purchase A2A Cherokee 180:

1. Does the Cherokee 180 autopilot has Pitch Control, Vertical Speed and IAS hold function?

2. Actually I am interested in a single engine, variable pitch propeller, retractable landing gear Piper aircraft with AP having IAS hold, Pitch hold, ALT hold functions which is as realistic as PMDG's, system wise. Is A2A going to make one like I mentioned in near future?

Haseen
Bangledesh.

If you want "realism" it will be difficult to find a more "realistic" simulated aircraft than the A2A Cherokee.
However, like the non-simulated aircraft, i.e. the real thing, it does not have a a constant speed prop, retractable landing gear, or a sophisticated AP.
So if you are looking for realism this would be a great aircraft to purchase.
If you really want the other things then I don't think A2A can help you at this time, although they have aircraft with everything you want except an AP with VS control and IAS hold.

I am curious, I can understand all the requirements except the requirement for a Piper aircraft. Why are you looking for a Piper aircraft?

[haseen]

I have the default Cessna 172 which is so so. I purchased a Piper Arrow from Carenado which is far from accurate. I have other add-ons like PMDG Jetstream 41, MD-11, 737NGX, 777-200LR. So I am looking for a relatively new Piper aircraft which has to be accurate including a good autopilot with functionality specified in my previous post. Sometimes I intend to fly slightly longer distance(climb, cruise,descend & approach) with 16x sim rate with A/P engaged i.e. without worry of manual control.

[AKar]

A2A planes don't work that well with time acceleration as some of the custom coding that makes them alive seem to work properly in 1x only. I'd also say that A2A planes are all about manual control - you can leave the yoke yanking to autopilot, but you still need to manage the engine and some other stuff manually - as is needed in real life too. It doesn't sound like your cup of tea, reading your specs, but I still can strongly recommend it. Though it has had a side effect on me of putting my airliners back to hangar to be taken out only for occasional button-pushing memorization exercises, or if I want to try out something stupid. Nowadays, if I just want to see the plane flying from A to B, I watch Justplanes.

-Esa

[DC3]

I have the default Cessna 172 which is so so. I purchased a Piper Arrow from Carenado which is far from accurate. I have other add-ons like PMDG Jetstream 41, MD-11, 737NGX, 777-200LR. So I am looking for a relatively new Piper aircraft which has to be accurate including a good autopilot with functionality specified in my previous post. Sometimes I intend to fly slightly longer distance(climb, cruise,descend & approach) with 16x sim rate with A/P engaged i.e. without worry of manual control.

All your aircraft are turbine aircraft. You are looking for commercial jet features in piston prop singles. You might have to look at aircraft a little more upscale than Piper aircraft. Piper aircraft are really basic aircraft made for basic flying. Although it is certainly possible to put the AP you describe in most any aircraft I wonder if any real world Piper is STC'd for such an AP. Anyway, according to your requirements I would not recommend the A2A planes. They simply are too real and require too much real world attention. This does not fit your requirements. They are great planes but your requirements would not be met so looking elsewhere would be the thing to do. Good Luck.

Also, as AKAR pointed out, they do not do well with more than 1x sim rate.

[LaFri]

I was looking deep into the autopilot manual and it is astonishing, how much is realised in the A2A autopilot.
However, some small things I could not find:
1. In Power-Up Test is written "ALT lamp estinguishes after 10 seconds, ... " This is not modelled
2. "RDY lamp alone re-illuminates an AP display within 3 minutes ..." not modelled
3. "Roll Servo can be overridden." "Pitch Servo van be overridden." Both functions do not work as described

Of course all this does not reduce the wonderful flight characteristic!

Cheers, Fritz

[Lewis - A2A]

Hello Fritz,

can you please post a new thread rather than post this into existing threads on other topics.

thanks,
Lewis

[alehead]

The OP is looking for something like a Mirage with a fully-specified G1000 simulation in it...

Unlikely to see something like that for some time... my guess at least

A