KFC200 vertical speed setting

[manu damaschin]

Does anyone have some good advice regarding the the vertical speed setting on KFC200? How many feet/min I should have with every input of UP/DOWN button?

 

Is there a better techninque for setting the VS on KFC200...with the CWS for instance?

 

 

 

KFC200 is a very good and reliable copilot...except the the missing VS preselect Especially when flying in a bumpy IMC and you need a certain rate of descent/climb...

 

 

Thanks!

[jetdriven]

IIRC the rocker switch is 100 FPM per tap.  CWS and set -2 or -3 degrees works well too for descent in the Baron I use to fly.  Just hold the CWS and let it stabilize at high speed and 700 FPM down, then release.  Try that.

[rainman]

Manu, my up/down button yields 500ft/min when held. As per our prior discussion, the G500 will allow you to set the vertical speed when the software update is fixed before the end of the year. Recall that the vertical speed can be set with the KFC 150 and the G500 now. Ray

[manu damaschin]

Manu, my up/down button yields 500ft/min when held. As per our prior discussion, the G500 will allow you to set the vertical speed when the software update is fixed before the end of the year. Recall that the vertical speed can be set with the KFC 150 and the G500 now. Ray

 

Thanks Ray, I thought only the ALT preselect will be available for KFC200 and G500, but if the system will offer also VS preselect it is a very good news...

[jlunseth]

I use the Up/Down button for small changes in altitude, say 1,000 feet or less, especially when approaching a clearance so it acts like a dead man switch, if I get distracted or need to do something else the AP will stop ascending or descending until I come back to it, it won't bust through.

 

However, I fly in the cruise levels a fair amount and I would have to hold the Up/Dn button for half hour to forty five minutes, so I do it one of two ways.  Both require switching Alt. Hold off first.  You can either use CWS to set a pitch, or you can use the Up/Dn button, and with Alt Hold off it will act as a pitch trim without switching the AP off (which is what will happen if you use the yoke pitch trim switch - the AP will be switched off).  Neither method is ideal, the aircraft will not monitor your rate of descent and make adjustments, it will just hold a pitch.  So when you tip the nose over and point it down is a descent and the aircraft picks up speed, if you have initially set your pitch to give you 500 fpm down, it will turn out to be more like 1000 with the increase in V.  However, the Up/Dn switch makes small adjustments if you don't just hold it down and let it run.  So I use that switch to make adjustments during the descent, to keep the descent rate about where I want it.  It needs to be constantly monitored, you will find that the rate may deapen or become more shallow if you do not watch and adjust.

 

I have a 430 with a VS calculator (when in the first nav. screen, big knob fully left, turn the small knob fully right).  I set that for 500 fpm and it will tell me about what rate I need to make, lets say, 2500 feet 10 miles from the airport.  I vary the pitch on the AP to make a little more than that number in a descent, and then I look for the "required descent rate" figure to stabilize or reduce a little, then I know I have about the right down pitch.

[manu damaschin]

I use the Up/Down button for small changes in altitude, say 1,000 feet or less, especially when approaching a clearance so it acts like a dead man switch, if I get distracted or need to do something else the AP will stop ascending or descending until I come back to it, it won't bust through.

 

However, I fly in the cruise levels a fair amount and I would have to hold the Up/Dn button for half hour to forty five minutes, so I do it one of two ways.  Both require switching Alt. Hold off first.  You can either use CWS to set a pitch, or you can use the Up/Dn button, and with Alt Hold off it will act as a pitch trim without switching the AP off (which is what will happen if you use the yoke pitch trim switch - the AP will be switched off).  Neither method is ideal, the aircraft will not monitor your rate of descent and make adjustments, it will just hold a pitch.  So when you tip the nose over and point it down is a descent and the aircraft picks up speed, if you have initially set your pitch to give you 500 fpm down, it will turn out to be more like 1000 with the increase in V.  However, the Up/Dn switch makes small adjustments if you don't just hold it down and let it run.  So I use that switch to make adjustments during the descent, to keep the descent rate about where I want it.  It needs to be constantly monitored, you will find that the rate may deapen or become more shallow if you do not watch and adjust.

 

I have a 430 with a VS calculator (when in the first nav. screen, big knob fully left, turn the small knob fully right).  I set that for 500 fpm and it will tell me about what rate I need to make, lets say, 2500 feet 10 miles from the airport.  I vary the pitch on the AP to make a little more than that number in a descent, and then I look for the "required descent rate" figure to stabilize or reduce a little, then I know I have about the right down pitch.

 

 

I am also using the VS calculator when descending from flying levels (I have a 530)...the problem appear when I am in a IFR procedure and I have to descent with a certain rate, I am a little busy with the other settings and there are turbulences (very often in IMC)...because monitoring the VS rate takes some time too. It will be much easier just to set the VS you want and forget about it... A DFC90 maybe... By the way any news on the DFC90 STC for Mooneys...?

[carusoam]

I'm gonna need to read the manual on this...

On the more simple KAP A/P...

(1) Set the climb or descent rate by deactivating ALT hold, then push the up or down button. Each click of the button equals +/- 100fpm. (most usable method)

(2) Holding the up or down button with alt hold on, gives the +/- 500 fpm change. (fasted way to initiate a change)

(3) setting and hold the attitude using the CWS button. (I don't use this one). Control Wheel Steering?

Unfortunately, it becomes too much of a guesstimate and adjust method for me.

This is from memory, your version may vary.

Let me know if this makes sense.

The KAP really needs a dead man's switch to predictably avoid busting altitude... Otherwise the alternative is an uncomfortable memory aid...

Best regards,

-a-

[jlunseth]

In most procedures you can "dive and drive," in other words you can descend at a rate faster than what it would take to hit your altitude, then you hit the altitude a little early and fly level to the next point where you will descend.  I generally use the Up/Dn button with Alt Hold on to do that, because when I let go the plane will stay level at the new altitude.  On descent from the FAF on an ILS or LPV, and really on most GPS procedures, glide slope couple should do that for you.  Probably you now the procedure for that, but it would be to put the AP in approach mode, it will annunciate "ARMED," then when it couples to the inbound course it will annunciate "CPLD" and when it catches the glideslope it will annunciate GS and start down the slope.  I have found, on GPS courses, that the AP needs to be in APPCH mode before the FAF, usually a half mile to a mile or more, or it will decline to couple to the glideslope.  When you switch to APCH the inbound course needs to be set with the HSI needle.  I guess I have to say I really don't find it common to be descending in an approach procedure more than a couple thousand feet, and I just hold the DN button down with one thumb.  Since you have the AP flying the plane, your other hand is free for other tasks.