KFC 225 vs 150 vs Stec

[tomn]

I am looking seriously at moving up to an Ovation/Eagle and have been looking in detail at whats available out there. Many of the newer O's have the KFC 225 AP, some have the 150. The Eagles appear to have come with the STEC 30 as standard equipment but from what I've read here and elsewhere, thats not much of an approach AP and would need to be upgraded to get it to fly waas approaches etc. I have read where there have been issues with the 225 with servos etc. I have a STEC 50 now and have had no problems.

I'd like some feedback on the 225 vs 150 vs STEC and what I should look for in all this. Anyone have any good advice on the topic?

Tom

[mike_elliott]

Tom, the Stec 30 with GPSS wont fly the profile, but will provide lateral coupling including the missed and procedure turn. While not as capable of Autopilot as a rate based system, it is indeed very capable, and historically much cheaper to own. If Avidyne gets their act together and does the STC for Mooney's, it will be nice to have the Stec roll servos already installed to do a digital AP upgrade.

[neilpilot]

....and after the vacuum pump fails, the sTec just continues on as if nothing happened.

[carusoam]

GPSS is a low-ish cost bonus...

Back-up vac systems are available on many Long Bodies.

I have the KAP so it's not a FD. (Fuzzy memory of how well it works)

- Push a button five times, it climbs at 500fpm.

- Set a rate of climb manually, push a button, it maintains the ROC.

- Push the approach button, it follows an ILS.

- follow a course

- follow a heading

- plus others...

Without GPSS, see a flashing light, push the button for next VOR WPT ...

Works incredibly well, has not broken, yet...

What it doesn't have is a method to warn of reaching altitude while climbing or descending.

This is a real test of your multitasking capabilities. On VMC days, while looking out the windows, small flashing lights on the IP need to be changed to xenon strobes to become effective.

Lots of practice and situational awareness still required, in a different way.

Best regards,

-a-

[triple8s]

I had the STEC 60-2 in my short body and it was very simple and easy to use. I can't remember a single time when it didn't do exactly what I was expecting. The KFC 150 I am still trying to figure it out, it's probably just my slow learning but just seemed the STEC was easier to use.

[carusoam]

888 brings up an interesting point....

The options and capabilities are a long list. How to use it all takes an even longer period of time because you may be doing it while learning to fly a new to you plane...

Then if there is a switch that isn't working it can really get challenging.

Then there is intercepting, and then follow the ILS. When to push which button before the IAF.

My first challenge was tracking a VOR with the KAP. It would not follow on the magenta line, as expected...

It turns out it is following the exact scalloped pattern that VORs have.

Good money spent at the local BK shop to let me know I have a good system....could have learned it here for a whole lot less.

If you don't use it, you may lose it... Tough on the memory challenged individuals...

Pretty spectacular accuracy in the pretty, spectacular, real world...

Best regards,

-a-

[AndyFromCB]

S-TEC 30 in the eagle is essentially identical in function to your S-TEC 50, same functionality, other than if I recall, a 50 will intercept a course and a 30 will not, as in you fly a heading and then manually press the VOR button. Doesn't really matter if you get the GPSS installed. I had that autopilot in my arrow and it was bullet proof.

 

Now, I have the KFC-150 with altitude preselect and it never ceases to amaze me that if I want to, I can limit my hand flying to about 60 seconds per flight. It's all button pushing. Plus the flight director is an amazing feature.

[FlyDave]

S-TEC 30 in the eagle is essentially identical in function to your S-TEC 50, same functionality, other than if I recall, a 50 will intercept a course and a 30 will not, as in you fly a heading and then manually press the VOR button. Doesn't really matter if you get the GPSS installed. I had that autopilot in my arrow and it was bullet proof.

 

Now, I have the KFC-150 with altitude preselect and it never ceases to amaze me that if I want to, I can limit my hand flying to about 60 seconds per flight. It's all button pushing. Plus the flight director is an amazing feature.

 

I have the same setup (KFC-150 w/alt. preselect). I don't have GPSS and I'm not sure I want to take that step to "unplug myself" from flying the airplane (What the hell is it doing now?). At least if I have to turn the OBS for course changes I won't be able to just set the alarm on my phone for 30 minutes before landing.....

[cujet]

I am not a big fan of the Stec 30 and it's very limited functionality. While it clearly has some advantages, it's not an inexpensive solution when viewed objectively, and it's not inexpensive to repair. The control knob's internal Ujoint setup is a plastic $1 part, prone to failure and will cost you an absurd $1,100 to $1,500 when it fails. Stec autopilots cannot be repaired by your local avionics shop and the turn time is often not good. 

 

I currently have one sitting on the shelf with 2 issues. The Ujoint is broken and the optical pickup for the mechanical gyro (an integrated LED emitter and sensor, $9 at digikey) is bad. Stec/Cobham wants $900 for an evaluation fee, $1,100 to repair the Ujoint and nearly $3,000 to replace the circuit board with the bad sensor. At that cost, might as well purchase a replacement. Better yet, do what I did and get something else. 

 

Given the choice, I'd go for a modern digital setup.