KFC 200 Altitude Change

[Tommy]

Hi guys!

I have a 1981 J with KFC 200 installed.

Just wondering what is the best and quickest way of changing and then holding the changed altitude?

For example I was crushing at 7500 feet yesterday and the ATC asked me to decend then hold at 5500.

If I had HDG and Alt on at the time with cruise power. What should I do to quickly ask the Autopilot to decend and hold at 5500 or vice versa?

Cheers

Tommy

[carusoam]

Tommy,

Are you asking where to get the manual for your AP.

https://dealer.bendixking.com/servlet/com.honeywell.aes.utility.PDFDownLoadServlet?FileName=/TechPubs/repository/006-08377-0001_1.pdf

Know that BK has them posted online for free.

This is an example of one I looked up.

I have a slightly lesser KAP model...

By removing alt hold temporarily, you can set a descent rate by pushing the down arrow a few times.... Five times for a 500fpm descent...

Watch your airspeed and/or adjust power...

When you arrive at altitude push the alt hold button again.... Reset power.

Look in the POH, there should be a section on installed equipment

How does that sound?

-a-

[Jim Peace]

What should I do to quickly ask the Autopilot to decend and hold at 5500 or vice versa?

You can start with "please."

[triple8s]

Wonder if the big G has anything online for free?

[carusoam]

Big G will allow you to say please for a small monthly fee/subscription...

Best regards,

-a-

[Bob - S50]

Personally, I would turn off the autopilot and altitude hold, hand fly it to the new altitude, then re-engage the altitude hold and autopilot.

 

It all depends on your personal preference.

 

Bob

[aviatoreb]

Everyone is giving you too hard a time.

 

Yes - ask George nicely and he will do as you wish.  Yes, hand fly up to the new altitude.

 

Yes, never use the AP and hand fly the whole time.

 

BUT - your question was how to make the autopilot climb to the new altitude.  I have the KFC200.  Disengage the alt hold.  Then use the rocker switch on the side of the AP button assembly on the counsel, and command a pitch up, which you can do incrementally as you wish.  Then it will climb.  Command a pitch up as desired for rate of climb and power setting as appropriate.  As you get close to the desired altitude, I like to slightly decrease the pitch before I reach altitude so there is a less abrupt stop of climbing pitch as when you simply hit alt when you attain altitude.

 

Be very careful at all times if you command a pitch up with the autopilot - it is not watching your airspeed.  Especially if you are in a na engine airplane where power decreases as you climb, then at a constant pitch you will loose speed as power decreases with altitude - George will eventually stall the airplane and not feel one bit guilty about it.

[carusoam]

Erik,

You made me nervous...

First, I thought I must have left something out, then I realized I did!

Us N/A guys also have to adjust mixture to keep the EGT in the blue box whilst climbing.

Best regards,

-a-

[Piloto]

On the Century 31 A/P I just press the UP/DN rocker switch (it will disengage ALT HOLD automatically) and will pitch to which ever I press for. When reaching the desired altitude I just press ALT. No prior trimming required, it will smoothly level to the altitude at which the ALT button was press. On a crosswind LPV approach the A/P will put the plane on the center line at 200ft DH. No G/S deviation even when the gear and flaps are extended at 1000ft. I just throttle back for air speed.

 

José

[Marauder]

When I first began reading this thread, I thought it was going to be another one of those "read the manual" threads. Instead, reading the way the different APs function has been educational.

On the STEC 60-2 with autotrim that is in my plane, if you are in HDG/ALT mode, you press the VS button and press and hold the up or down button. For each second it is held, the plane will increase or decrease 160 ft/min. There is little overshoot on the STEC and I will engage the ALT feature at the desired altitude.

If I under or overshoot it, I can press and hold the up or down button again to have it adjust altitude in 20 feet increments (up to 200 feet change).

As with the other APs mentioned, airspeed is the pilot's responsibility.

[Bravoman]

I have an STEC 60-2 in my Toga and a KFC 150 in the Bravo. Maybe it's just because I have used it for far longer, but I like the STEC much more. I would swap out the 150 in a heartbeat but the 60-2 is something like $16k a copy these days

[carqwik]

Doesn't the KFC200 have the altitude pre-select/vert speed built in?  If so use that....dial in a 500 fpm descent and the target altitude and you're done.

[aviatoreb]

Doesn't the KFC200 have the altitude pre-select/vert speed built in?  If so use that....dial in a 500 fpm descent and the target altitude and you're done.

 

No.

[Bob - S50]

I never use it, but if I'm not mistaken you have two choices for changing altitude with the KFC200 if you want to do it with the autopilot on.

 

1.  Do it the way Erik described.  Supposedly with the altitude hold off, each one second you hold the up/down switch, the plane will pitch 1 degree.  At about 150k, each degree of pitch change will be about 250 fpm.  As Erik mentioned, you'll want to watch your power settings and airspeed and adjust pitch again as necessary.

 

2.  Leave the altitude hold on and ...hold... the up/down switch.  With altitude hold engaged, the plane is supposed to climb/descend at 500 fpm as long as you hold the switch.

 

Either way, I'd want to try it VFR first to see if it behaves and if it works as advertised.

 

Bob