Different Autopilot Question

[Skyatty]

I currently have an Century IIB installed in my '77 J, which works well (knock wood) but does not have altitude hold.  I am thinking about adding an S-TEC 30 single axis to this setup.  Anyone have that particular set up and, if so, are you satisfied with it?  I am starting my IR training and I assume that altitude hold will be very helpful in the IFR environment.  An upgrade to a new AP is difficult to justify (particularly to the spouse who only sees dollar signs not utility enhancements).  Thoughts?

[jetdriven]

We have the C-IIB and the STEC-30ALT combo installed in our plane.  It was a nice thing to get with the plane. I like it. You turn on the Century, stick it in heading mode, then turn on the S-TEC and monitor it until you land.  It does a pretty good job holding altitude.  Usually within 20-40 feet. I have tried it in moderate turbulence. Ours has a button on the right side of the pilot's yoke which diesngages the altitude and re-engages, to change altitudes.   It does NOT trim, so it beeps at you to trim.  Personally I think its great in cruise and to get your charts together.  I wouldnt use it on a non-precision approach.  It has no glodeslope capability.   For the 12K they want these days to install one?  Thats a shocker.  Ours was installed for 4K in 1999.

[Parker_Woodruff]

I have some time in a Piper Seneca II that had a Century Autopilot and the S-TEC altitude hold.  It worked well.

[OR75]

The natural addition to a Century IIB would be the S-Tec 60PSS (adds Atl hold, VS and GS). I am not sure they still make it. The combo works very well for me. 

[Skyatty]

Is it just me or does it seem like every company wants $15,000 for their particular bit of technology in the cockpit?  My eyes start to bleed just from looking at the prices.

[jetdriven]

since edit is broken, I'd like to update my post.  From HERE:  http://www.gca.aero/list.asp?search_type=7&search_text=27&search_text2=S-TEC

 

it looks like the 30ALT is "from 8k installed"

60PSS is "from 10K installed"

 

being able to have a glideslope capability is nice.    I agree, the 15K for a simple two axis autopilot is ridiculous.  Plenty of people would upgrade their airplanes if prices weren't so incredibly high. Cobham owns S-TEC and the legacy to Century, so you can call it "cornering the market".  Killed it is more like it.

[OR75]

it is what the market can bear.

I mentionned this already in a previous post:

I was sad to see how Oshkosh was dominated by electronic toys makers like Garmin, Aspen, etc ... (I don't think Apple was there) instead of airframes, engines and prop OEMs

[KSMooniac]

I have an STEC-30 with ALT hold (and GPSS) in my '77 J and it is a perfect solution for our class of airplanes, IMO.  Adding the ALT module to your Century sounds like a good option, and it would obviously play well with the STEC if/when you decide to go that route down the road.  Hopefully Cobham will wake up and realize that their new pricing is not working...too bad they bought STEC and blew up the business.    

[Skyatty]

Thanks Jetdriven.  If it is a $2K difference between the 30 and the 60 and the 60 allows for glideslope tracking, perhaps I should save up a little longer and go with the PSS.  Sigh.

I guess with the pool of new pilots shrinking, the economy still stuck and fewer new planes shipping, the only hope for commerce in aviation is coming up with the next shiny technology and sticking a big price on it.  We all need to keep our old birds relatively updated so the market is there and $15,000 for a shiny piece of technology is easier to swallow than $500K for a shiny new machine with the technology already installed.  I may kind of understand it but I don't like it.

[Magnum]

I have a Century 2000 and I am very happy with it. If the other Centuries use the same servos, wouldn't it be possible (and maybe cheaper) to put in a 2000? It has altitude hold and flies down the GS. Altitude preselect is available and not too expensive.

[John Pleisse]

I bought the Stec 30 w/alt hold and upgraded to the 55X..also awesome. Why not buy Stec ALT HOLD for your Cent 2-B, then you already have it when you move to the Stec? The ALT baro can, servo, wiring and panel switch cost about $3500. Many people have done this and prefer it to Edo Aire equipment as more reliable.

[jetdriven]

What is the cost to upgrade a 30ALT to a full 55X etc?

[John Pleisse]

I paid a lot...probably an additional $13k, but this included autotrim, a near $4k option. This was also 2006. Have you seen the Cobham ads Byron? They are running print and web ads for a $9k upgrade special from 30ALT to 55X through August 20th.

[jetdriven]

OK I just read it.   They will upgrade your 20 or 30 system to a 55X for 9500$ plus installation.  We have the S-TEC 30ALT unit.  My guess is the 55X uses the same pitch and roll servos, so its basically a 12K upgrade cost to swap out the control head.  For now, I will pass. 

[jackn]

I have an S-Tec 30 w/ALT in my Cessna & kfc150 in the Mooney. The S-tec IMO is a wonderful a/p, simple, does what it does very well. Approaches are very straight forward. While being vectored to final, make sure you're trimed properly(will beep at you if you're not) at FAF reduce power to the appr setting, slight adjustment to power to account for headwind, and you will track the GS at appr speed.(remember trim for speed, power for alt). Also, since the trim is manual, if you do have to adjust trim you will not shut off a/p. I don't feel that having GS on my kfc150 has reduced my workload since now i'm using power to control speed.

[John Pleisse]

The Stec 30 is excellent this way. Capture the localizer and babysit the power. Not to open a can of worms and I am sure a thread exists for this, but isn't it "pitch for path, power for perfomance"? Jackn Quote: ".(remember trim for speed, power for alt)".

Byron...you have to figure $5k for install and a three weeks down time. I gotta tell you, that is not a 2006 deal. Wow, I guess things have changed. And does it include autotrim. That is the must-have that costs a bunch. 

[jetdriven]

our plan will hold altitude and heading.  To get the glideslope or GPSS to fly in circles will cost us too much. 

[KSMooniac]

GPSS is a relatively cheap upgrade, and if you already have WAAS then it is one of the best bang-for-the-buck upgrades out there IMO.  It is a huge workload reducer for single pilot IFR.

[John Pleisse]

Scott's right Byron. You could go AIRNC or RS232 direct to the Stec. If everything crapped out, the plane could fly itself with nothing in between the GPS and STEC GPSS. No gyros of heading erros, etc. 

[jetdriven]

Our KLN-89B (And the KLN-94) doesn't output ARINC or RS232 outputs to drive a GPSS.   The aera will, but thats not a certified GPS.

[KSMooniac]

Ah, well that is the problem.    I'm still amazed at WAAS + GPSS technology... I took a college classmate flying a few years ago and he about cried when he realized what my little ol' Mooney could do when compared to his B-1!  He also didn't have weather radar or sat. WX either, so we took my 496 into a B-1 cockpit and took a picture showing that it could work through the "hardened" cockpit glass and eventually he got some 696's for his squadron.