Auto-Pilot Information Requested

[RogueOne]

Need some help from anyone that has this auto-pilot installed, or knows the good and bad of the system?

What manufacturer is this?

Reliability?

Capability?

Thanks for your help.

[Oldguy]

S-Tec/Genesys (now). System 60 PSS (Pitch Stabilization System). Just for pitch control.

Looks like a yaw dampener below it.

[Rwsavory]

Nice to have both of those if they work.  Manual for the 60 PSS here:  http://www.syracuseflyingclub.com/Docs/8439Z_Manuals/sys60psspoh.pdf

[RogueOne]

Thanks!

[Steve W]

You might want to look at the Turn Coordinator, it would seem odd to have a Yaw Damper and a Pitch System without what most people consider the main autopilot function(roll).

 

[Rwsavory]

35 minutes ago, Steve W said:

You might want to look at the Turn Coordinator, it would seem odd to have a Yaw Damper and a Pitch System without what most people consider the main autopilot function(roll).

 

The pitch system is is an add-on for aircraft with an existing (usually factory-installed) single axis AP.  Most of the airplanes I have seen with them have the Century for the roll axis.

[Steve W]

1 minute ago, Rwsavory said:

The pitch system is is an add-on for aircraft with an existing (usually factory-installed) single axis AP.  Most of the airplanes I have seen with them have the Century for the roll axis.

Exactly, which is why it's odd that the original poster didn't post pictures of the actual autopilot(I was guessing the base a/p was an STEC since the 2 add-ons were, thus the T/C suggestion.)

 

[Rwsavory]

3 minutes ago, Steve W said:

Exactly, which is why it's odd that the original poster didn't post pictures of the actual autopilot(I was guessing the base a/p was an STEC since the 2 add-ons were, thus the T/C suggestion.)

 

My understanding is that the Pitch and Yaw Damper units are independent, stand-alone systems.

[mooneyflyfast]

I had one on a 182. It worked well but mine had no automatic trim. There was an annunciator that told you when trim up or down was needed. 

 

[RogueOne]

Didn’t get a good photo...and didn’t know mfr.  Here is a BAD pic.  Thanks for replies.

[MIm20c]

Stec 20 

The nice thing about having separate boxes vs the stec 30 is that you should be able to track a glideslope vs just altitude hold. 

Edited July 20, 2019 by MIm20c

[MIm20c]

You might also want to check out your 102a gyro in the back of the plane. It’s odd that the switch is in free (failure) position unless it was bumped along the way. 

[RogueOne]

2 hours ago, MIm20c said:

You might also want to check out your 102a gyro in the back of the plane. It’s odd that the switch is in free (failure) position unless it was bumped along the way. 

Plane is new to me and has not flown in several years.  What switch are you referring to in the photos?  I am a VFR pilot stepping up...

[MIm20c]

6 minutes ago, RogueOne said:

Plane is new to me and has not flown in several years.  What switch are you referring to in the photos?  I am a VFR pilot stepping up...

It connects the 102a gyro in the back of the plane with the 525 HSI  

Edited July 20, 2019 by MIm20c

[RogueOne]

Just clueless on even what that is   A LOT of learning to do...What is this (treat me like an ignorant VFR child in explanation as I resemble that). Thanks for input.

[RogueOne]

Is the entire auto-pilot S-Tec or is “roll” Century?

[RogueOne]

[jaylw314]

I like the backup AI.  That's a nice steam panel.

The Free/Slave switch controls the HSI.  The whole system is the KCS-55A, the HSI display head itself is the KI-525.  In the KCS-55A system, there's a remote magnetometer, the KMT-112, and a remote gyro, the KG-102A, probably mounted in the rear instrument bay in the tail.

Normally, the HSI slaves itself to the signal from the remote magnetometer automatically, so you don't need to keep aligning it with your compass like a typical DG.  however, if something there fails, you can flip the switch to the "free" position, and align the HSI to your compass manually with the +/- switch.  @MIm20c pointed out that the switch is supposed to stay in the "slave" position, and the only reason you'd flip it to "free" is if the connection to the magnetometer had failed.

If the plane's new to you, it'd be good to go through the KCS-55A features and check them off to make sure they work.  There's a LOT that could go wrong with it that may not be immediately obvious...

[RogueOne]

2 hours ago, jaylw314 said:

I like the backup AI.  That's a nice steam panel.

The Free/Slave switch controls the HSI.  The whole system is the KCS-55A, the HSI display head itself is the KI-525.  In the KCS-55A system, there's a remote magnetometer, the KMT-112, and a remote gyro, the KG-102A, probably mounted in the rear instrument bay in the tail.

Normally, the HSI slaves itself to the signal from the remote magnetometer automatically, so you don't need to keep aligning it with your compass like a typical DG.  however, if something there fails, you can flip the switch to the "free" position, and align the HSI to your compass manually with the +/- switch.  @MIm20c pointed out that the switch is supposed to stay in the "slave" position, and the only reason you'd flip it to "free" is if the connection to the magnetometer had failed.

If the plane's new to you, it'd be good to go through the KCS-55A features and check them off to make sure they work.  There's a LOT that could go wrong with it that may not be immediately obvious...

Thanks for the information.  I will leave that to the IFR Co-Owner.  Guessing there is “much wrong”.  Not going to throw good money after “A lot that could go wrong”...

[RogueOne]

On 7/20/2019 at 3:33 PM, MIm20c said:

You might also want to check out your 102a gyro in the back of the plane. It’s odd that the switch is in free (failure) position unless it was bumped along the way. 

Owners pilot said the magnometer had failed and owner had a new one in his hanger that never got put in.  Thanks for the catch/heads up.  Saved us some money.  MUCH appreciated as we are spending some