G5 to drive a Century IIB autopilot

[OR75]

Anyone installed a G5 connected to a Century IIB ? 

Wondering how the GPSS function was working 

I currently have a DAC31 and it works very well

[kpaul]

I have a Century 41 with dual G5s.  I am not sure if the IIB and 41 are similar,  however the GPSS works great in my plane.

[N201MKTurbo]

I have that arrangement, it works great.

You can check out my vacation on Flightaware and see how well it performs.

[OR75]

How does it track holding patterns and procedure turns ? Did you have to,adjust the gain ?

[N201MKTurbo]

24 minutes ago, OR75 said:

How does it track holding patterns and procedure turns ? Did you have to,adjust the gain ?

Yes, it does. There is a sensitivity adjustment in the G5 that I turned down to keep it from oscillating. 

On all approaches, I turn off GPSS and switch the autopilot to LOC NORM at the FAF.

It flys holds and PTs about 50% wider than I would if hand flying, but makes it so easy that I just let it do what it wants.

I don’t know weather to blame the autopilot, G5 or Avidyne.

The G5 always points at the FAF or hold fix. I wish it would give course guidance through the hold, but a minor annoyance. I know, back in the day the HSI always pointed at the hold fix, but now it just seems odd.

[Ragsf15e]

2 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Yes, it does. There is a sensitivity adjustment in the G5 that I turned down to keep it from oscillating. 

On all approaches, I turn off GPSS and switch the autopilot to LOC NORM at the FAF.

It flys holds and PTs about 50% wider than I would if hand flying, but makes it so easy that I just let it do what it wants.

I don’t know weather to blame the autopilot, G5 or Avidyne.

The G5 always points at the FAF or hold fix. I wish it would give course guidance through the hold, but a minor annoyance. I know, back in the day the HSI always pointed at the hold fix, but now it just seems odd.

Is it making standard rate turns?  Lots of times I find myself flying 30degree bank turns out of habit from much faster airplanes.  Standard rate in our Mooney is closer to 23 degrees or so.  Seems wide, but probably appropriate.

[bradp]

It works without need for gain hustmebts beyond whats preconfigured on the G5.  Excellent setup.  

 

[N201MKTurbo]

3 hours ago, Ragsf15e said:

Is it making standard rate turns?  Lots of times I find myself flying 30degree bank turns out of habit from much faster airplanes.  Standard rate in our Mooney is closer to 23 degrees or so.  Seems wide, but probably appropriate.

I have my autopilot adjusted to make standard rate turns at 120 KTS. The G5 doesn't make standard rate turns while doing a hold. I think it is because it is trying to guide the plane around the turn and the error signal isn't big enough to take it to the standard rate turn. But as I said before it is fine the way it does it, just a bit fatter than I would do.

The adjustments on the CIIB are just turn rate limits, so there isn't any adjustment that will make it turn sharper. It may be the sensitivity adjustment I made in the G5, but I wouldn't trade the good cruise performance for tighter turns in the hold.

[OR75]

The holding patterns and procedure turns ( or the magenta line) does not seem to be adjusted based on the airspeed 

 

i have installed a G5 as an ADI (it actually replaced my Turn Coordinator as per AC91-75)

i also installed a GMU 11, a GAD13 and a GAD 29B connected to the GNS430W.

which means I have the magnetic heading, OAT and Nav indication on the ADI. 

The magic of the CAN Bus is such that by adding another G5 (as an HSI), I could remove the DAC31 GPSS, the DG and the GI106. Which would de-clutter behind the panel a lot.

The most difficult will be to remove those pins from the P1006 d-sub connector in the back of the GNS 430W. 

I will wait till the DG dies 

[INA201]

On 10/20/2019 at 1:40 PM, N201MKTurbo said:

Yes, it does. There is a sensitivity adjustment in the G5 that I turned down to keep it from oscillating. 

On all approaches, I turn off GPSS and switch the autopilot to LOC NORM at the FAF.

It flys holds and PTs about 50% wider than I would if hand flying, but makes it so easy that I just let it do what it wants.

I don’t know weather to blame the autopilot, G5 or Avidyne.

The G5 always points at the FAF or hold fix. I wish it would give course guidance through the hold, but a minor annoyance. I know, back in the day the HSI always pointed at the hold fix, but now it just seems odd.

I have a G5 HSI with IIB and the GAD29B.  I find my autopilot wanders back and forth slightly.  Is the G5 sensitivity the first course of action to fix this?

[N201MKTurbo]

46 minutes ago, INA201 said:

I have a G5 HSI with IIB and the GAD29B.  I find my autopilot wanders back and forth slightly.  Is the G5 sensitivity the first course of action to fix this?

Yes, it only takes a few button pushes. 

Im at the plane and just checked. In the configuration/flight controls/gpss sensitivity. I have it set to 0.75

Edited October 22, 2019 by N201MKTurbo

[WAFI]

Just confirming a couple things. 

A G5 as “ADI” can drive the Century IIB AP? 

Can I remove the vacuum system?

I thought the AP was driven by the vacuum system?

I was told I needed to keep my original ADI as well if I want my AP to work.

Is there a Century IIB upgrade to get ride of the vacuum system?

[N201MKTurbo]

49 minutes ago, WAFI said:

Just confirming a couple things. 

A G5 as “ADI” can drive the Century IIB AP? 

Can I remove the vacuum system?

I thought the AP was driven by the vacuum system?

I was told I needed to keep my original ADI as well if I want my AP to work.

Is there a Century IIB upgrade to get ride of the vacuum system?

The G5 will not replace the autopilot attitude indicator. It has no roll output. It will replace the DG as an HSI.

[OR75]

2 hours ago, WAFI said:

Just confirming a couple things. 

A G5 as “ADI” can drive the Century IIB AP? 

Can I remove the vacuum system?

I thought the AP was driven by the vacuum system?

I was told I needed to keep my original ADI as well if I want my AP to work.

Is there a Century IIB upgrade to get ride of the vacuum system?

If you want to remove the vacuum system , you will need a GI275 to provide attitude indication ( the $$$ version with AP output ) 

the G5 provide nav information ( deviation and glide slope) . Actually it is the GAD 29B That provides that info. 

[philiplane]

2 hours ago, WAFI said:

Just confirming a couple things. 

A G5 as “ADI” can drive the Century IIB AP? 

Can I remove the vacuum system?

I thought the AP was driven by the vacuum system?

I was told I needed to keep my original ADI as well if I want my AP to work.

Is there a Century IIB upgrade to get ride of the vacuum system?

The autopilot needs attitude information from the original indicator, or from a GI-275. The G5 can't provide it. 

[WAFI]

So, my original plan was to go with a G3X, G5, original AI and keep the vacuum to run the autopilot. 

Will a G3X, GI-275 combo eliminate the vacuum, run the AP  and comply with the backup requirements for the G3X or will I still need a G5?

[PT20J]

On 10/20/2019 at 10:40 AM, N201MKTurbo said:

Yes, it does. There is a sensitivity adjustment in the G5 that I turned down to keep it from oscillating. 

On all approaches, I turn off GPSS and switch the autopilot to LOC NORM at the FAF.

It flys holds and PTs about 50% wider than I would if hand flying, but makes it so easy that I just let it do what it wants.

I don’t know weather to blame the autopilot, G5 or Avidyne.

The G5 always points at the FAF or hold fix. I wish it would give course guidance through the hold, but a minor annoyance. I know, back in the day the HSI always pointed at the hold fix, but now it just seems odd.

The track comes from the navigator. The G5 flight director just displays the steering commands to follow the GPS-computed track. The GPSS converts the digital steering commands into an analog signal to drive the autopilot HDG input.

[N201MKTurbo]

14 minutes ago, PT20J said:

The track comes from the navigator. The G5 flight director just displays the steering commands to follow the GPS-computed track. The GPSS converts the digital steering commands into an analog signal to drive the autopilot HDG input.

On my setup, there is no visual course guidance in a hold. The CDI bar just shows deviation from the final approach segment, just like an old HSI. But the G5 somehow knows how to fly the hold through the GPSS.

[PT20J]

49 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

On my setup, there is no visual course guidance in a hold. The CDI bar just shows deviation from the final approach segment, just like an old HSI. But the G5 somehow knows how to fly the hold through the GPSS.

I misunderstood and thought you had a G5 PFD also which would have the flight director. I believe the HSI will only show course guidance inbound. 

[N201MKTurbo]

12 minutes ago, PT20J said:

I misunderstood and thought you had a G5 PFD also which would have the flight director. I believe the HSI will only show course guidance inbound. 

Huh, I'll have to try that some time. One button push and it is an attitude indicator.

[PT20J]

14 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Huh, I'll have to try that some time. One button push and it is an attitude indicator.

It would be interesting to try. But now that I think about it, I think the FD might only work with a GFC 500.

EDIT: Yeah, it's not going to work because the flight director in this setup comes from the autopilot not the G5. Sorry, I've got the GFC 500 stuck in my brain.