Add altitude hold to the brittain

[McMooney]

Just wondering,

 

lets say trutrak and the gfc500 never materialize for my "E",  what is the best way to get altitude hold?

after adding a bit of electrical tape, the thing is tracking like it's on rails but not having an altitude hold is tiring.

 

so what are my options ?

 

also, hasn't adsb day passed, when are the damn avionics shops going to open up?

 

[kpaul]

25 minutes ago, McMooney said:

Just wondering,

 

lets say trutrak and the gfc500 never materialize for my "E",  what is the best way to get altitude hold?

after adding a bit of electrical tape, the thing is tracking like it's on rails but not having an altitude hold is tiring.

 

so what are my options ?

 

also, hasn't adsb day passed, when are the damn avionics shops going to open up?

 

The GFC500 for your E will begin the certification process in March.  They have selected the plane/owner that will be used.  It takes Garmin 4-5 months to work through the install, test flights and get the FAA sign off.

[LANCECASPER]

35 minutes ago, McMooney said:

Just wondering,

lets say trutrak and the gfc500 never materialize for my "E",  what is the best way to get altitude hold?

after adding a bit of electrical tape, the thing is tracking like it's on rails but not having an altitude hold is tiring.

so what are my options ?

also, hasn't adsb day passed, when are the damn avionics shops going to open up?

You can add an STEC Pitch Stabilization System (PSS) for about $8000. You would be much better waiting for the Trutrak, which should be sometime in the first half of 2020.

[jetdriven]

25 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

You can add an STEC Pitch Stabilization System (PSS) for about $8000. You would be much better waiting for the Trutrak, which should be sometime in the first half of 2020.

I agree there are better choices but after checking out the trutrak guys 4 years ago, I dont believe them.  Over promise and fail to deliver. 

[Browncbr1]

23 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

You can add an STEC Pitch Stabilization System (PSS) for about $8000. You would be much better waiting for the Trutrak, which should be sometime in the first half of 2020.

Occasionally, you can find most of the Brittain alt hold parts, but rarely all together and I don’t know when the new owners will get back to issuing STCs, so might require field approval. There is one key part to the system that is called the reference chamber.  This Almost never shows up when people try to sell the system as “complete” because few people know what it is and don’t bother to remove it when putting in a new system.  Very few avionics shops have a clue how they even work, but they are pretty simple and straight forward to install.  

I think some of the Brittain systems will come on market if TT ever certifies.  

Edited February 4, 2020 by Browncbr1

[MBDiagMan]

Are you talking about adding it to the basic wing leveler or do you have something beyond the basic Britain PC?

[McMooney]

14 minutes ago, MBDiagMan said:

Are you talking about adding it to the basic wing leveler or do you have something beyond the basic Britain PC?

No, along with the wing leveler, birdy has a brittain Accu???? autopilot.  

Edited February 4, 2020 by McMooney
adding pic

[McMooney]

On 2/3/2020 at 7:14 PM, McMooney said:

No, along with the wing leveler, birdy has a brittain Accu???? autopilot.  

OMG LOVE this Autopilot,  with a bit of electrical tape, it now tracks like it's on rails

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N7106V

 

Edited February 25, 2020 by McMooney

[cliffy]

There is one real big item that is more problematic than the reference chamber and that is the "eyeball" for the pitch trim force indication. There were 2 different ones made (plastic and brass IIRC). If the middle line doesn't line up in the center of the eyeball and the other 2 lines the eyeball is junk. THAT is what goes bad most of the time. Got this from Brittain several years ago. The eyeball is really just s differential pressure indicator showing the pressure difference between the 2 elevator boots to show that the elevator is out of trim. 

[MBDiagMan]

Yeah, the PC is great, but the trim on my F is SOooo sensitive.  I don’t remember it being that way in my C.  Still hoping that a miracle happens and the Trutrak becomes available.  I don’t know why I am worried.  It’s going to be released next month.  I KNOW that is  true because they’ve been saying next month for a year and a half.

[Yetti]

$2250 for some Dynon servos and I am in like Flynn

[0TreeLemur]

Our C had a working PC system when we started paying for her upkeep.  I bought the Accutrak II and valve from a MS member when I first joined in late 2017.   It was installed in the summer of 2018 after receiving the STC from Brittain before they shut down.  It follows magenta lines forever!  

Now I want altitude hold.  I've kept an eye on used avionics sources and have bought a controller w/eyeball and reference chamber.  What I don't have are the two elevator servos or an STC.  Anyone have those elevator servos, or at least part numbers for those?  Rumor has it that Brittain will be back in business in the summer of 2020, and hopefully an STC will again be available.

 

[carusoam]

Cecilia was on MS the other day...

We can try and ask her directly...

Best regards,

-a-