Aerocruz 100 for Mooney Ranger

[Fysiojohn]

Hi all,

I’m looking to upgrade my autopilot from the original Accutrak to the TruTrak, now Aerocruz 100 AP, which recently got the okay for my Mooney M20C. All I’m looking for is an AP that follows the my WAAS GPS’s magenta line, holds attitude and can do turn anticipation.
I did a general search on Mooneyspace but didn’t find many that may have gone before me.

i’ve done some research but it seems to be the only one that does not require a G5 or some other intermediary and can run straight from my IFD 440, AND is approved for use in the Mooney. 

Any advice before I take the plunge, and secondly, being based in Northern VA, any recommendations for avionics shops that do the install?

thanks!

[bigmo]

Is the STC finalized? I thought they were still in the final waiting period with the FAA.

[Fysiojohn]

Yes, was finalized then apparently pulled by FAA, now good for Mooneys since spring of 2024

[Utah20Gflyer]

I’d call Duncan who holds the STC and just verify that your model isn’t one of the ones that they are having parts compatibility issues with.   Duncan wrongly assumed that all of the planes on the STC shared common parts with the plane they used to certify the auto pilot.   There have been quite a few people who have ordered the Aerocruz 100 and found it didn’t fit.  

[bigmo]

That’s what I was thinking of then. Assume it’s something to do with the servo mount or linkage connection hardware? Presume they’ll get that sorted at some point.

My STEC serves me well, but when it gives up the ghost, I’ll be ready to go modern. It’s a want, not a need as I have GPSS and the system manages enroute and approaches better than I expected. Fingers crossed it’s hot a few years left…but the 100 seems to be a no brainer.

 

[AJ88V]

Hoping it works for your '68 C, which should be practically identical to my 1970.  - AJ (formerly out of W32 next door)

[hammdo]

I'm waiting on the revised STC for my 66.  I should know more next month...

-Don

[vik]

With the kind of "support" I got from Duncan I would not touch anything coming from them!  The product by Bendix-King (now Honeywell) with STC backed by a random radio shop, both known for "great" customer support - sounds like asking for a trouble. It took them years to finish STC for the already mature product (TruTrak) - just to be pulled by FAA right away due to mistakes made in designing those few hardware parts. If something happens down the line, just be ready to be on your own and fly with a paperweight for years, or, bite the bullet and redo all from scratch by putting in a better product with a much better support history.

There is no perfect solution for Mooney, just an expensive, but a more capable and reliable one with the support that will last for decades and the one that sounds like a total waste of time and money down the road.  Take your poison, but notice how quickly the other brand fixed a problem that popped up recently. Even though they had to send people expensive replacement hardware for free. I am not fan of the brand. Rather the opposite. But I can't deny the facts. 

On the other hand, it will be 5 year "anniversary" pretty soon for BK KI-300 emergency AD. Still, no resolution. Well, it does not matter now.  I am pretty sure that all owners already pulled it out and put another instrument in. Who wants to to have their plane placarded "VFR only" forever? Lucky me, I did not have that in my plane, but people who did probably lost ~$10K in hardware + installation in addition to 1-2 weeks (optimistic) while the plane is in the shop.

This is my personal opinion though. I hope other people had better experience when they needed support from  BK or Duncan. It is pity how a great AP used by so many happy experimental folks got screwed up by a couple of companies so quickly, leaving earlier Mooney owners with only one reasonable option  for a modern AP. Sad, but not a new story.

 

[AJ88V]

Anybody know what the status of the Trio Pro Pilot is?  

Don't know why they STC'd the Grumman first, but you can sign up with your interest here.  https://www.thestcgroupllc.com/pages/stc-autopilot-interest-list

Heck, I'll loan them my plane if it would get an AP approved.

[Scooter]

Hey guys and gals.

Got this 12/2/2024, so pretty current.

Hi Scooter,

 

We are hoping the Bendix King and Duncan Engineering, to create revised additional drawings will be completed in January or February of 2025, then FAA approval after that...  Q2 of 2025 is our latest estimate.

[bigmo]

As a guy that works daily with the regulatory side of the FAA….heres a pro tip. Triple the estimate. 

But, it IS progress.

[AJ88V]

Just for comparison, I’m finding numbers on the order of $20K to install the Garmin GFC-500. 
How much cheaper are we expecting the Aerocruz 100 to come in? (Assuming it ever will come in.) FWIW, a local shop thinks a DER install of the Aerocruz may be possible. But it may be better to just bite the bullet and get the one we know works and will be supported.
https://avionics-laf.com/products/garmin-gfc500-autopilot-installed

and useful thread below

 

 

[LANCECASPER]

18 hours ago, AJ88V said:

Anybody know what the status of the Trio Pro Pilot is?  

 

[bigmo]

2 hours ago, AJ88V said:

Just for comparison, I’m finding numbers on the order of $20K to install the Garmin GFC-500. 
 

 

The Garmin will be WAY over $20K. If I read your post right, you do not have a G5 (or GI275 right)?

Lafayette has some great baseline pricing published installed (and frankly, I've not had much luck with other shops competing with their prices). He's booked a full year out. His pricing is $28K for the GFC-500 (which will include the G5). Better budget $30K if they run into a snag or two.

 

 

 

[Fysiojohn]

1 hour ago, bigmo said:

The Garmin will be WAY over $20K. If I read your post right, you do not have a G5 (or GI275 right)?

Lafayette has some great baseline pricing published installed (and frankly, I've not had much luck with other shops competing with their prices). He's booked a full year out. His pricing is $28K for the GFC-500 (which will include the G5). Better budget $30K if they run into a snag or two.

 

 

 

As I’m probing the various avionics shops in the area, I am developing second thoughts on the Aerocruz. But then I hear from an A&P IA, who has his installed in his own bird and it functions very well.

getting a modern Autopliot and have 20K less to spend is not a small thing to consider.

[NickG]

2 hours ago, Fysiojohn said:

As I’m probing the various avionics shops in the area, I am developing second thoughts on the Aerocruz. But then I hear from an A&P IA, who has his installed in his own bird and it functions very well.

getting a modern Autopliot and have 20K less to spend is not a small thing to consider.

I can't speak to how it works in a Mooney because my Ovation has a GFC-500 but I had an Aerocruz 100 in my former Cherokee 235.

Worked as advertised. Certified versions have no auto trim feature which is a PIA as it is constantly asking for retrim (you'll figure out how to deal with that after a while). It's OK, not great in moderate turbulence - making sure your ball in centered helps a lot. Even though it's not cetified for coupled approaches, it flies them just fine. Please note, this AP will only work on GPS (internal), GPSS (external) Track Mode (which uses its internal GPS for ground track) or heading more (provided its connected to G5 or similar). It will not fly ILS, LOC etc. GPSS roll steering works well.

If you're installing an EFIS that it supports (make sure that its supported..) then you will need to add an A-B switch for input so you can fly heading mode and also use the Efis Baro setting, otherwise the only way to set Baro in the unit is to manually dial in you altitude, which can be challenging in turbulence and a PIA if you are getting a lot of Baro changes.

Here are a couple of review videos that are helpful: 

 

 

[Fysiojohn]

7 hours ago, NickG said:

I can't speak to how it works in a Mooney because my Ovation has a GFC-500 but I had an Aerocruz 100 in my former Cherokee 235.

Worked as advertised. Certified versions have no auto trim feature which is a PIA as it is constantly asking for retrim (you'll figure out how to deal with that after a while). It's OK, not great in moderate turbulence - making sure your ball in centered helps a lot. Even though it's not cetified for coupled approaches, it flies them just fine. Please note, this AP will only work on GPS (internal), GPSS (external) Track Mode (which uses its internal GPS for ground track) or heading more (provided its connected to G5 or similar). It will not fly ILS, LOC etc. GPSS roll steering works well.

If you're installing an EFIS that it supports (make sure that its supported..) then you will need to add an A-B switch for input so you can fly heading mode and also use the Efis Baro setting, otherwise the only way to set Baro in the unit is to manually dial in you altitude, which can be challenging in turbulence and a PIA if you are getting a lot of Baro changes.

Here are a couple of review videos that are helpful: 

 

 

Thanks for the info. I have of course seen just about every video on youtube, haven't found one that has an aerocruz or trutrak installed in a Mooney though. 

John

[NickG]

Gonna fly the same way and with the same features regardless of which airframe it’s attached to.

[Lionudakis]

On 12/16/2024 at 11:49 AM, Fysiojohn said:

As I’m probing the various avionics shops in the area, I am developing second thoughts on the Aerocruz. But then I hear from an A&P IA, who has his installed in his own bird and it functions very well.

getting a modern Autopliot and have 20K less to spend is not a small thing to consider.

Curious if those shops are all Garmin dealers?  I haven't met one yet that doesn't trash talk every other brand.  I've installed an Aerocruze in a M20J coupled to an Aspen, and it's rock solid.