Guess the title of the post tells it all. Any comments? Thanks, JImChuk
The Lightest Autopilot for Light-Sport & Experimental Aircraft – aircraftautomation
Guess the title of the post tells it all. Any comments? Thanks, JImChuk
The Lightest Autopilot for Light-Sport & Experimental Aircraft – aircraftautomation
Garmin AP head and two servos cost $300 more?
Eddie Forward
Flying
SS7, 912iS, Garmin G3X
John Brannen
Morris, IL
Sonerai IIL (Single Seat)
Kitfox 3/4 1050 - Rotax 582 (Back Flying and sold)
Kitfox IV 1050 - Rotax 582 (sold)
Kitfox IV 1200 Speedster - Rotax 912 UL (rebuilt and now flying)
Piper Twin Comanche (Sold)
Glasair 1 FT (Waiting to start)
The SuperECO system might difficult to use on a Kitfox since it uses aileron-mounted trim tabs, and our flaperons are both delicate and physically separated from the wing. Maybe one of them could be installed on the lower wing surface instead, but it looks like a sketchy proposition on a fabric covered airplane. If it were installed on the wing, how would it affect the flaperon? Would you be able to let go of the stick?
Then there's the flutter/balance problem. From their website: "To avoid flutter, you must rebalance your aileron, elevator, and rudder after installing your trim tabs."
On the positive side of the ledger, its yaw damper automatically maintains coordinated flight when engaged and works as a manually adjustable rudder trim when disengaged. That would be pretty useful on any taildragger.
Eric Page
Building: Kitfox 5 Safari | Rotax 912iS | Dynon HDX
Member: EAA Lifetime, AOPA, ALPA
ATP: AMEL | Comm: ASEL, Glider | ATCS: CTO
Map of Landings
I was talking to the owner of the company yesterday, and he said that some one with a Kitfox was just installing one and might be flying it this weekend. He said he would let me know how it worked out. I asked him about installing tabs on the wings, just outboard of the flaperons instead of on the flaperons. On the full length wings, there is about 18" of bare wing there. I sent him pictures of my Kitfox, and may have got him thinking. Even if one put a tab on both wings, would it give enough push up and down? I'm not sure. It would make it easy to run wires through the rear spar. JImChuk
Several years ago I developed my own autopilot system using R/C servos. My system was based on technology available in the mid 90's. It uses track deviation to control direction and GPS altitude for pitch. I have approximately 1700 hours using these servos with only one failure in that time. I have both a Model 2 and Model 5 Kitfox, with 3 axis autopilot and trim. My system works great but is slow to react in turbulence. I have attached photos of my flaperon installation. I use one on each aileron with no flutter problems, tested to in excess of vne.
IMG_2955.jpgIMG_2956.jpg
Last edited by kitfoxjim; 12-29-2022 at 12:17 PM.
Jim Corner
KF2 582 1150 hrs
KF5 O-360 1150 hrs
Wow, very cool, Jim. I'm glad to be proven wrong by ingenuity that clever!
Eric Page
Building: Kitfox 5 Safari | Rotax 912iS | Dynon HDX
Member: EAA Lifetime, AOPA, ALPA
ATP: AMEL | Comm: ASEL, Glider | ATCS: CTO
Map of Landings
Thanks for the response with the home built autopilot. What I had in mind was maybe a tab on each wing just past the flaperon, perhaps 2" or 3" wide and about 18" long. That would have taken care of any issues of dealing with the flaperon, and would have been real easy to run the wires to the servo. Then the question comes up, is the servo strong enough to move that much tab, the one on the supereco ap is only about 2" x maybe 12" long. Then if one goes with a stronger servo, does the sepereco supply enough power to operate it? Lots of questions for sure. Another question I would have is can you make up another autopilot like you have on your kitfoxes :-) ? It's all very interesting, even if just for something to get the brain working. And sometimes, that's how great ideas come about as well. JImChuk
Hi Jim:
I see perhaps 2 problems with what you propose, the first would be the integrity of the trailing edge to support the tab load. Second, attached to the wing itself the servo would be under continuous load which would decrease expected servo life. Mounted on the flaperon I don't think there is the same continuous load as the control surface becomes aerodynamically balanced. No question in my mind that there are R/C servos equal to the load but the Supereco supply might not support that continuous load. I have been in contact with Supereco and will likely upgrade to their system. Wiring to the servo on the flaperon can be accomplished by taping the servo wires to the trailing edge or bottom of the lift strut.
Jim Corner
KF2 582 1150 hrs
KF5 O-360 1150 hrs
Thanks for the replies Jim. Nice to get other opinions to balance one's own. As far as the trailing edge of the wing supporting the trim tab, I was thinking of a bearing on the last flaperon hangar, and a bracket that would fasten to the outboard rib for the other end of the trim tab. Thought about using ball bearings such as are used on router bits. They can be found with 1/2" or 3/8" OD, and 1/4" or 3/16" ID. And they should last forever. I watched Cory Robin's video about using the Supereco AP and it seemed like the tab was constantly in motion. I wondered how long the piano hinge would last. Maybe that wasn't that big of a concern, but it was one of my first reactions. JImChuk