My Savannah VG has quite tricky flaps control lever. Flaps 2 needs some force and extra check that the button releasing the level is fully locked, otherwise you might suddenly end with 0 flaps.. which probably won’t kill the occupants, but might damage the airframe.
Flew a Pipistrel Virus some time ago. During the approach to the destination airfield the autopilot engaged itself multiple times, once even in the turn to final. Luckily the AP on that plane is quite weak and can be easily overpowered. It is also not connected to the trim system and thus the airplane can be flown almost normally but in hindsight I should have pulled the AP’s circuit breaker. Only on the on the ground I learned that I mistook the AP disconnect button for the PTT button when the Flugleiter enquired where I suddenly appeared from. Turns out that the AP disconnect button of the factory installed GFC500 in a certified airplane engages the autopilot when pressed for a few seconds.
the AP disconnect button of the factory installed GFC500 in a certified airplane engages the autopilot when pressed for a few seconds.
That’s appalling.
Ist happens actually on button release. This and the knowledge that the experimental version of that AP allows to configure the disconnect button as CWS button makes the software guy in me thinking hmmm, where has this been messed up?
Clipperstorch wrote:
configure the disconnect button as CWS button
That would be acceptable, if CWS is only active with A/P on. However, engaging CWS and A/P with the push of the A/P disconnect switch when the A/P was previously off sounds like a horrible idea.
