The bit I don’t get is how the FAA could possibly have been test flying this product, when
You may as well get the FAA to approve some window polish.
Technically, however, this type of autopilot can be every bit as good as any other autopilot. All the “proper” ones do is use servos to drive bridle cables below the floor which move the control surfaces. This one does the same job, same mechanical linkage, but higher up the chain. It has to cope with a bit more play and hysteresis, so will suffer more if you have worn out gimbal joints. As to capability e.g. LPV, GPSS, whatever, that is all in the autopilot computer. And it needs the same flight testing to determine stability margins.
The PortaPilot may be clicked in, but it also snapped out quickly. Once out, you have the servo carrier in hand, so no interference. Personally I would rather have the servos in my hand than hidden under floorboards. Cessna pilots have been flying with it for years now. Seems to me that it is mainly sold to professional pilots. I’m assuming these pilots are more confident and comfortable with new technology. You can’t beat a $2k autopilot that you can start flying with in minutes out of the box. Can’t think of any other autopilot you can return for refund if you are not happy with it.
