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Trio Avionics / Trutrak autopilot - possible FAA STC (but no EASA STC) & no ILS no HDG no pitch trim

It has popped up on a US site that Trio Avionics are interested in talking to owners regarding getting enough together to get something certified.

They seem to be one of the players in the homebuilt marketplace, as one can see from the construction of the servos:

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Seems like a desperate move to stay alive. Garmin, MGL, Dynon and GRT integrated systems are what all new aircraft have, and older ones are upgraded to.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

similar to Trutrak

Trutrak has the advantage of an autotrim possibility as well as a yaw damper. But none of Trio of the Trutrak viZion is able to shoot an ILS. Only LPV. Trutrak has an autopilot that is ILS capable, the Sorcerer, but no plans for an STC at this time.

But it is clear that the day that Garmin and Dynon will want to enable the autopilot with their STC for the G5X and D10A, you will see a full integrated solution with an EFIS. And that will really add value in terms of automation (e.g. EFIS bugs tracking…).

Belgium

I would love a certified $3000 autopilot!

Tököl LHTL

Good people at Trio. I have no direct experience but in my area Trio is the most widely used AP on RVs etc.

ploucandco wrote:

But it is clear that the day that Garmin and Dynon will want to enable the autopilot with their STC for the G5X and D10A, you will see a full integrated solution with an EFIS

https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/eaa-news-and-aviation-news/news/11-30-2016-new-autopilot-stc-project-follows-eaas-lead

EAA is working on that apparently.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

This is great news!

Having played around with these modern experimental autopilots a little, they are all a huge improvement on the “pre-digital” setups. The control loop parameters can easily be tuned in a single test flight without any kind of undue skill, so there’s no need to have a certified set of parameters – just establish them as part of each individual installation. Hopefully the paperwork for certification reflects that.

EGEO

And here is one about Trutrak

However if you read the above, it isn’t actually certified. It just talks about a process which may lead to certification….

The control loop parameters can easily be tuned in a single test flight without any kind of undue skill, so there’s no need to have a certified set of parameters – just establish them as part of each individual installation. Hopefully the paperwork for certification reflects that.

I am really certain that any certified version will be preset for a given aircraft. That is how all certified autopilots have been done (even fully digital-loop ones, KFC225 onwards). The STC owner is supposed to flight test the system all around the envelope, both speed and loading.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

http://www.flyingmag.com/eaa-earns-stc-for-trutrak-autopilot

It really sounds as if the FAA is letting non-TSO’s autopilots into certified aircraft based on a “risk based approval PMA process.” That is just great. It is both safety enhancing (letting new technology into old aircraft) and should lead to huge cost reductions. I suppose enough “beta testing” has been done by the experimental fleet. Any chance of this being allowed in EASA land? (That is a serious, not rhetorical question.)

Last Edited by WhiskeyPapa at 22 Apr 17:27
Tököl LHTL
74 Posts
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