Couldn't help myself. This post was so positive, I want to save it. Forever.
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Cirrus repair guy & test pilot:
"Ok... I keep my head down and try to do certification work. I do first flights on new experimental stuff. Xxx Xxx is our production test pilot and does most of our routine return to service flights. He is really good. Masters Mechanical Engineering, Rice. Former NASA engineer. Lots of flight experience.
But he is on vacation !
So . . . I get to pitch in and do some flying.
First aircraft up that needs a "return to service" flight is a Cirrus. Here at TAT for some wastegate work and some tweaks.
goes out and straps in and about half way to the runup area notices the DFC90.
Neat! I had never flown one. And, I had never read the manual. But, I don't need the AP for this trip.
So off we go.
About 1000 AGL I get bored. Decided to try the new auto pilot.
Played with it all the way to 17,500 feet and back down - - and around a few times.
Here is the deal: I get to try out lots of neat new stuff.
My reaction to a lot of it is - - "OK" . "That's nice."
But this was different. This autopilot was so obviously superior to the one it replaced - - and so obviously superior in so many ways - - that I was seriously impressed.
It was intuitive. Several of the enhancements are so transparent to the pilot that they fit like an old soft glove.
There are clear and obvious safety benefits in some of the features. Real ones. Not just talking points.
I kept having a conversation with myself. "How on earth could S-tec have failed to upgrade their hardware - - and left the door so wide open for someone like Avidyne to walk in with a vastly superior product? "
In the grand scheme of upgrades available for your Avidyne Cirrus - - this is one you need to move up your priority list.
I do not "want" much for our Cirrus. But this I do "want."
Regards, xxxx
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Next guy:
I couldn't agree more. I have been absolutely thrilled with my DFC90, not only from the operational aspects you noted but also because it solved several problems that I thought were due to other stuff in the airplane. For example, when I used to de-couple my S-Tec I had to grip the controls tightly because it was often way out of (pitch) trim and would "jump" when it was disengaged. I thought it was due to the limit switches on the servo being out of adjustment, but just by installing the DFC90 this problem was GONE. I also used to get porpoising in some conditions when I had the S-TEc and it was GONE when I installed the DFC90.
You didn't mention doing an approach with it, but shortly after I got mine I tried it on a GPS approach with a T intercept where I had 50 knots of crosswind going into the turn. The S-Tec in these conditions would have put me in the next state (or not, since it was placarded as incapable of such a crosswind), but I let the DFC90 fly that 90-degree intercept and it friggin' NAILED it. I was amazed. With the S-Tec, I hand-flew 3 out of 4 approaches because I got fed up with what it was doing, but with the DFC90 it is the opposite; I let it fly 3 out of 4, and I only hand fly some because I enjoy it and I like to stay proficient, not because I have to to avoid screaming at the AP like I did with the S-Tec.
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Cirrus repair guy & test pilot:
"Ok... I keep my head down and try to do certification work. I do first flights on new experimental stuff. Xxx Xxx is our production test pilot and does most of our routine return to service flights. He is really good. Masters Mechanical Engineering, Rice. Former NASA engineer. Lots of flight experience.
But he is on vacation !
So . . . I get to pitch in and do some flying.
First aircraft up that needs a "return to service" flight is a Cirrus. Here at TAT for some wastegate work and some tweaks.
Neat! I had never flown one. And, I had never read the manual. But, I don't need the AP for this trip.
So off we go.
About 1000 AGL I get bored. Decided to try the new auto pilot.
Played with it all the way to 17,500 feet and back down - - and around a few times.
Here is the deal: I get to try out lots of neat new stuff.
My reaction to a lot of it is - - "OK" . "That's nice."
But this was different. This autopilot was so obviously superior to the one it replaced - - and so obviously superior in so many ways - - that I was seriously impressed.
It was intuitive. Several of the enhancements are so transparent to the pilot that they fit like an old soft glove.
There are clear and obvious safety benefits in some of the features. Real ones. Not just talking points.
I kept having a conversation with myself. "How on earth could S-tec have failed to upgrade their hardware - - and left the door so wide open for someone like Avidyne to walk in with a vastly superior product? "
In the grand scheme of upgrades available for your Avidyne Cirrus - - this is one you need to move up your priority list.
I do not "want" much for our Cirrus. But this I do "want."
Regards, xxxx
-----------------------------
Next guy:
I couldn't agree more. I have been absolutely thrilled with my DFC90, not only from the operational aspects you noted but also because it solved several problems that I thought were due to other stuff in the airplane. For example, when I used to de-couple my S-Tec I had to grip the controls tightly because it was often way out of (pitch) trim and would "jump" when it was disengaged. I thought it was due to the limit switches on the servo being out of adjustment, but just by installing the DFC90 this problem was GONE. I also used to get porpoising in some conditions when I had the S-TEc and it was GONE when I installed the DFC90.
You didn't mention doing an approach with it, but shortly after I got mine I tried it on a GPS approach with a T intercept where I had 50 knots of crosswind going into the turn. The S-Tec in these conditions would have put me in the next state (or not, since it was placarded as incapable of such a crosswind), but I let the DFC90 fly that 90-degree intercept and it friggin' NAILED it. I was amazed. With the S-Tec, I hand-flew 3 out of 4 approaches because I got fed up with what it was doing, but with the DFC90 it is the opposite; I let it fly 3 out of 4, and I only hand fly some because I enjoy it and I like to stay proficient, not because I have to to avoid screaming at the AP like I did with the S-Tec.
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