TruTrak Pictorial Pilot User Manual
Installation & User Guide
8300-011 Rev B
For
Pictorial Pilot
TRUTRAK FLIGHT SYSTEMS
1500 S. Old Missouri Road
Springdale, AR 72764
Ph. 479-751-0250 Fax 479-751-3397
www.trutrakflightsystems.com
INSTALLATION MANUAL
for
Pictorial Pilot
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Power Up ......................................................................................................................................................................1
Basic Operation ............................................................................................................................................................1
Nav Mode Operation ....................................................................................................................................................1
Mechanical Considerations........................................................................................................................................... 2
Magnetic Considerations ..............................................................................................................................................2
RFI / EMI Considerations............................................................................................................................................. 3
Pictorial Pilot 2” cutout.................................................................................................................................................3
Pictorial Pilot 3” cutout.................................................................................................................................................4
GPS Setup Guide ..........................................................................................................................................................5
Portable GPS .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Panel mount GPS ....................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Definitions ..................................................................................................................................................................10
Pictorial Pilot Settings ................................................................................................................................................10
Ground Checkout........................................................................................................................................................11
First Flight ..................................................................................................................................................................13
Manual Gyro Set operation.........................................................................................................................................13
Magnetic Calibration ..................................................................................................................................................14
Electrical Pin-out ........................................................................................................................................................15
Pictorial Pilot Wiring Diagram ...................................................................................................................................16
Pictorial Pilot Block Diagram..................................................................................................................................... 16
Revision Date Description Page #
A 1/1/2008 Initial Release
B 12/07/2009 Updated Warranty information 17
Power Up
NOTE: When powering up the autopilot ensure that the aircraft is as still as possible
for 10 seconds.
The power up of the autopilot takes approximately ten seconds. During the power cycle it is very important that the aircraft be
as still as possible for the initialization of the internal gyro. While the autopilot is in the power up the display will show three
flashing
valid GPS signal present the display will show three non-flashing
(“–”) characters. If there is a GPS signal present the display will now change to read (“OFF”). If there is not a
(“–”) characters.
Basic Operation
If a valid GPS signal is present, and the autopilot is not engaged the display of the autopilot is a digital DG displaying a
gyroscopically smoothened GPS track. Once the aircraft is off the ground and at a safe altitude, the autopilot can be engaged.
There are two ways to engage the autopilot. Clicking the knob will engage the autopilot and the “AP” light will light up. If a
GPS signal is present, the autopilot will display the ground track before being engaged and will now hold the track. If there is
no GPS signal the display will show
way to engage the autopilot is with the Control-Wheel Switch, pushing and holding the control wheel switch for approximately
1-1/2 seconds and releasing will engage the autopilot and the “AP” light will light up.
“–| – |–” and will be in “heading hold” mode instead of track hold mode. The second
Changing the selected track can be done two different ways. One way in which the track can be changed is to rotate the knob.
Each detent will be a one-degree change in selected track. If the knob is pushed in and rotated each detent will be a 5 degree
change in selected track. If there is no GPS signal present rotating the knob will change the heading by approximately onedegree per detent, pushing in and turning will result in approximately 5 degrees per detent. The other way to change the
selected track is with the Control-Wheel Switch. Pushing and holding the Control-Wheel Switch will disengage the servo and
the display on the autopilot will be a Digital DG .While holding the Control-Wheel Switch, fly the aircraft manually to the
desired track using the Digital DG display as a reference. Upon release of the Control-Wheel Switch, the servo will re-engage
and the autopilot will now fly the new selected track. If there is no GPS signal present the Digital DG will not be displayed.
Disengaging the autopilot can be done in two different ways. Pressing and holding the knob for approximately 1-1/2 seconds
will disengage the autopilot. The second way to disengage the autopilot is with the Control-Wheel Switch. Momentarily
pushing and releasing the Control-Wheel Switch will disengage the autopilot.
Nav Mode Operation
When there is a flight plan present in the GPS the autopilot can follow the programmed flight plan. To enter the Nav Mode,
click the knob and the “NAV” light will light up. (Take care not to hold the knob for more than 1-1/2 seconds or the autopilot
will disengage.) The autopilot display will now once again become a Digital DG, showing the current ground track. The
Pictorial Pilot will intercept the Nav track at about a 45 degree angle. Clicking or rotating the knob on the autopilot will exit
the Nav Mode. When on course, 1 or 2-degree excursions are normal. When the end of the flight plan is reached or the flight
plan is cancelled on the GPS unit, the autopilot will continue flying the track it was flying when the flight plan ended. If the
flight plan has multiple waypoints, the autopilot will make the necessary turn at each waypoint. Because, typically, the
information from the GPS to the autopilot does not change until the waypoint is crossed, the autopilot will over-fly the
waypoint, and then will fly back to intercept the new course line. Some GPS units have a “turn anticipation” feature, and if
this feature is enabled on the GPS the autopilot may turn prior to reaching a given waypoint.
TruTrak Flight Systems Pictorial Pilot Installation & User Guide
December 2009 1 8300-011 Rev B
Mechanical Considerations
The installation information in this section is extremely important and must be clearly
understood by the installer. Improper servo installation or failure to observe and diagnose
installation problems prior to flight can result in extremely serious consequences, including
loss of ability to control the aircraft. If there are any questions on the part of the installer it
is mandatory to resolve these questions prior to flight of the aircraft.
Most modern experimental aircraft use push-pull tubes to drive the primary controls. These tubes generally have a total travel
of 3” or less; therefore, it is best to connect the autopilot servo to the primary control by the same method. This connection
consists of an arm on the servo connected by a push-pull rod to the primary control. Rod-end bearings are required on each
end of the push-pull rod.
The servo arm must not rotate even near to the point called OVER CENTER, the point at which the primary
aircraft control would lock up. Some aircrafts mechanical primary control installations will not allow this to
occur and do not need the servo stops.
This is a condition that would result from the servo being back driven when the pilot operates the controls, or
from the servo itself driving the controls to a stop. To protect against this mechanical stops are supplied with the
servos. These stops are drilled so that they can be mounted at different angles as required (18° intervals).
In addition to the proper use of the stop it is important to know the amount of travel on the primary control that
the servo can handle. With the push rod connected to the outermost hole (1 ½”) the travel on the primary cannot
exceed 2 ½”, the intermediate hole 2 1/16”, and the inner hole 1 5/8”.
It is important to note that the servo travel should be very nearly the same in both directions. In most cases this
means that the servo arm needs to be perpendicular to the push rod but there are exceptions such as the RV-4 and
RV-8 installations.
There will be installations in which space does not permit the use of the stop. When this is done the aircraft’s primary control
stops must be positive and care must be taken to be sure that the servo drives the push rod the same distance in both directions,
and that the travel limits of the servo arm are not exceeded.
There are installations in which the travel of the push-pull tube exceeds the allowable 2 ½”. For such installations, the drive
can be applied to a bell crank at a radius point that moves the desired 2 ½” of maximum allowed travel in the outermost hole of
the arm.
When there is no way to have a drive point of less than 2 ½” or when the primary control is cable-driven it is necessary to use
the capstan-cable servo drive. When this is done the servo should be mounted so that the 1/16” diameter cable which wraps
around the capstan when extended parallel to the primary cable is approximately 3/16” from the primary cable. If the primary
control travel does not exceed 5” the cable-locking pin will be 180° away from the point at which the cable leaves the capstan.
When the primary control is at the neutral point this means the total cable wrap around the capstan is 360°. If the primary
control travel is greater than 5” the cable wrap is 720°and the pin is adjacent to the output point when the primary control is at
the neutral point.
The cable clamps when properly installed will not slip and thus get loose, but it is desirable to nicopress or swedge a fitting on
to the cable so as to provide added assurance that the cable will not become slack. If the bridle cable is not sufficiently tight
there will be lost motion in the autopilot drive, this will result in hunting (oscillation).
Magnetic Considerations
Because the autopilot contains a built-in magnetometer for a backup source of heading in the event of GPS loss, it is important
to try to locate the programmer away from known sources of magnetic disturbance. The calibration procedure can account for a
moderate amount of fixed disturbance (for example, nearby iron objects) but it cannot adjust for changing magnetic fields such
as would be generated by aircraft compasses or certain electrical devices. One such source of such problems is the “Flag”
mechanism in some older DG or HSI devices. These units use a solenoid to hold the flag out of sight, and the magnetic field
will then change when the flags come and go. If at all possible, place the autopilot so as to be as far as possible from such
devices. A hand-held compass can be used to assist in finding fixed or variable disturbances prior to installation of the
Autopilot. Even a few inches can make an appreciable difference in the magnetic disturbance level. It should be noted also that
strobe light controls, landing lights, navigation lighting, pitot heat, generate very strong currents in their wiring, thus they will
TruTrak Flight Systems Pictorial Pilot Installation & User Guide
December 2009 2 8300-011 Rev B
create a periodically pulsating magnetic field disturbance. Shielding has no effect on this problem; the only solution is to keep
strobe light wiring as far away as possible from any electronics which can be affected by pulsating magnetic fields.
RFI/EMI considerations
The autopilot programmer is shielded and does not generate any appreciable level of electromagnetic interference. Moreover,
the servo lines (except for power and ground) are low-current and cannot contribute to RF interference. The servo power and
ground lines do have switching currents through them, but so long as there are no parallel runs of servo power and ground lines
with such things as poorly-shielded antenna lines or strobe light power lines, there is no need to shield the servo harnesses.
The autopilot itself has been internally protected from RF interference and has been tested under fairly extreme conditions,
such as close proximity to transmitting antennas. However, it is always good practice to insure that such antennas are properly
shielded and not routed directly over or under sensitive panel-mounted electronic equipment. Most problems in this area are the
result of improper RF shielding on transmitting antennas, microphone cables, and the like. The most sensitive input to the
autopilot is the Control Wheel Switch input. This line should not be routed in parallel with transmitting antennas or other
sources of known RF interference. If necessary, it can be shielded with the shield connection to pin 8 of the autopilot
connector.
Pictorial Pilot 2” cutout
TruTrak Flight Systems Pictorial Pilot Installation & User Guide
December 2009 3 8300-011 Rev B
Pictorial Pilot 3” cutout
TruTrak Flight Systems Pictorial Pilot Installation & User Guide
December 2009 4 8300-011 Rev B
Loading...