Autopilot Pireps

[Jack Sanford]

I am considering ordering a Carbon Cub with the TruTrack autopilot. Before doing so, any and all pireps would be most appreciated. Are there any other autopilot options besides TruTrack?

Many thanks.

[seastar]

I have the first Carbon Cub with a factory installed TruTrack autopilot (SN 124)
It has never worked satisfactorly since new.
I have tried everything the TruTrack factory has suggested including installing a completely new unit that they supplied.
Don't waste your money!

[Walter]

What doesn't it do correctly and which model? I'm a past TruTrak owner and found that they work incredibly well albeit on a completely different airplane type. I plan on installing one in my CCEX as well.

[seastar]

I have a Digiflight II VS. The flat version.
As I said the first unit installed at the Cubcrafters factory was inoperative fron the time it was delivered.
It would hunt 15 to 20 degrees in heading and after several hours of tweaking the settings, working with the TruTrack factory, they replaced the unit. They said that they discovered that the hardware settings were not suitable for a CarbonCub.

The second controller I installed in the same mounting location. That unit was set up according to the TruTrack factory and worked sort of ok in heading. Again after several hours of tweaking the heading hold became pretty good. There is a 20 degree difference in heading readout between the autopilot and the Dynon display on some headings.
In altitude the unit will hunt several hundred feet if there is any turbulence or thermals.
I have spent hours with the factory's advice trying to solve the problem. No amount of adjustment has worked.
Additionally if there is any turbulence the unit will often drop off line.
It also constantly asks for trim adjustment.
In still air the unit will hold heading, track the GPS, and hold altitude within about 100 feet.
Any turbulence or thermal activity and the altitude hold goes to hell.
Sometimes the unit will put the airplane into a dive that approaches redline.

My unit was mounted under the panel in the center in a flimsy bracket.
In that location the unit dims it's display each time you move your hand to it to change a heading or altitude setting.
I dims so much that the display disappears. The unit does not have a provision to turn off this function. This dimming makes setting heading or climb/descent very difficult. I have to guess at the setting, move my hand so that the display comes back and then make another guess with no display and so on.
Very frustrating.

I rarely turn the unit on and then only in still air.
I think the CarbonCub is so lightly wing loaded that the TruTrack autopilot cannot react quickly enough to hold altitude. Maybe it's because the CarbonCub does not have a static system and uses air pressure under the panel.
As I said, the heading and GPS tracking is OK, not great but OK.

When I bought the airplane I asked about the Dynon autopilot but it was not available.

Make up your own mind but I would ask for a money back guarantee if you buy one and be prepared to spend many hours tweaking the unit.

[Clay Hammond]

I've picked up two from the factory with A/P installed. One on wheels and the other on floats. Both worked as advertised. I had no qualms with their performance. I fly aircraft with King, S-tec, Megitt and Garmin autopilots regularly. The Tru-Track installation in the CC Cubs works like you would expect. What is stated before is true...in an aircraft with a light wing loading like this, every little puff of wind is going to move you around no matter what.

[Pete D]

I rarely turn the unit on and then only in still air.
I think the CarbonCub is so lightly wing loaded that the TruTrack autopilot cannot react quickly enough to hold altitude. Maybe it's because the CarbonCub does not have a static system and uses air pressure under the panel.
As I said, the heading and GPS tracking is OK, not great but OK.

Do you power up the unit when stationary on the ground? I'm sure you know this from working with TruTrak, but the a/c needs to be stationary on the ground while the control head boots up. Something like 15-20 seconds. If the a/c is moving while it is powering up it will do all kinds of odd things in the air.

[James B]

I have a TruTrack factory installed autopilot in my Sport Cub (SN 099) and it works great. I love it! Also, I can power up in flight and it works fine.

[seastar]

Pete
I know to let the unit boot while stationary. That's the same as the avionics in my CitationJet.

James
I was told that mine was the first Installed by the factory but you have a lower serial number airplane.
How is that possible ?

All
I'm happy for all of you that have working units, however, mine is a piece of Cr&P!

Maybe TruTrack provided more powerful servos in later airplanes. They are certainly aware of my problems.
To their credit they have offered to service my unit if I would fly to the factory.
I have not made that trip and probably will not.
The CC is not a very good cross country airplane for us old geezers LOL!

[seastar]

Just to add another note to this thread---
My CC (SN124)has probably had more problems than any other airplane built by CubCrafters.
That tends to affect my view of everything about the airplane.
However, my TruTrack Autopilot really doesn't work very well.

Cubcrafters has been responsive to my other problems but like all aircraft manufacturers they don't have a lot of knowledge about autopilots so I have not involved them in my search for a solution.
Another part of the problem is that there is NO field service for CC or TruTrack products, anywhere.
I did not expect any local service when I bought the airplane but when you have a problem and are a thousand miles from the factory it's frustrating.

I have owned 17 airplanes in my life and all but two have had autopilots, all kinds, so I know what to expect.
As I said, MINE only works in STILL AIR. Then it is OK.

[Clay Hammond]

Another part of the problem is that there is NO field service for CC or TruTrack products, anywhere.

I don't believe this is true. For CC field service there are a number of factory identified specialists scattered around the country and recognized as Service Centers. I know this because my dad is one of them...located in Atlanta. He's done SPORT CUB and Carbon Cub maintenance and repair now since 2006 with an oil pressure line repair on s/n 003. Two Carbon Cubs in the shop right now getting new wings. All this is to say that the folks are out there... If you go to the Service Center page on the CC Website it lists BMG Aviation in Bloomington.

Indiana

BMG Aviation, Inc.
984 South Kirby Road
Bloomington, IN 47403
Phone: 888.457.3787
Email: info@bmgaviation.com
Website: www.bmgaviation.com



For the autopilot you should really consider contacting Tru-Trak and seeing if you can take the airplane down to Springdale. I've stopped in there before to replace a bracket for the pitch servo and they rolled the plane right in to their hangar and took care of it. Went to lunch with Mr. Younkin and his wife along with some of his staff. They stand by their products and its a family run operation.