Autopilot BALT gets deactivated - but not really

Hi,

I em experiancing something in the Open Beta since some time, which I cannot explain. And I cannot remember having that in the release version (2.5.5.???)

a) Sometimes, when activating the barometric altitude keeping autopilot, the two dots don't appear. So it seams it is not active.

b) Other times, when it's active (and there are the two dots) - they disappread suddenly - without me doing anything unusual. When this happens, the plane starts changing altitude. But when that happens and I try to steer, I feel that the Autopilot is still active as I have to steer a lot until it reacts (Or I can deactivate it by button).

I have this quite often. Autopilot on - BALT not marked active, altitude changes anyway.

What is the reason for that, and what can I do to keep autopilot active?

The F18 autopilot is very sensitive to small movements of the stick. If it's not perfectly centred it will kick the AP off or prevent it from fully engaging (i.e. getting the dots). Depending on your controller you may need to add a small dead zone at centre to get it to catch.

Also, by pressing the ON/OFF button after the AP button on the UFC (not pressing one of the mode buttons) or when AP kicks off due to a small movement it goes into more a "damping mode" (forget what it's actually called) that isn't full AP, but also isn't fully free stick. You need to either do a more aggressive movement or use the AP disengage button (whatever you have it set to) to completely disengage the AP.

Also, by pressing the ON/OFF button after the AP button on the UFC (not pressing one of the mode buttons) or when AP kicks off due to a small movement it goes into more a "damping mode" (forget what it's actually called) that isn't full AP, but also isn't fully free stick. You need to either do a more aggressive movement or use the AP disengage button (whatever you have it set to) to completely disengage the AP.

Yep, IIRC the mode is called 'Control Stick Steering'.

I've uploaded a video that shows the issue

as you can see in the controls view (bottom left) at some point I am making a lot of movings, but the plane does not react (as if autopilot is on). But the altitude is not kept in the same moment.

Then, when suddenly the plane moves, I pressed the button to disable it on my hotas.

I've uploaded a video that shows the issue

 

 

as you can see in the controls view (bottom left) at some point I am making a lot of movings, but the plane does not react (as if autopilot is on). But the altitude is not kept in the same moment.

Then, when suddenly the plane moves, I pressed the button to disable it on my hotas.

That's what the replies say.

btw U can use this behaviour with AAR.

Look at the messages on your LDDI, When you press BALT on the UFC, the message "BALT" is displayed on the LDDI. When you either press the BALT UFC button again, or you move the stick, Barometric Altitude Hold mode disengages and the autopilot reverts to what mu110 identifies as CSS (Control Stick Steering).

Look at your LDDI again, the airplane shows this with the "A/P" message.

In your video all autopilot messages clear (autopilot disconnect) at :26 and :45.

..when AP kicks off due to a small movement it goes into more a "damping mode" (forget what it's actually called) that isn't full AP, but also isn't fully free stick..

Ah now I understand. So it's kind of mode, where my stick movements are ignored, but also the AP is not active. Is this good for anything? Any situation?

@ randomTOTENI now also see it on the DDI.

This was a quite unexpected behaviour for me. Thanks for your clearifications! :thumbup: