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Autopilot: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Autopilot.jpg|thumb|270px|The autopilot setting dialog of FlightGear.]] | [[Image:Autopilot.jpg|thumb|270px|The autopilot setting dialog of FlightGear.]] | ||
An [[autopilot]] ('''AP''') is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. Most people understand an autopilot to refer specifically to [[aircraft]], but self-steering gear for ships, boats, space craft and missiles is | An [[autopilot]] ('''AP''') is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. Most people understand an autopilot to refer specifically to [[aircraft]], but self-steering gear for ships, boats, space craft and missiles is often also called by this term. | ||
The autopilot of an aircraft is sometimes referred to as "George". | The autopilot of an aircraft is sometimes referred to as "George". | ||
==Autopilot in FlightGear== | ==Autopilot in FlightGear== | ||
We have | We have a generic one and custom ones written for a certain aircraft, which are supposed to simulate particular autopilot types/models for a specific aircraft. | ||
The generic one can be used for aircraft which don't have a custom autopilot implementation, and seems to work reasonably well on most aircraft using JSBSim. You can enable it with the "Autopilot Settings" which you can open using the F11-key or in the menu bar using the "Autopilot" item. | |||
In real life, aircraft have specifically-programmed/customized autopilot system to cater for individual aircraft characteristics. | |||
To a certain extent, Flightgear has the possibility to simulate this as well. | |||
So it is possible to write a custom autopilot.xml to override the generic autopilot implementation. | |||
This custom autopilot configuration file can be driven by either the standard autopilot dialog, custom cockpit panel hotspots or a combination of both. | |||
Also, it is possible to provide enhanced or completely new implementations of the standard autopilot dialog to cater for autopilot-specific features. | |||
Some aircraft in FlightGear however only provide one means of interacting with the autopilot (i.e. autopilot dialog '''or''' panel hotspots). | |||
For example, the SenecaII and the Piper Comanche Autopilots can be only used from the virtual cockpit using custom panel hotspots. This is in fact increasingly the case, as new emulations of autopilot systems are implemented using the built-in scripting language [[Nasal]] which provides for much more flexible system design and functionality, compared to the relatively static way of describing autopilot systems and their relevant and modes using only the XML-configurable autopilot system. In fact, to properly emulate more complex autoflight systems that provide support for more abstract flight modes, using a combination of XML-configurable PID controllers and Nasal is likely to be the most promising approach. | |||
In general, it can be considered to be more complex to provide proper cockpit panel implementations than wiring up the autopilot properties to the standard autopilot GUI dialog, so if an aircraft's autopilot doesn't seem to work properly using cockpit panel hotspots, you may want to try using the standard GUI dialog instead. | |||
Also, please note that not all aircraft/autopilot combinations provide full support for all features offered by the standard autopilot dialog. This may be due to an aircraft's completion status, but also due to technical limitations in certain aircraft/autopilot, so that only certain modes are provided. | |||
This may also apply to aircraft panels, that are seemingly offering functionality that may not yet be implemented. | |||
In addition, JSBSim also features support for a standalone autopilot implementation, that works without any dependency to FlightGear/Nasal. | |||
For further information about programing autopilots in FlightGear look at [http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/XMLAutopilot/ http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/XMLAutopilot/] and [[http://wiki.flightgear.org/flightgear_wiki/index.php?title=Autopilot_Tuning_Resources http://wiki.flightgear.org/flightgear_wiki/index.php?title=Autopilot_Tuning_Resources]] | For further information about programing autopilots in FlightGear look at [http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/XMLAutopilot/ http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/XMLAutopilot/] and [[http://wiki.flightgear.org/flightgear_wiki/index.php?title=Autopilot_Tuning_Resources http://wiki.flightgear.org/flightgear_wiki/index.php?title=Autopilot_Tuning_Resources]] | ||
==Autopilot Settings== | ==Autopilot Settings== | ||
The AP Settings dialog | The AP Settings dialog can be found at '''Autopilot > Autopilot Settings'''. | ||
===Heading control=== | ===Heading control=== | ||
* '''Wings Level''': enable this to keep your plane horizontal- ususally used at Go-Arounds. | * '''Wings Level''': enable this to keep your plane horizontal- ususally used at Go-Arounds. | ||
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==Route manager== | ==Route manager== | ||
The Route Manager in FGFS is something like a very simple FMC- Flight Management Control/ Computer. | The Route Manager in FGFS is something like a very simple FMC- Flight Management Control/ Computer. | ||
In FGFS you can input a list of waypoints like NAVAIDS, Fixes and Airports, which the aircrafts | In FGFS you can input a list of waypoints like NAVAIDS, Fixes and Airports, which the aircrafts flies along. You can also add the altitude which the aircraft should have at acertain waypoint. So it is possible to let the aircraft fly along a certain route. | ||
At the moment, it is not possible to add velocities or other constraints. | |||