DH.104 Dove & Devon - DH Dove autopilot

DH Dove autopilot

Printed From: Just Flight Forum
Category: Just Flight Products
Forum Name: DH.104 Dove & Devon
Forum Description: Discussion area for DH.104 Dove & Devon
URL: http://forum.justflight.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=30584
Printed Date: 23 Apr 2024 at 3:37pm

Topic: DH Dove autopilot

Posted By: andresico
Subject: DH Dove autopilot
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2016 at 8:49am

I bought the Dove/Devon and there´s many things to like about it.

However, the classic autopilot is pretty poor IMHO. Thats no big surprise because Aeroplane Heaven (AH) have never been famous for their autopilots. (just read this and other forums)

The pitch funcion is a pitch malfuncion only. It doesnt work. if you change power settings under a descend, the pitch changes dramatically. (I have read the manual)

Also, and this is another typical AH issue. It would be a LOT easyer to fly the aircraft if there was an autopilot pop-up window. I know there is a classic autopilot view in cycle views, but that is completely unrealistic to use and using the autopilot in the VC is not really possible because many of the buttons are hidden. So PLEASE make a popúp window when/if a new service pack is made

I know about the standard radio/autopilot pop-up window, but I like flying classic and that window totally kills inmersion. Making a popup of the classic autopilot should be small stuff and fixing the pitch funscion would be great.

Finally, how do I make a ticket to Just flight. I end up getting lost in their costumer service page.

Replies:

Posted By: kevinh
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2016 at 1:56pm

I agree the autopilot is very weak in pitch. Just Flight will probably say it's an old aircraft and it's meant to be this way but that makes no sense. Old autopilots were properly functional, just having very limited features.

As for raising a ticket, from the customer service page

Under Patches and Updates click "Service packs, fixes and updates"

Select the product, then on the page that opens click on "Didn't find the answer you were looking for"

Kevin

Posted By: andresico
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2016 at 9:13am

Hi, thanks for your help.

I have sent a ticket now and will come back here if I get an answer.

Posted By: andresico
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2016 at 9:43am

Well, I did get a kind answer from JF shorthly after submitting the ticket. They have send it further on to AH.

meanwhile, I have tried the pitch funcion in both the popup radios and also in the modern Dove.
Its the same. The pitch funcion is totally unuseable.
I think its pathetic but at the same time no surprise. AH has a long story of making poor autopilots and JF has a long story of poor beta testing.

At least the Dove/Devon is not really an autopilot aircraft and I could imagine that most never had an autopilot installed. It also flies very nice and trims well, so the problem is small.

Posted By: snave
Date Posted: 29 Jun 2016 at 5:46pm

Small, yes, but still a problem - the pop-up is no solution as I've had numerous instances of the Shift+1 default a/p `fighting` with the VC versions under all variants - including the modern panel. In many ways it replicates the AH issues with Tecnam P2006T twin which was never adequately resolved.

With the Canberra continuing to receive updates it would be useful if JF would confirm continued support for this model to at least make it partially replicate the function of the real thing. We've only ever had a single Service Pack for this aircraft.

While they're at it perhaps the cockpit lighting could be reviewed as the simplistic `on/off` function is not representative of the real aircraft - but more importantly the absence of gradated lighting is a real pain when using the HDR function in P3Dv3. The current lighting leaves too many dark spots in the VC and there is no option for white lighting in the glareshield for startup and preflight checks. Yes, one can turn off the HDR for night flying, but why should we have to?

Despite this I find the Dove(s) to be far more of a `go-to` GA twin than any of the Yank options from the likes of Carenado/Alabeo, although their cockpit and external graphics really are in a class of their own - I still have a persistent `fuzziness` with the Dove no matter the combination of AA, mipmapping, resolution and monitor/graphic card settings, but I regard it as more of a `feature` than a failing.

Just think that there's a ha'porth of tar left in this ship, yet...