Page 26 - February 2022

unit near the center of the instrument panel. It includes both an AI and HSI display as well as a power button, menu button and rotary select knob.
In my opinion, one of the best features of the ThrustSense system is that the potential for PLM (Power
Because of this, I had a concern that when I was using the power levers manually, not using the autothrottle system, they would be too stiff for my taste. I found that not to be the case: they moved quite easily and very similar to the non-modified levers with medium friction.
As I have written in the past, when one or both power levers spring back as the pilot reaches for the landing gear handle after takeoff, the result is usually rather funny: The pilot sees what has happened, pushes the levers back to where they belong, tightens the friction knobs properly and continues the flight. But woe be to the airplane and its occupants if the power lever movement is not observed and the pilot assumes an engine failure. The retardation of the power lever turns off autofeather and the windmilling propeller, usually combined with reduced power on the right engine as well as the left, will see the airplane reaching stall speed quite rapidly when the pilot maintains the +10° pitch he was taught to use in a takeoff engine- loss situation.
With the engines not yet started but with the airplane’s battery and the ISU turned on, the system performs two internal tests. The first of these takes about 30 seconds and there is nothing for the crew to observe. But when the 30 seconds elapse, the second self-test causes the system to move both power levers from idle to full forward and then back to idle. You can see why this test cannot be done with the engines running, eh?!
Once the engines are started, the autothrottle system basically is out of the picture during the normal taxi and run-up procedures. The power levers are moved forward as needed and into and out of the Beta range as normal. To arm the system for takeoff power application, the pilot hits the power button on the ISU and the ISU indicates that the system is armed. Once lined up on the runway, hitting the GA button puts the system in the takeoff mode and the power levers
evenly and smoothly advance. “Look, Ma! The levers have an invisible hand moving them!”
The unit receives the inputs that tell it OAT and airport elevation and the torque is adjusted to ensure that the “Minimum Takeoff Power” requirement is met for those conditions. The -52 PT6s on the B200GT are
The ThrustSense system noticeably reduces pilot workload with engine limitations protection, overspeed and underspeed air- speed protection, VMCA mitigation and having no worry about Power Lever Migration.
Lever Migration) is eliminated. Yay! The actuators that move the power levers provide their own friction and it never needs to be adjusted or changed by the pilot.
24 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 2022