Page 28 - June24

ASK THE EXPERT
“Help! I can’t get my King Air’s autopilot to fly wings level.”
by Tom Clements
This article’s title pertains to a somewhat common request that I have received over the years of my King Air training career: Help me find a fix for the autopilot. Even when no question has been asked, I find that quite often when I ride as an instructor or passenger in a King Air, I find that the wings are not level when the autopilot is handling routine “straight and level” flight.
I am happy whenever I get this question because the answer is so simple. In fact, a lot of my readers – the ones who already know what the answer is – may as well go ahead to the magazine’s next article, because you’ll find nothing new here. But stick around if you’re waiting to learn the magical fix.
Ready? Want to know where the problem lies and what is the magical fix? Here it is: Turn the rudder trim wheel toward the lower wing.
OK, I’ll see you next month.
What?! You’re still here? Well OK, I’ll spend a little more time explaining what this is all about.
Only one autopilot (AP) that has been certified in King Airs has rudder trim capability ... the rare King KFC-400 system. If you are flying a King Air with that system, the autopilot will position the rudder trim as it sees fit. Yes, you can manually turn the rudder trim wheel to a new position, but when you take your hand
26 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
JUNE 2024