Page 24 - March19

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.
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.
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.
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
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­ KING AIR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019