"Tarver Engineering" wrote in
:


"Alfred Gantz" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 23 Sep 2003 19:21:16 -0700, "Tarver Engineering"
wrote:


"Alfred Gantz" wrote in message
. ..
On Tue, 23 Sep 2003 18:12:14 -0700, "Tarver Engineering"

wrote:


"Laurence Doering" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 05:26:15 GMT, Rule

wrote:

"Rule" wrote in message
news:qUzab.516307$YN5.343320@sccrnsc01...

"Laurence Doering" wrote in message

Would a nerve agent really be the best choice? What are
the chances that somebody in the cockpit would go into
convulsions and bump the aircraft's control yoke,
disconnecting the
autopilot?

Does simply bumping the yoke automatically disconnect the
autopilot?
I was under the impression there was a little toggle-switch
on
the
yoke involved here. Am I wrong?

No, there normally is an autopilot disengage switch on the
control yoke. That's used to turn off the autopilot when
everything is normal.

One potential problem with an automatic pilot is a "runaway",
where the autopilot malfunctions and applies control inputs the
pilot doesn't want. Autopilots are typically designed so that
a certain amount of force on the control yoke will cause the
autopilot to disengage, so that in the event of a runaway the
pilot can simply grab the yoke and move it in the appropriate
direction to regain control without having to fight the
autopilot while reaching for the disconnect button.

What lawerence writes of here is a small GA thing and is not used
in Airliners, where the operator wishes to remain employed.

Any modern autopilot which wishes to be certified by the FAA
behaves more-or-less precisely as he describes. I would add that
the autopilot generally senses control forces via the amount of
electrical current required by the individual servos.

Bull****, no airline pilot would have job after using the yoke to
disengage
the autopilot. although it is possible to disengage in the manner
described, that method is one for spam cans.

The scenario he was using was one of a "runaway"

Runaways autopilots are also a small GA phenonema; please do not post
lies about transports. It is counter productive to terrify passengers
with your lying and ignorance. We do not need kook spam can operators
making up lies and posting them.


Good grief Splaps boy, Is there any little detail of how an airplane works
that you can't get wrong?


Bertie