User manual

Table Of Contents
Aerosoft PBY Catalina 1.00 Manual
Page 13 of 100
levers to set the frequency. The scale will show you the strength of the signal and should peak when
you are very close to the transmitter.
Small tip: Tune ADF 2 radio to 1300 kHz.
Sperry Autopilot
The first autopilot was invented in 1912 and demonstrated by Lawrence Sperry in 1914. The
autopilot was refined during the following years. It used gyroscopes for heading and attitude
reference. The gyroscopes were driven by vacuum, while the actuators for moving the control
surfaces were driven hydraulically. The Sperry autopilot was a far cry from the modern autopilots
used in modern aircraft. It was not a “set and leave” device, but required the pilot to check the
correct outcome. The following autopilot functions were available:
Heading hold (Rudder knob)
Pitch hold (aka attitude hold, Elevator knob)
Bank hold (Aileron knob)
A Rudder knob I Aileron gain Knob
B Aileron Knob J Elevator gain Knob
C Elevator Knob K Gyro compass align knob
D Selected Heading L Gyro Horizon Cage knob
E Gyro Compass
M Gyro Caged flag
F Selected bank indexer
N Suction gauge
G Selected pitch indexer O Hydraulic pressure gauge
H Rudder gain Knob