Heading Hold for Takeoff?

The manual suggest NOT using heading hold for takeoff to avoid low-speed issues.

However, a sensitive taildragger plane might benefit from a gyro holding the set
runway heading; especially on a rough grass runway.

Is it simply the need to manage pitch / airspeed, or is something else occurring
behind the scenes leading to the "heading hold" prohibition on takeoff?

Michael

Hey Michael
My take on that issue is the following. The gyros in the A‘s register accelerations on all axis and read out via the Rx if they‘re intended or not. If not, the Assist can then inflight counteract with servo inputs etc. now, during your takeoff roll on uneven surfaces such as grass there are tons of small accelerations to the gyros, but your tx input might be full-throttle and just some elevator. But there‘s little to nothing to counteract while you‘re on the ground (airlerons, elevator, even p-factor/right foot). Inflight is a whole different story. I‘d go with the recommendations on this one and do it oldschool manual until you‘re airbourne. A weight-on-wheel switch like in the real planes would be fun, as soon the sensor triggers airborne, it activates the assist.

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Jeti DC-16

If you could program heading hold around the vertical axis (like a rudder giro or tail giro in a helicopter) with Assist you would be fine to use it for takeoff:

www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/images/fig25.gif

If the Heading Hold is stabilizing around all three axes heading hold is dangerous. I do not have enough details yet for Assist if specific axes can be put in HH.

I like this as flight modes can have different axes stabilized. I can see where a high performance taildragger could use rudder only stabilization, heading hold, until ready to transition to normal flight.

Thanks; you've given me a good idea to try as the manual seems to provide functionality to support this idea.

Years ago I had a Fokker D-VII that was a handful on takeoff; even more experienced pilots could not reliably do a decent takeoff. I installed a tail gyro from one of my helicopters and the problem was solved. That experience is what led me to think that heading hold for takeoff should work.

I will follow the suggestion and limit it to rudder only...

Thank you.

Michael