Bellanca 260 autopilot

S

sbunch3

New member
I have a 1966 14-19-3 N8545r and it has the Mitchell Executive II autopilot. Does anyone have an instruction book? When I turn it on (push the knob) on the right side in. It banks hard to the right. (roll knob set to neutral). The same thing if I push the white button above the knob. I understand that the white button slaves the autopilot to the DG which must be set to "0". There are two small set screw holes just above the roll knob. I haven't adjusted anything yet until I can find out how to use the thing.
Thanks
Brent Bunch
 
My son Peter recently bought 8533R;
It has the same Executive II autopilot.
He's had a bit better luck, but the plane is getting an engine overhaul prior to first flight, so all testing has been done in the hangar.
He has used a shop vac to pull a vacuum on the 'system' and did get enough to operate both gyros. That made it possible to do some testing. He was able to trim out an excess left roll tendancy with the trim screw. That's about all I can tell you right now, but sometimes I get him to log on here and read my posts about his progress. I'll try to get him to address your issue.
 
Well I feel a little stupid trying to describe how to use an auto pilot in an airplane I have not flown yet. Keep in mind the engine is out of the airplane and has been replaced with a 55 gallon barrel full of water. So I powered up the electric circuit and ran the shop vac to the vac system and waited until all the gyros seem erect. Then I engaged the auto pilot. It turned hard left, yes all the way. So I figured I don't want to start with a barrel roll so I turned the screws until the yoke was level with the roll knob level. Seems like a good starting point, no barrel roll. I understand when the DG button is not depressed the roll knob functions. With the DG button depressed the roll knob has no effect and the heading bug controls the unit. Mine does not seem to respond to the heading bug or work at all with the button depressed. I plan on further testing before trying the unit in the air. I can tell you my attitude and DG both have wires coming from the back of them. My guess is the attitude indicator works with the roll control and the DG and heading bug work with the button depressed. Time will tell if it works I just did not want a barrel roll if I engaged the auto pilot on purpose or not. I cannot imagine pushing that button on accident but I have pulled the wrong knob before. Cowl flaps carb heat ect.
I would be interested in what numbers you are using for what performance and pattern work and any other tips you have
Thanks
Peter
 
http://www.bellanca.us/Century_II_auto_pilot.pdf
Is a link to a copy of the operating manual.
I ordered a reprint of the Mitchell Executive II Theory, Installation, Maintenance & Operation Manual.
I expect it will be dated and not have current service bulletins etc, but it's the best I've come up with so far.
It cost $32 from esscoair manuals.
Scott
 
Thanks. Unfortunately my auto pilot panel does not look like the one pictured in your instruction manual. But, I think I will do just like you did on the ground and ingage the autopilot and adjust the screws and see what happends. It won't kill me on the ground!!!.

Check out Fligtaware.com and punch up N8545R. I flew from RVJ (Georgia) to LHQ (Ohio) and then back a week later. The trip up was at 9500, 2400rpm and about 22'mp and leaned rich of peak. I made it door to door in 3hr10min and used 41 gal fuel IAS was 155mph and a quart of oil.I think TAS was almost 190mph. On the way back, I flew at 8500, 2400rpm and about 22'MP leaned to rich of peak. this time I was 3hr even and 38 gal of fuel. Note at that altitude, MP is maxed out (pushed all the way in). She will easily do 1000fpm climb all the way up to 10,000ft. I fly this airplane like my old Stinson Voyager. In otherwords like a tail dragger. When I was first learning to land it, I flew it like my Piper Cherokee.... Bounced most of my landings. Both take off and landing, I fly it like a tail dragger and I'm fine. It doesn't like to have a lot of weight on the nose wheel. Take off.. trim set to 1st marker aft of neutral. no. flaps, Fuel to wing tank, Prop and MP max. Pull back at 80mph, climb out at 80 to 100mph, positive rate of climb and pull the gear up. Enjoy the ride. Landing. Down wind, gear down under 140mph, Once the gear is down push the gear lever down again and hold for 3 seconds, fuel to a wing tank, mixture to rich, prop to max, MP to anywhere between 10 and 20'mp as needed. flaps 1/3 when you slow below 120mph. Base leg , trim to 100mph, flaps to 2/3, final, faps full, slow to 90mph over the fence. Note: it will take a LOT of power to stop a too fast decent. Touch down and roll out... flaps up and I still hold the yoke back, like a tail dragger, until I slow way down. I don't have a working flap indicator so I put "magic marker" lines on the wing rib so I just look out the window at where the flaps meet the wings.. I sure do love the speed an stability of this plane
 
A couple of things;
We got the ESSCOair manual reprint for the Executive II autopilot. Just got it yesterday, so a glance indicates that this autopilot as installed is a simple portion of a complex group of modular options. IT'S NOT an up-to-date document with service bullitens, but it does provide all the theory, Install, etc. including tune up adjustments. Peter has already noted the adjustment sequence is different than his first try at ground adjusting, but he was close. Now we have useful info to work with.
The avionics shop on the field will do the Pitot static test, and don't care if the airframe doesn't have an engine on it. Peter is going to tow it over from the hanger to the shop with the towmotor. That thing is paying for it'self.
We checked Brent's flight profile on Flightaware, then compared it to other Bellanca Vikings and 260s. While 300 HP Vikings may be faster, they do not appear (on average) to be logging faster flights. Brent shows 150 Kts with his 260 @ altitude, Vikings vary from 140+ to 160, but mostly less than 150 Kts for the cruise portion of the flight. Speed costs money, how fast do you want to spend? Both have about 1000 pounds payload, and climb better than anything else near the price point.
So I'm under the current impression that Bellanca 260s don't really lack any real world performance compared to a Viking, and they sure are a bargain right now.
 
I'll have to look again at the essco site. When I looked before I didn't find a manual for the Mitchell Exec.II Autopilot. Do you have the catalog number so I can Order one? I couldn't agree with you more about the 260's. I looked at the price of overhaul of the Vikings with the Cont 520 or the Lyc 540 vs the O-470. Then compared the fuel burn of those bigger engines vs the speed gain. I felt the best deal was the 260 with the O-470 . Bigger does not always mean better.
 
Essco Aircraft
SKU 1560:R
Part # EDEXECUTIVE-II
Product: Edo-Air Executive II Theory, Installation & Service Handbook.
$32.00

Good luck;
Scott
 
I really hate to bring up an old post but I now have Brent's Airplane and still no working Autopilot. Anyone have any ideas on how to get this one working?
 
On the topic of auto pilots, I approached stec about adding 14-19-3a's to there line of auto pilots. They said it is $9000 for the first autopilot model and 6000 for each model after that. If a bunch of owners got together they said they would allow the $9000 cost to be split up making the option of adding a modern autopilot more realistic. If anyone has interest in this please let me know. Even if ten owners split it that is pretty inexpensive to open up an autopilot upgrade option.
 
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