Originally Posted by
Yazzoo
So if you want to turn left, do you just turn the yoke to the left and then back to neutral, without adding any back-pressure, and it'll maintain altitude?
If you do it slowly and smoothly, to give it time to trim, yes. If you use a rapid roll rate, you will have to add a little back pressure until the trim catches up, and that's when it starts to annoy me, because I have to reduce the back pressure while still adding bank, which is counter intuitive to every other airplane I've flown. I notice this in a turning departure, so the nose is already up in a climb attitude, and reducing back pressure at that point seems odd, but that's how it works.
So, the trick is, be slow(er) and you'll be smooth(er). (Just like your first girlfriend told you!)
BTW, the MD911 also has automatic trim, but it cuts out when you exceed 2lbs. of pressure on the yoke, so you really need to fly it like you are milking a mouse, with just your thumb and index finger on the yoke, and wait for the trim to catch up to what you want it to do. That got many guys into trouble when hand flying it, as they would over control it by using an iron grip with more than 2lbs. of pressure, causing a PIO between their inputs and constantly going in and out of auto trim.