Just keep in mind Im clueless and have no idea what Im
talking about
Having said that, 'if' this machine was electric ...
Ive never quite appreciated how expensive AP is, and if
you look at Raymarine stuff its really bonkers cheap built
with the cheapest of parts and fails regularly. The tiller
pilots are a bunch of plastic gear wheels and rubber
belts, a 'very' cheap motor that wouldnt exceed 20 watts
which is like $5 on todays technology and a simple inbuilt
fluxgate compass, which it probably doesnt need. Dont get
me started on their wheel steer AP.
Looking around the business I used to have a throw away
line about helicopter technology being somewhat underdone,
as at the time you could buy a model helicopter with
features like heading hold and altitude hold that would
make a chopper pilots life much simpler that full sized
helos costing millions didnt have. In the interim decades
however newer design helos have incorporated these
features.
Back to the toys, they have a simple gyro costing in
the order of $70 - $250 that allows a trim which you can
set first statically then control via radio. Its job is to
position the fuselage direction in such a way that when
deviated from path the circuitry activates a servo which
re-establishes the heading. Its called simply heading
hold. Rather like tiller steer, you establish a heading
and press a button for the equipments linear drive to hold
you on course automatically. Push the model off course and
heading hold will bring it back unfailingly.
Now Im aware the marine product can do other things
like work with a chart plotter to eliminate leeway, but
Ive always felt like the former course keeping is all I
really need. I just find it curious that a few hundred
bucks in parts and a linear drive becomes $4 grand.
Having made you read all this nonsense and deviated
somewhat from the question at hand I should just mention
that the aforementioned model is an electric machine, and
you use the same equipment to steer the thing with or
without the gyro 'on'. Just an idea but if the energy
consumed by 30 watts of current could easily be replaced
wouldnt linear drives make things just a tad simpler, and
more useful to have a form of autopilot to boot.
Well just a thought, .... as you were ...
cheers to all BTW ..