Yesterday I ran out of home projects so I took the Musketeer up. I wanted to try a VFR intercept , track and approach using a VOR. The Brittain isn't approach approved but, you know how that goes.
I tuned and Identified Williams VOR as this one is close to my airport. I placed the heading bug on the same setting as the OBS and turned the system on. The Brittain flew a 30 degree intercept and locked onto the radial. I flew the 20 miles and as I approached the VOR's cone of confusion, the needle started to rock, followed by the plane. I switched to heading bug only and flew over the top of the VOR, right over the top. I tuned the headingbug to the 290 radial out bound to intercept the 342 degree radial off of Maxwell VOR that also terminates into an approach for Willows airport. The Brittain began the intercept at the 9.8 mile DME from Williams. The approach plate shows the 342 degree radial at the 11.6 DME. At the 11.6 DME the autopilot was locked on solid and heading towards Maxwell. As I approached Maxwell, I switched to the heading bug to avoid what Brittain calls the wake up circuit (the rocking described)and flew directly over the VOR. I turned the NAV 1 back on and it followed the radial inbound soild. I reduced RPM and began my after passing decent. I broke off the approach after it was clear I was right on track. Anyone thinking of a Brittain again, I'm impressed for such a simple system. If you fly the GPS off Nav 2, you experience none of the rocking.
I tuned and Identified Williams VOR as this one is close to my airport. I placed the heading bug on the same setting as the OBS and turned the system on. The Brittain flew a 30 degree intercept and locked onto the radial. I flew the 20 miles and as I approached the VOR's cone of confusion, the needle started to rock, followed by the plane. I switched to heading bug only and flew over the top of the VOR, right over the top. I tuned the headingbug to the 290 radial out bound to intercept the 342 degree radial off of Maxwell VOR that also terminates into an approach for Willows airport. The Brittain began the intercept at the 9.8 mile DME from Williams. The approach plate shows the 342 degree radial at the 11.6 DME. At the 11.6 DME the autopilot was locked on solid and heading towards Maxwell. As I approached Maxwell, I switched to the heading bug to avoid what Brittain calls the wake up circuit (the rocking described)and flew directly over the VOR. I turned the NAV 1 back on and it followed the radial inbound soild. I reduced RPM and began my after passing decent. I broke off the approach after it was clear I was right on track. Anyone thinking of a Brittain again, I'm impressed for such a simple system. If you fly the GPS off Nav 2, you experience none of the rocking.