Flybox Oblo autopilot

Having installed the Oblo, Graham Smith configures and flies this new autopilot …

FROM €1,278 www.flyboxavionics.it

In the first part, we covered the installation process for the Oblo. The work that followed involved configuring the options. The manual explains the servo calibration check which must be done on the ground. I have an ‘old school’ Garmin 296 GPS which has been 100% reliable for 15 years. It is possible the movement of the servos could be reversed, so these must be carefully checked. The calibration procedure must also be double checked. The message on the display should confirm ‘Servo Calib Done’. The remote autopilot disengage button must be checked and the servo override check (stick force) also must be relatively easy for the pilot to overcome the servo. The install manual will suggest settings which will probably need adjustment once the flight testing starts. The LAA insist on minimum stick force at breakout. I would suggest setting the roll servo to 30° of bank and the elevator servo at 10° with a climb rate of 500ft/min and descent of 300ft/min. These numbers should be a starting point which will probably need changing once the testing begins.

The GPS menu on the Oblo is easy to access. Holding down the knob, the screen changes to a list of parameters. Scrolling down to ‘setup’ and then scrolling down to ‘GPS’. The baud rate should be changed to 4800 but the satellite display showed no signals. I waited for the satellites to show up but nothing happened. Luckily the guys at Flybox showed me how to configure the GPS. I guess most GPS units will need to be configured… It is a little tricky but I had never had to look for the NMEA output setup before.

Firstly you must select the ‘setup’ menu on the left hand side of the GPS. Scroll across at the top of the screen until you come to ‘COM1’, then set the baud rate to 4800. Highlight the ‘NMEA In/NMEA Out’. Then press the menu button, at the ‘Advanced NMEA Setup’ option, press the enter button and type in the settings as per the picture. Press the quit button twice.

Now you should find the satellites on the Oblo satellite menu. I was still having trouble with the unit finding satellites, then eventually the solution was found – the tin roof of the hangar was blocking the signal. With the Sportcruiser pushed out of the hangar, hey presto the satellites appeared!

The Oblo has three modes. Ground testing should be the preferred method before flight testing.

Mode-1 Switching on the autopilot but leaving the heading/track, navigation and altitude buttons off. The main green LED should be on. Centre the flying controls and switch on the heading/track button. The red LED should now be on. Rotating the heading/track bug will change the aircraft direction. Pushing the knob in will centre the actual heading.

Mode-2 Pressing the altitude button the red altitude LED should now be on. Again rotating the altitude knob will change the altitude of the aircraft. Pushing the knob in will centre the altitude in hold mode.

Mode-3 Launch SkyDemon on your tablet, iPhone or whatever device you have. Put your route in and save it. (I used Ipswich to Sywell) Download FlyboxConnect and install it on your device. Put the app into background and look for the WiFi connection on Flybox. You will only need to do this once – after that, it seems to connect automatically. Reselect SkyDemon and click ‘route’ and then ‘share’. You will then need to launch FlyboxConnect. The route will immediately show on your screen. You can decide which waypoint you would like to depart from. This is very useful as you could easily split the route and start anywhere. Press send and the route will upload to the autopilot. The autopilot will ask you yes or no. Uploading the route will change the GPS to the latest route. You must not turn on the Navigation button until you are above 1,000ft.

The Oblo also has a unique function. The route will automatically create a curve junction for the next waypoint. This allows two legs to be connected without passing the waypoint which could save some time and fuel.

In testing, I encountered just one small issue, which was that when uploading the flight plan to the autopilot, occasionally it would reject the upload. Repeating the upload would fix the issue.

Overall, I found the Oblo to be easy to use, and straightforward to install. The quality of the parts was exceptional and the manual was simple to follow. You can take a look at it on the Flybox website. ■