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SuperECO Autopilot

SuperECO Autopilot

Light-Sport & Experimental Aircraft

Regular price $2,280.00 USD
Regular price Sale price $2,280.00 USD
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Aircraft Automation SuperECO Autopilot Water Bottle Weight

The SuperECO Is the Lightest Autopilot in the World

You can now control the pitch, roll, and yaw of your light-sport or experimental aircraft with a carbon-fiber trim tab autopilot that weighs less than 2.5 pounds or the weight of a couple of water bottles

  • Increase Situational Awareness

    Your airplane will fly itself while you watch for traffic and focus on your monitoring systems

  • Reduce Fatigue

    Improve your alertness, performance, and judgment during long flights

  • Get Peace of Mind

    Keep your aircraft flying straight even during sudden pilot incapacitation or related emergencies

  • Reduce Fuel Cost

    The consistency provided by an autopilot will exponentially reduce your fuel cost when flying

  • Recover Control

    Get stick feedback if you exceed any preconfigured envelope and recover from sudden attitude changes

  • Add Redundancy

    The SuperECO is also an instrument that displays crucial flight data in case of a primary instrument malfunction

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You Are Always in Control

Unlike traditional autopilots, the SuperECO doesn’t have any mechanical links with flight controls; therefore, you can easily override it at any time by taking control of your stick or yoke

Engage, Sit Back, and Navigate With These Autopilot Features

The SuperECO integrates an Electronic Attitude Direction Indicator (EADI); an Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator (EHSI) and a Digital Flight Control System (DFCS) into a single unit

  • Pitch, Roll, & Yaw

    Control your pitch, roll, and yaw with our carbon fiber trim tab technology

  • Heading Mode

    Command your aircraft to turn to and maintain the heading indicated by your heading bug

  • Track Mode

    Use the internal or external GPS to turn your aircraft as necessary to keep flying on the radial or localizer

  • VS Mode

    Climb, descend, or maintain a preselected altitude following your constant Vertical Speed

  • IAS Mode

    Climb, descend, or maintain a preselected altitude following your constant Indicated Air Speed

  • GPS Steering

    Fly your entire flight plan by following your navigation or external NMEA GPS system

  • CDI Navigation

    Control your CDI needle with an external NMEA GPS or optional RS-232 connection to Garmin SL-30 NAV/COM. (Only Day VFR guidance. IFR not approved. It shows your CDI & GS)

  • HOLD Function

    Keep your aircraft flying in a hold pattern. (The SuperECO will fly an indefinite number of patterns until canceled. Hold entries are automatically calculated)

  • ARC Function

    Fly a DME ARC around an NMEA external GPS waypoint. (The SuperECO can optionally exit the ARC at a specified end course like a runway track)

  • Auto Envelope Protection

    The SuperECO will correct for excessive or unwanted pilot inputs beyond a roll or pitch limit. (When the system is off, trim tabs are still active)

  • Auto Trim

    Since the SuperECO works with trim tabs, auto trim is built-in the system. (Your aircraft will always be in trim following autopilot disengage. No additional installation is required)

  • Tuning

    Easy tune screen allows for quick calibration of your SuperECO. (In most cases, no calibration will be necessary)

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Plus Get Your Standard Avionics Even During a Power Failure

The SuperECO also serves as a backup instrument for your EFIS. Plus, it comes with an optional backup battery in case of a complete power failure

  • Pressure Altitude

    Get pressure altitude with barometric adjust from your aircraft static port

  • Attitude Indicator

    Get a clear picture of your aircraft's relative position to the Earth's horizon

  • Indicated Airspeed

    Measure the dynamic pressure of the outside air entering your pitot tube

  • Turn & Slip Indicator

    Get an indication of whether your aircraft is slipping, skidding, or in coordinated flight

  • Vertical Speed Indicator

    Get an indication of the rate of climb or descent of your aircraft

  • Altitude Preselect Window

    Measure the height of your aircraft above a fixed level

  • Compass Rose

    Get a 360-degree compass rose heading indicator, which displays your magnetic track or heading

  • Heading Bug

    Get a marker on your heading indicator that can be rotated to a specific heading for reference purposes

  • HSI Needle

    Intersect radials and get an indication of your aircraft's horizontal position relative to a selected VOR or ILS

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Aircraft Automation SuperECO Autopilot Carlos Leon Panel Integration

Seamless System Integration

The SuperECO is fully independent of your primary flight controls, which makes it extremely reliable, light, safe, and easy to install

VIEW DIAGRAMS

Install It in Less Than a Day

The carbon fiber trim tabs and servos can be bolted, riveted, or adhered using industrial-strength waterproof adhesives to the aileron, elevator, and rudder and the SuperECO can be easily mounted on your panel as a 3 1/8” standalone standard instrument

What About Flutter?

To avoid flutter, you must rebalance your aileron, elevator, and rudder after installing your trim tabs. After installation, you should be able to maintain full manual control authority even at full-scale deflection. We recommend that you watch our trim tab installation video for more information

Learn About Other Pilots That Fly With the SuperECO Autopilot

"It's fun to think that I now have an autopilot that's really going to stretch the legs of this airplane and really going to increase the amount of hours I can fly in a day" -Cory Robin

Try It for 30 Days, Risk Free

The SuperECO comes with a risk-free money-back guarantee within 30 days after you receive your unit plus a 1-year limited warranty against defects in materials and workmanship

What's inside the Box?

The standard kit comes with everything you need to get flying. If you wish to upgrade your kit or add any extra spare parts, you can do so before finalizing your checkout

Customer Reviews

Based on 10 reviews
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E
Eric Haskins
Awesome personalized prepurchase & support

I regrettably haven't installed as I promised my CFI I wouldn't tear my plane apart till I got my ticket. All my questions were answered and everything looks amazing!!. I will post vids of the install... need it before I ferry my plane back to FL

E
Everel Airborne
Very Happy with First Ever Installation of SuperECO in our AirCam

We are extremely happy with the SuperECO Autopilot installed in our twin engine Lockwood AirCam Gen3. As far as I know, this is the first ever installation in an AirCam, which has very little room for large, heavy servos of traditional autopilots. Carlos Leon was hugely helpful and instrumental in creating larger trim tabs and installing stronger servos and then tuning the SuperECO settings for the AirCam. The AirCam is a relatively large and slow flying aircraft with considerable adverse yaw if flown with ailerons only. As a twin, it has a large vertical stabilizer and rudder, so a 3 axis installation is highly recommended for well coordinated turns. With some six hours of test flying completed, putting the SuperECO through its paces, the SuperECO perfromed just as advertised with all the functions working very nicely. This will be very convenient and reduce fatigue when flying longer distances with our AirCam, which is something we used to shy away from. Now we look forward to explore more of the country, thanks to the SuperECO. Thank you so much, Carlos and AircraftAutomation!!

T
Tom Redd
Build in progress

Haven’t completed building my plane so can’t review how the trim performs.

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J.
The SuperECO is an awesome autopilot and more!

I was looking for an autopilot to install in my Zenith 601XLB and I did not want to upgrade my dash with new avionics to support an autopilot system. The SuperECO was easy to install and configure and I did not have to upgrade my avionics. It did allow me to swap out an old slip/skid indicator that was a 3 1/8" instrument in the center of my dash and now the SuperECO is my primary avionics that I use. I'm now able to travel farther with much less fatigue and it makes my flying more enjoyable. The support that I received from Aircraft Automation (Carlos and team) was outstanding! I'd recommend this to anyone who's looking for an autopilot!

C
Customer
The Support Has Been Extraordinary

This is my primary instrument where I watch a lot of information in a very readable manner. I particularly like the ability to change the display to different instruments. Mine has a WAAS board (shooting LPV and ILS approaches is no problem.) I also installed an AV30e to use the SuperECO Instrument even more. The support has also been extraordinary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use it during IFR conditions?

No, the SuperECO can only be used for day VFR flight guidance, IFR is not approved

How does it handle turbulance?

The trim tabs are aerodynamic amplifiers. The effort exerted on them is minimal but the end result is exponential. They are fast-acting and thus produce an instant reaction on flying surfaces. That's why they are so good at handling turbulence

How often do I need to replace my trim tabs?

We use Hitec metal gear servos and carbon fiber trim tabs riveted to aviation-grade hinges. There is no reason why they should wear, in fact, our test airplane has over 500 AP hours since 2015 when we first installed the RC servo trim tabs. These servos have yet to be replaced

Does it continue to show heading and altitude when I'm not using it?

Yes, the SuperECO will continue to work as a backup six-pack instrument

How long does the emergency backup battery last?

The SuperECO runs as long as it's plugged into the aircraft. It also has an emergency backup battery that lasts 2 hours

Do the trim servos work in the emergency backup battery mode?

They work at half their normal power and battery life will be greatly reduced

Can I make my own trim tabs?

Yes, you need to make sure that your aileron, elevator, rudder, and trim tabs are balanced to avoid flutter at high speeds. You must have manual control authority even at full-scale deflection of your trim tabs

Does the trim tab weight affect the balance of my control surfaces?

Yes, although the trim tab servo kit weighs 5 ounces, it may affect the balance of your control surfaces. To avoid flutter, surfaces need to be balanced. If you experience flutter, immediately reduce the speed of the aircraft by reducing power and raising the nose

Does it recover from unusual attitudes?

Yes, if inverted the autopilot will first attempt to correct roll and then attitude

Does it interface with other GPS units to follow tracks?

Yes, you can use the RS-232 serial port to connect with popular GPS systems

Can I interface the instrument with an SL-30 radio to show CDI and glideslope?

Yes, the connection can be made through the instrument serial port. Press the heading bug to change OBS and the CDI will split the needle to show the deviation.  Only intended for guidance, the instrument is not a proper CDI for instrument flying (optional)

Does the instrument have an ARINC interface?

Yes, you can connect any ARINC radio to show the CDI and GS in an approach but the OBS cannot be changed for the time being

Do I need to balance my aileron and elevator?

Yes, all flying surfaces should be balanced after the trim tab is installed. Some people remove the servo and install it further forward to reduce weight and counterweight

How much speed can it handle?

The standard trim tab kit is ideal for airplanes cruising at speeds between 100 and 180 knots. For aircraft outside these cruising speeds, please email us at info@aircraftautomation.com for custom trim tabs

Can I connect it to more than 1 GPS device?

You can connect to one or more if you put a toggle switch to select from different GPS

What happens when the autopilot is off?

When the autopilot is off, the trim tabs are still active. The system will correct for excessive or unwanted pilot inputs beyond a roll or pitch limit

How many patterns can it fly?

It will automatically keep the aircraft flying in a holding pattern (the hold entries are automatically calculated). The autopilot will fly an indefinite number of patterns until canceled

How does the yaw damper work?

The yaw damper has a servo cable wired to an extra connector in the back of the SuperECO. This feature doesn't have operational parameters (such as heading bug or any selection) but rather will be active or inactive. When inactive, it will work as a yaw trim, helping you remove prolonged pressure on the pedals. In this case, you will be able to trim your yaw using the knob. When active, the SuperECO will maintain the airplane coordinated, which means that the rudder will turn accordingly to maintain the ball in the center even during turbulence

Can I use it side by side with the iLevil AP?

Yes, the SuperECO also integrates with the iLevil AP. They talk to each other to synchronize Heading Bug, Altitude Preselect, Vertical speed, and Barometric pressure. They are connected via the RS-232 port

Is it compatible with Ray Allen’s trim system?

No, Ray Allen is designed as a very responsive trim; therefore, it is very slow reacting, and not suitable for autopilot use.  Furthermore, their servos have a different interface

What's the display size and resolution?

The display size is 3 1/8" diagonal (79 mm) and the resolution is 320 x 240 pixels, backlit 1000 nits color LCD with automatic night dimming

What's the input voltage?

11vdc to 30vdc

What are the dimensions and weight of the SuperECO?

The dimensions are 3 1/8” (79mm) standard instrument. 3¼” x 3¼” x 2 1/8” (83mm x 83mm x 54mm) and the weight is 9 ounces (256g.) without the backup battery

What's the weight of the emergency backup battery?

The emergency backup battery weighs 2 ounces (57g)

What's the total weight of the system?

The total weight of the system with 3 servos is less than 2.5 lbs. This includes wiring harness