Autopilot question?

[jamesdietz]

Simple: I'm not sure how long after takeoff I have to wait before going on autopilot.It seems as if when i do it quickly my plane spends the entire mission circling my airfield & never joins up with his mates( Tommys or Jerries,in fact if I try to join them manually ,I can see on my map that I still have a line firmly attached to my airfield & even when I'm half way across the Channel ,if I put on autopilot,my plane will turn around & go back home,)) but if I wait long enough( not sure about this) then hit "A" I seem to tuck up into formation or lead a formation to target.
Anyone have a clue?

[FFCW_Urizen]

while circling, is the altitude steady or are you climbing???
never noticed that before, but i have to say, i don´t use autopilot much.

[jamesdietz]

Yes I'd say a gentle climb,not as much as in Il-2 waiting for assistance...there might even be a leveling out altitude- I've never checked!

[Troll2k]

I have no firm data or proof.This is just my impression from building a few AI dogfight maps.

It seems to me that the AI have a built in takeoff routine.They complete a takeoff circuit before going to your first waypoint.

Maybe if you engage the autopilot before your first waypoint is reached they stay in that builtin predefined routine.After the first waypoint(and out of their builtin routine) the autopilot will engage.

If you create just a takeoff and one waypoint and watch them they will just do their thing before going to the first waypoint.

Anyway just a thought on my part.

[adonys]

The AI take-off routine makes them di airfield circuits until all the aircraft of their flight took-off and are very close to join/joined the formation.