diff --git a/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_CommandModel.cpp b/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_CommandModel.cpp
index 6646161e1a..0efe05f36c 100644
--- a/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_CommandModel.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_CommandModel.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo AC_CommandModel::var_info[] = {
     // @Units: deg/s
     // @Range: 1 360
     // @User: Standard
-    AP_GROUPINFO("RATE", 1, AC_CommandModel, rate, 202.5),
+    AP_GROUPINFO_FLAGS_DEFAULT_POINTER("RATE", 1, AC_CommandModel, rate, default_rate),
 
     // @Param: EXPO
     // @DisplayName: Controlled Expo
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo AC_CommandModel::var_info[] = {
     // @Values: 0:Disabled,0.1:Very Low,0.2:Low,0.3:Medium,0.4:High,0.5:Very High
     // @Range: -0.5 1.0
     // @User: Advanced
-    AP_GROUPINFO("EXPO", 2, AC_CommandModel, expo, 0),
+    AP_GROUPINFO_FLAGS_DEFAULT_POINTER("EXPO", 2, AC_CommandModel, expo, default_expo),
 
     // @Param: RATE_TC
     // @DisplayName: Rate control input time constant
@@ -33,17 +33,17 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo AC_CommandModel::var_info[] = {
     // @Increment: 0.01
     // @Values: 0.5:Very Soft, 0.2:Soft, 0.15:Medium, 0.1:Crisp, 0.05:Very Crisp
     // @User: Standard
-    AP_GROUPINFO("RATE_TC", 3, AC_CommandModel, rate_tc, 0.05f),
+    AP_GROUPINFO_FLAGS_DEFAULT_POINTER("RATE_TC", 3, AC_CommandModel, rate_tc, default_rate_tc),
 
     AP_GROUPEND
 };
 
 // Constructor
-AC_CommandModel::AC_CommandModel(float initial_rate, float initial_expo, float initial_tc)
+AC_CommandModel::AC_CommandModel(float initial_rate, float initial_expo, float initial_tc) :
+    default_rate(initial_rate),
+    default_expo(initial_expo),
+    default_rate_tc(initial_tc)
 {
     AP_Param::setup_object_defaults(this, var_info);
-    rate.set_and_default(initial_rate);
-    expo.set_and_default(initial_expo);
-    rate_tc.set_and_default(initial_tc);
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_CommandModel.h b/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_CommandModel.h
index dd99031474..6076ba65b4 100644
--- a/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_CommandModel.h
+++ b/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_CommandModel.h
@@ -29,5 +29,9 @@ protected:
     AP_Float rate;          // maximum rate
     AP_Float expo;          // expo shaping
 
+private:
+    const float default_rate_tc;
+    const float default_rate;
+    const float default_expo;
 };