Simviation Forums

I know there is a way to edit the panel.cfg in order to get a small dot placed on the screen, which can be used as a landing aid (similar to a squashed fly). Unfortunately I cannot find this post anywhere, can anyone tell me how to edit the panel.cfg. I would like to place a small mark on the windscreen of a helicopter to help me know where level is on the horizon. If anyone knows how to put a small line. This would be better. Many thanks

Open up the panel.bmp and draw the line where the horizon is. To find the horizon 100% accurately, use CfgEdit (available at SimV).

Try "Views" "View Options" in the in sim menu. Now look at the lower left of the dialog and select which Axis Indicator you want. It'll save you a lot of panel editing.

Thanks for your reply. I can only find dial .BMP's in the panel folder of the Bell206b, any ideas where else to look?

Matt gave you the best way to get this mark but take care,

This help is just usefull at the very begining when flying without wind. As soon as you have a cross wind component it false every thing.

The best is to take care of the lateral move of the runway and take the heading which leave it steady and symetric. The position at right or left of the panel is just relevant about the crosswind direction and strength.

As long as you see that /\ OK
When you see that |\ push a bit right
When you see that /| push a bit left


About helicopter I can't tell you a lot, the only way I know to avoid a crash is hitting the Esc key  ;D

Cheers guys thanks for your input, unfortunately the Axis Indicator will not work in VC view. also when landing a Heli is helps to know if your level (when a beginner like myself) thus my post, the axis indicator would be perfect if is was usable in VC. I think the panel.cfg was edited by adding another window but I can't remember how.

You know whats funner? ILS...  ;D

FOUND IT http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?WqC560 ... -howto.htm

As someone who has a substantial amount of experience in flying and helping people to learn to fly the FS helicopter, I can tell you the VC is the worst thing you can use when trying to learn to land consistently on a chosen spot without crashing. A lot of people (maybe you included) fly the helicopter as an STOL rather than a VTOL. It doesn't take long to learn to jump into the air and quickly get into forward flight where it's much easier. Inevitably, you gotta land -- a whole different ball game. There is another way but it requires some dedicated practise.

With few exceptions, helicopter flights begin and end with a hover. Helicopters don't "take-off" or "land" -- they lift off vertically into (at least) a brief hover, fly forward, decelerate into (at least) a brief hover over the landing zone and descend vertically until resting on the ground. Obviously, the key is learning to hover. In trying to maintain a hover close to the ground, the VC is a serious handicap. The tendency is to pan down so you can see the landing spot and lose touch with outside horizontal reference. This reference is all important.

The best way to hover is in 2D cockpit view with the panel off. Best seat in the house, I kid you not. Now you're thinking, "omigosh, how can I hover without instruments?" Think about it....what good are the instruments when you're sitting in a dead-stable hover at a skid height of 3 to 5 feet? The Airspeed will read zero, a fact you can SEE out the front window. The Altimeter is calibrated in increments of 20 ft -- you can't use it to establish a height of 5 feet but you CAN by looking out the front window. The compass or directional gyro is unimportant -- you're not navigating to some distance place. You can see which way you're pointed by looking out the front window. You think you need the torque gauge. Not really. The helicopter will hover at close to the same setting all the time and if you're too high, lifting, sinking or sitting on the ground, you can see this out the front window. If you're trying to maintain a level attitude by using the HSI, forget it. It doesn't react quick enough. The distant horizon is the only thing that works -- again, by looking out the front window.

I think you can see my point. You need a fairly unobstructed view out the front window. An earlier post recommends the axis indicator -- an excellent choice when combined with 2D panel view.

How do you learn to hover? Try us at HoverSafe Academy -- we welcome the opportunity to help you learn. If you have the will, we have the way.

Regards,

Cal

http://members.shaw.ca/hoversafe/Hoversafe.htm