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Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:49 pm
by sagamol
I don't have Rudder petals , so I'm trying to use my CH Flight Yoke controls to simulate the Rudder Yaw . there are 3 controls , one is for the thrust, the middle one for fuel-shut-off and the one on the right  I would like to use for the rudder yaw control...when i go to the assignment screen , there is no option to assign the slider to the right for rudder yaw. ( i think i just answered my own question)...UNLESS someone else knows a way around this and can help me with this...currently i am using button 3 for left and 4 for right, but its not very smooth and hard to find "center"...i enjoy helicopters and would love to find a good way to control rudder yaw...
thanks,
Tom

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:12 pm
by aussiewannabe
Tom,

I understand your frustration of flying helicopters. I don't have rudder pedals. either. I will eventually - it really adds to the realism of flying. Like you, I use a joystick for flying them. However, my toggle keys are set for F1-F4 throttle. It helps me move a helicopter around a lot easier than just pressing F1-F4.

I hope someone can help you with your problem.

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:14 pm
by pete
Twist grip - the best way for rudder control  - outside pedals.

Without that  I'd be struggling ...... Years ago I specifically bought twist grip for heli flying ..  :)

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:24 pm
by sagamol
I have a twist grip joystick that i used, before i bought the ch yoke.....i guess i could hook it up when i fly the hilos...thats a thought...hhhmmm

thanks
Tom

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:33 pm
by dave3cu
You should be able to assign the slider: Goto Settings>Controls>Control Axes tab>... Make sure your yoke is the selected controller....click on Rudder Axis in the list....click Change Assignment....in the Change Assignment window move the slider.

Not the best setup as it doesn't have a 'real' center, but maybe the best you can do for now..........unless you might have an old joystick sitting around doing nothing.....

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:37 pm
by Mr.Mike
If you fly R/C helis and have a controler that hooks up usb style you can use that.  I use my E-flite 6 channel CCPM box from my Blade CP to fly helis in the sim.  Not only do you get great tail rotor control but it also hones your R/C skills a little too.

This is 50 bucks from e-flites site, you could probably find one on e-bay with a cord cheep.  One problem is it uses batterys, but I use rechargeables in mine.
Image

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:36 pm
by Ashton Lawson
[quote]If you fly R/C helis and have a controler that hooks up usb style you can use that.

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:53 pm
by Mr.Mike
"so, can u fly stuff upside down?  can u do stunts?  sorry, curious."  oops messed up the quote! ::)


;D  In a word.....  no

I have up graded the head to alloy for a tighter feel, put on heat sinks, tuffer skids and an auto rotation gear set for smoothness.  I have been spending the summer hovering in the parking lot.

I have it now so I can hold a 3 foot hover for a full battery pack (bout 10 min) with in an 8 foot area or so.  I have also been working on front back left and right movements, nose in, tail in and sides...  getting pretty good.

The second week I had it I decided to do some forward flight and it ended up costing me about 100 bucks ha ha!!!  so...  baby steps for ol mikey and the Blade CP!!!

Image

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:57 pm
by Mr.Mike
anyway, back to the subject, one of the advantages of using the RPM slider on the CH Yoke, is u can leave it in an adjusted position.  when u fly forward, the heli will tend to turn to one side, depending on the rotor's direction.  with ur setup, u can set and leave ur slider at a set position, so that ur heli doesnt turn.



Back on subject.  I use the trim on the RC controller...  its not fool proof 100% of the time but seems to work out ok for the most part

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:20 am
by Ashton Lawson
[quote]"so, can u fly stuff upside down?

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:11 am
by Mr.Mike
I am doing all 4 directions...  tail toward, nose toward and sides...  if your pretty good at tail toward you switch to nose toward you next...  I found it easier because the controls were only opposite...  side to flight your brain has to work a little extra harder :).  

use FSX to practice too!!!   go to locked spot view and swing the camera to the front of the aircraft and try to hover like that!!!!   its not RC but it helps your brain and hands connect when things are backwards.

Thats one of the reasions I use my RC control box to fly helis in FSX too....  it helps with stick finess.

Sorry we hijacked the thread all  :o, I didnt mean for it to go down like this ;D

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:30 am
by Flying Mouse
I use a twist controller and stil stay the most dangerious helicopter pilot around.

I can take off by applying power  :)

I cannot seem to keep the heli under control, I spin left and right  :-X

I cannot get the heli to hover in the air :'(

And upon landing I cannot put her down vertically, instead I come down like a A380  :o

After many attemps and many curses from air controll about my horrific heli skills I decided to give up on flying them >:(

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:30 am
by reider
I use a twist controller and stil stay the most dangerious helicopter pilot around.

I can take off by applying power  :)


and the more power, the higher you go, see below.....

I cannot seem to keep the heli under control, I spin left and right  :-X


Worse on different helicopters, the chopper wants to travel the same way as the blades.  Gently feed in twist to the opposite direction, then twist back to the existing direction, practise this a few times and you`ll get out of the spin.  So it spins left, you make it turn right by the rudder control to counteract the left spin forces.  You`re introducing your own right spin forces which then act as a break to counteract the left hand spin.  Always feed in any new throttle increase gradually rather than all at once, this will stop most spins from even starting in the first place.

I cannot get the heli to hover in the air :'(


Throttle up gradually and steadily, nose down for forward and nose up to stop or even go in reverse, very gradule movements and you will either go forward, go in reverse or hover.  Again this is easier with certain types of helicopter than others.  Some even employ a hover control.

And upon landing I cannot put her down vertically, instead I come down like a A380  :o


Again, gradual throttle control, employ nose up/down technique to go forward, go reverse, hover until you land.  Not all, but most choppers do not hover, they only appear to do so.  Its a forward, back movement so they stay in virtually the same place.  This is unless they employ a hover control, which is usually another jet.  The hover motion is crucial to getting the chopper first to land, then land in the correct place.

After many attemps and many curses from air controll about my horrific heli skills I decided to give up on flying them >:(


Each time you give in and go back, a bit more will stick in your mind.  Do it in steps as follows, each step will help you in future steps....

You got take off
Try anti torque (torque is turning effort)-anti spin
Move forward
Move Reverse
Hover
Stop gong forward/reverse (counteract by the opposite direction same as in the anti spin-its like a balancing beam)
Land
Land in a specific area or as near as you can

I heartily suggest you get hold of the Chinook and the Appache (free) from Avsim, Simviation etc....  and practise with different types of helis.  I find the Bell is a good one to start with as its less prone to spin than most.

Reider

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:48 pm
by jnigeld11
I've got that same Blade CP RC helicopter and I'll tell you this...I sure can "fly" Heli's in FSX a whole lot better than trying to fly that "darn" Blade CP RC!!!  :'( Can you say NEW ROTOR BLADES???  :o I still maintain that anyone who can successfully pilot a heli, be it for real, Flight Simulator or RC is a GENIOUS!!! Practice, practice and more practice I guess  :'(  :o  :)

Tail-Rotors-are-a-pain-Nigel

Re: Rudder control on Helicopter

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:21 pm
by Spades
back on the subject...
  Well, for about $120 to $150 you could just go buy a set of pedals, or find some used ones even cheaper on eBay. Pedals are by far the best investment for FS (after a control stick or yoke, of course), and I recommend buying them ASAP. I am going to order mine tonight, I'm thinking a set of Saiteks would be nice.
  On the cheaper side of things, you could just use a twist grip for helos, but it is nearly impossible to fly a helo precisely without pedals. At best (and I fly helos almost exclusively in FS) I could put one down within a fifty foot area, usually scraping the nose, tail, and a few rotor tips in the process. As for hover controls, none that I could find in FS would ever really hover the helo smoothly. It would begin to oscillate rapidly until it either hit a building or rolled over and dove in.

Spades