Simviation Forums

Okay, I give up!  Does anyone know where I can find a tutorial on flying helos?  I really suck and want to get better, for there are so many cool ones to choose from.

I started off trying to fly the Bell 206B, but kept smashing it into things (the ground, trees, mountains, buildings, the sky, the tower . . .) so I downloaded the Hughes 500 and tried that.  No better!  Still slamming into everything under the sun.

I can get 'er off the ground okay and fly straight and level, but when it comes time to land, I start spinning this way and that and generally making a nuisance of myself.  Even when I get a touchdown, I surely bounce back up and then slam into the ground.

Please help me . . .

OK, this is from a fixed-wing guy, but here are a few things that worked for me, as a neophyte on the subject. You already switched to the Hughes/MD, that's what worked best for me. And your on the right track with the way your progressing. I've flown real helicopters, and it's the same thing: takeoff and cruise are easy, but when it comes time to slowdown and hover everything goes to hell. I fly with a guy  that also has a couple a thousand hours in Helo's and his very basic description was, "after about 20-30 hours, it just clicks!", thanks for that advice, I thought, but he was right. It's a matter of keeping the nose pointed at an object in front of you using the rudders and keeping the wings or the "disk" level using ROLL inputs. It's a pain a first, but persistence pays off. And as always, every time I see a post on this subject, a bunch of guys pitch the Helo instruction web sites probably a good idea for some pointers as well.  :)

This will be a long post, here goes!

First of all what type of controls are you using? If you don't have a set of rudder pedals flying the helo will not be realistic or fun, period. Get some pedals if you don't already have them.

Start off on the ground with the engine at idle and click the trottle up only one click at a time. Once the throttle input causes the helo to yaw (About 58 taps on F3 key, or about 65%-70% torque on the guage) reduce throttle a click or two until it settles back firmly on the ground.

Stay in the cockpit view and practice making it light on the landing gear and throtteling back, over and over and over until you know when the thing is going to start yawing.

Once you can anticipate when the yaw will happen, increase throttle again and give OPPOSITE (left) rudder (YAW) control inputs to make the helicopter stay on the original heading. You should not be airborne at this time, only making the helicopter light enough to turn but still staying on the ground.

Practice turning the helicopter and stopping the yaw at headings on the compass you select. Do this over and over and over until you can do this without giving it much thought. Be able to do this before you proceed to actually flying the thing.

Now a little about the rotor disc before you proceed. It is just a big fan, that is all. The turning blades make the "ROTOR DISC"

If you use your joy stick and tilt the disc forward your aircraft will be pulled forward. If in a forward motion you tilt the disc backwards by pulling your joystick back your aircraft will slow its forward momentum and eventually move backwards.

Tilting the disc to the right will cause your helicopter to move to the right, tilting the disc to the left will cause your helicopter to move to the left. By INCREASING left rudder (pushing on the left pedal) input while tilting the disc to the left (in forward flight) you will be making a somewhat coordinated left turn. By DECREASING right rudder (pushing on the right pedal) and tilting the rotor disc to the right (in forward flight) you will be making a somewhat coordinated right turn.

Different trottle settings will cause your helicopter to want to yaw. More throttle more right yaw, less throttle less right yaw. To control right yaw put in MORE left pedal, to control left yaw input LESS left pedal.

To take off you increase throttle and input LEFT pedal to arrest any RIGHT YAW! Slightly tilt the rotor disc forward. Once you are moving forward pull back slightly on the joystick so you do not nose it into the ground.

Depending on which helicopter you are flying, you get a feel of how agressive you can get with the controls. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. After practicing practice some more.

You have to anticipate what the rotor disc doing by about a second. You have read or heard of people being behind the aircraft while flying I assume. This is where anticipating what the controls will do is essential.

If you are all over the sky and are somewhat in control of the helicopter you are already behind it. You must know how each control input is going to affect your movements.

Hovering is just a precise input of everything you have practiced doing over and over and over.

The best helicopter to learn in is the Bell-47 by Jean-Marie Mermaz this is the best helo download on the internet, shut down the engine, go to outside view and look at what the rotors do as you move the controls. Here is the link,http://www.simviation.com/fs2002heli20.htm this is your reward for reading this entire post!

Happy Heloing!

 

Thanks much for the input, fellas!  Made my flying much easier.  I even managed to land it once without smashing anything!

Now for the obstacle courses!!!

Hey EB,

Did you download that Bell 47 yet?

I downloaded it, but much to my disappointment I cannot use it.

I use two separate computers, one for the net and one for other stuff, such as FS.  The net computer will not run FS, and I don't want to hook the other up to the net, or even to the net computer, for security reasons.

The net computer doesn't have a CD burner drive, so I am forced to transfer any files I get from the internet over by 1.44 MB floppy disk.  Yeah, I know . . .

The .mdl file for the Bell 47 is 1.54 MB, zipped, so I can't get it onto my standalone.  Too bad, looked like it was going to be kinda fun.

I dunno but i find the helo's on fs2k2 easy to fly, hover and land.

Why not try an external memory like easydisk -- it is a stick that fits into your usb port and works like a charm they come in a variety of memory sizes -- mine is 512MB and it is around the size of a pack of gum check out
[http://www.jdpdigital.coml]

Why not try an external memory like easydisk -- it is a stick that fits into your usb port and works like a charm they come in a variety of memory sizes -- mine is 512MB and it is around the size of a pack of gum check out
[http://www.jdpdigital.com]

Yeaahhhh . . . cash flow issues right now, maybe in another month or so.