First, thank you for all the hard work on the AH-64. I know that we as players can be really negative, but honestly in the grand scheme of things we have nothing to complain about. We get to pretend to be pilots for one of the most impressive helicopters of all time, and that wasn't possible even a few years ago. Even with all of the little issues we run into, it's a phenomenal module and it brings a lot of joy to all of us
I run a VirPil CM3 in a "dead stick" configuration with the hard-centering cams as my cyclic. I absolutely love the stick, but when it comes to interacting with the trim system in the Apache, it leaves a lot to be desired. I'm sure other people have been having similar issues, and I'm sure that they will become more common as more and more companies and people go to a "dead stick" configuration.
I have tried all 3 FTR options (instant, center, and no springs). They all have pretty severe limitations, and none of them are really great. The center-trimmer mode is the most useful, but if I'm playing in VR, even with the hard-centering cams it is difficult to get it centered quickly, thus causing a lot of frustration.
I'm wondering if there are any plans for a fourth option, where you can press and hold the FTR-up button to disengage the magnets so that the cyclic can be moved freely without it making any changes to the flight surfaces? Once the cyclic is in a position that is more comfortable, the button could be released, which would reengage the magnets.
In other words:
Fly the aircraft and trim it out the way you want it
Press and hold the FTR-up button
Move the cyclic freely into a more comfortable position
Release the FTR-up button, which will make this the new center (dead zones, curves, and all would be applied to this new position)
In many rotor-wing aircraft, this is how the force trim release system works, and I'm not sure if it would be possible to implement in DCS for the AH-64. I understand that it may not be 100% accurate compared to the actual aircraft, but neither are any of the other trim systems we have in place. None of the other trimmer modes do this, and I think that it would add a lot of enjoyment to the module. I again realize that it may not be exactly true to the actual aircraft, but it might be one of those things that helps overcome the "simisms" of the game.