104th_Money

Just my 100 cents here...This is more Apache oriented but I do prefer it much much more over the KA-50 which I stopped flying completely after the Apache was released. Im guessing the people that are complaining are not utilizing the Apache in the best way possible. First off, i'd be willing to bet that most people not enjoying the Apache are having trouble with controlling it throughout the different parts of the flight envelope are using their joystick the same as they would fly an airplane, holding the joystick in the normal position and also using a joystick that has a heavy spring such as a Warthog. I started holding the joystick at the top with my middle finger on the trigger and my pointer finger up the right side of the stick and putting my fingertip resting on the top pointed to the left. By doing this, I doubled the amount of movement I have to make by holding it normally. But I am also able to halve the movement that I need to make by holding it from the top. This alone allowed me to make much more subtle inputs along with having more leverage to break the stiction of the joystick (you know, the force that it takes to get the stick moving in a particular direction). Then i ended up switching from my Warthog to my 15 year old CH Fighterstick Pro that has always had a very light spring. Its less tiring to fly with. Im not sure how heavy other joysticks like the X56 are, but definitely try holding it from the top. It will take some getting used to but I promise you will have much finer control by making less exaggerated movements and getting into a PIO or overcontrolling it simply from the mechanics of the joystick. By the way, I don't use curves or trim when flying it. All of the above applies to all of the DCS helos. Secondly, the Apache is not a sports car for sure. But once you learn how to transition to and from the different parts of the flight envelope you can really put the Apache through its paces and I find it is extremely manueverable. Smoothness is definiteIy key. I have practiced and practiced and practiced for many hours offline to develop the muscle memory requirements to fly well with it. If you don't put in the time, you will not reap the benefits... Thirdly, the KA-50 is old technology, the Apache a much newer technology. As I tell my employees as their manager when they complain about having to learn new technologies entering the workplace "Change is all around you all the time, embrace the change or you will most certainly get left behind." As a fighting machine, the Apache is a much more combat capable aircraft than the KA-50 as a whole due to the more advanced technology. It allows you to have better situational awareness and survivability on a modern battlefield overall and we don't even have the FCR/Radar Hellfires yet (think no warning of fighter jets firing on you to start). This could most certainly change depending on the features offered by BS3. Fourthly (if that is really a word), I myself always prefer more challenging aircraft to fly because once it is mastered, the reward is so much more satisfying. Some people don't have the real life time available to put in to learn all of the systems or fly it with precision. Its not fault of the person but they are definitely missing out. Some people prefer an easier aircraft to fly and that is absolutely okay as well. Fifthly (ok i KNOW thats not a word), the aircraft is still in early access and they are working on it. From time to time I have George issues as well but I found that quite a few of them were actually my fault. Other issues have been fixed with updates and some still persist. Another thing that I would be most people don't realize is that the longer you fly the Apache, the aircraft systems and performance degrade especially when shutting down to repair. What I mean by this is...try flying to a target area 20-30 miles away, fire off 16 hellfires, fly back to base, rearm, fly back to the target area 20-30 miles away, fire off 16 hellfires, fly back to base, rearm and head back out again. You may not notice, but the aircraft will have a bit less power, George starts acting up and things start to go funny like the time of impact for hellfires will be way off. You may see the impact and get the kill but the countdown might be at 6 or 7 seconds still. The best way to avoid the problem at this time is to respawn in a new aircraft. Hopefully it will be fixed in a future update. Sixthly (still making up words here) I would add another 100 cents to the conversation but im getting tired of thinking intelligently and typing already. Money

DishDoggie, I appreciate the help. Im just beginning to get the grasp of the flags so most of the stuff you put is way beyond my current comprehension level. What I was having issues with is this. I have a flight of Apaches taking off. They have a primary tasking that must be completed. I have a trigger zone that activates units and messages for the inbound flight. I also have a second trigger zone that I was using for the return flight. The problem I was having is that the flight had to fly through both trigger zones at the same time during the inbound portion. My solution was to make the return flight trigger zone much smaller near a main road, which is easily accomplished when I was in command of the 2 ship as I could just tell my wingman to join up close on me and fly the same route as I was. This would create an issue for someone else leading the mission that wouldnt know you had to fly the main road back to pass through the return trigger zone. My solution was to create an additional trigger zone that had all of coalition out of zone in the primary target area create a flag true. Then for the return trip trigger zone I put part of group in zone and the flag true to activate the triggers in the return trip trigger zone. Worked out quite nicely once I was able to get a minor grip on flags. In the future this will definitely allow me to expand my creations in mission making. My next goal is to create some sort of ATC messages using triggers and flags, I hate the in game ATC. In the same mission I had to create a trigger zone right in front of the aircraft when it takes off, giving clearance for takeoff, current winds and flyout headings. It should be before takeoff though. I thought of putting the first message on a timer, the problem is if there is any RL delay in takeoff, the message wouldnt appear at the right time. I am starting to look at aircraft conditions to accomplish, but I tried using an altitude trigger to trigger the message and it did not work. Another issue that I am running into is that if I set up messages for outbound/inbound with trigger zones, if you take off and trigger the outbound then RTB to rearm/refuel and trigger the inbound, it wouldnt trigger a second outbound and inbound message for another takeoff and landing. This mission editor is so powerful, I just feel like they could make it much more user friendly in accomplishing things, its quite complicated especially for a new mission creator. Thanks, Money

@Exorcet @Rudel_chw Thank you both for steering me in the right direction. I was able to add a flag true trigger to a coalition out of zone trigger then add the flag true trigger to the condition of the trigger zone that I only wanted to be active after flight was returning. Worked perfectly. I really appreciate the help from both of you! Money

Exorcet, Thanks for the reply. Im going to have to read the user manual more and probably check out some YT videos but I think I am starting to understand the logic for it. It would be so much easier just to set a 1 time event like a group dead that late activates a trigger zone then that trigger zone completes its own events. I did also read about moving zones, which I was unaware of how they worked. That could save alot of time for me setting mission triggers. Thanks, Money

Rudel, thank you for replying. I sort of understand the logic on it, but in the mission editor I really dont see anything that would give me those options. If you have a chance, could you be more specific for me in the logic selections? Thank you so much, Money

Is there any way to activate a trigger zone with another trigger zone. I want to have a flight path for an aircraft that enters a trigger zone en route to the target area. I also want to have another trigger zone for the aircraft as it returns. The problem is that the aircraft flying en route enters both trigger zones. Thanks, Money

Can we get the ability to activate a trigger zone with a trigger? I mean, a trigger that doesnt activate unless its set by a trigger. For example, I want to set a flight path for aircraft to a target area. I want to add a trigger to the flight path for the aircraft to pass through en route to the target area. I also want another trigger on the flight path for the return trip. The problem is that when the aircraft passes through the en route, it would also pass through the trigger for the return trip. So something like an group activation upon an action but instead of a group activation, it activates a dormant trigger. Thanks, Money

Are you sure you didnt accidentally switch to gun mode? I have had this happen to me and ended up looking down to find that I somehow switched it over.

I recently noticed that a new helipad is available in the mission editor. Unfortunately it is so small that the Apache barely fits on it turned to the diaganolly on the pad. Could you please increase the size of the pad? I have a work around by placing 4 pads together and slightly overlapping however when there is a slight difference in terrain elevation the helicopter leans to the lower direction. Also, maybe a bigger variation of landing pads/farps. Perhaps a semi invisible FARP, sort of like a regular FARP with only the helipads and not the surrounding old green style around/in between them? And another suggestion of making the textures harder I guess, so that the wheels dont sink into them? Thanks, Money

I use the auto stop feature so I dont have to shut everything down manually. I have had issues not shutting down properly when I used a joystick/key bind to move the power levers forward. Using the mouse and doing them individually allows me to use the auto stop. Only then am I able to repair. I was able to do it by using the joystick/key bind for power levers forward smoothly and even though they were forward I used joystick/key bind to move again then was able to auto stop.

I know ED will not update the NTTR map anymore but I was wondering if it was at all possible to mod the map to add other bases. I’m sure there is a size limitation but if approximately 10% of the map to the right and top were removed and used on the bottom and left side there are several relevant area bases that could be included. NAS Fallon, NAS China Lake, NAS Lemoore, Edwards AFB and Lake Havasu City Airport are all on the current map but just not modeled and would not affect the training areas for Nellis AFB.

So I just found a work around. If you place enemy static objects, either barracks armed, buidling armed or watchtower armed, George will target them. In the target list it comes up as undefined. Testing it out, the barracks armed will explode immediately after first Hellfire impact and will be destroyed The building armed will catch on fire and explode after a minute or 2 and will be destroyed. The watchtower armed will not show any damage but will no longer appear on the list. Edit, road outpost will also show up in target list as undefined and can be destroyed.

Rgr that, was hoping not to have to add a soldier. I didnt mean to take out a whole building but at least hit it with one or 2.

Is it possible to get George to target a building or structure instead of only vehicles or infantry?

I had that issue before, turned out I was inadvertantly hitting the flap switch to the down position and started flying a bit weird...

Yo Bud! Doing pretty good here, hope the same for you. Aint seen you in forever! Drop in whenever you get a chance, we do some Apache flying! Take care bud!

I think you are correct about the real life part but I definitely am not new to helicopters in DCS. Its never taken me more than 30 minutes to be able to reasonably hover any helo in DCS before or in general to keep the helo from side slipping in slow flight or crabbing in faster forward flight, doing rapid take offs and landings. Every time I take off in the Apache it seems like it behaves differently...

I think alot of the problem is with the rapid fluctuation of torque when lifting off to a hover, which probably escalates into a PIO. In watching videos of Apaches taking off, it just looks so stable. I have tried to lift off and leave collective alone as soon as airborne and it still does it unpredictably so there is no real way for me to counter it.

So I did a quick ground hot mission with the Apache already up and running. Upon take off it seems extremely wobbly and very hard to hold in a hover. I even set curves for the controls and that didnt help. Is there an SAS system that needs to be turned on? I tried auto-start procedure but just get an engine fire warning and helo will not start. Its almost like flying the Hind or the KA-50 with the autopilots completely off. Once I get airborne and moving its relatively smooth. Noticed I cant accelerate above 132kts in level flight.

Ok so I was messing around with the helo today. Decided to just pull full collective and climb vertically and see how high it would go. At about 12,000ft the stability controls took a dump and it started pitching erratically. Was able to get some forward speed and stabilized somewhat. I had to use alot of forward stick to keep it from pitching up but climbed to about 20,000ft. All of a sudden the turbos kicked in at 225kts and about 95 seconds later she was at 1340kts going supersonic and then just blew up. Gonna try her again and start pulling up at about 1000kts and see if I can get her out of orbit lol.

In the next version release, is there any way to get the volume turned down on the external view. It is extremely loud, almost as loud as the Harrier engine. Still friggin awesome work gentlemen!

Any skinners that might want to take on the US State Deparment livery?

Awesome changes to an already fantastic mod! I noticed some power setting changes...I used to take off in NTTR out of Laughlin and cruise up the river at 61% torque and helo would maintain 100kts in hand off level flight. Now does same at about 47% torque maintaining about 80kts. Also, could somebody get maintenance to change out the tires on the mains? The sidewalls look like my wife curbed them while she was parking! Thanks guys

I followed the instructions in the first post to install but I cant see the troops in back. There is a selection for them in the ME but they dont show up in game. Any clue as to what I am doing wrong? Edit, after relocating some files everything good. Awesome mod