I think I figured out how to fly this thing!

[TickJackson]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am pleased to announce that I'm pretty sure I've figured out how to fly this helicopter. Here is a summary of what I discovered after countless crashes:

 

1. turn off control helper (it does something to the trim, not sure if its a bug or not)

2. trim trim trim trim trim

3. set your control curves to linear

4. take it easy. You are not gonna slow down and drop 500 feet in a half mile (Maybe its possible but I haven't figured that out yet)

5. I noticed that taking off fully loaded helps make it easier to control (more inertia)

6. Plan your approach

7. the heading hold autopilot is more trouble than its worth

 

This is what I've found through trial and error and I'm still learning. It worked for me. What works for you?

 

-TickJackson

[Body Farm]

completely agree with no. 4, you have to take it easy with the Mi-8.

 

If I may add my 2 cent advice:

Most important thing is to watch the VSI very closely and not let it drop below 5 m\s. Yet always remember that it is very slow instrument to react, you may be in real trouble descending while the VSI is still showing you in good rate of descent.

When the doppler comes on at low speed, I follow the descent rate on it instead of the barometric VSI.

 

And for all helos I recommended a warthog extension, as helicopter control is all about finesse.

[whitehot]

When I begun flying the hip I found it to be rather easy and pleasurable. In fact, I liked it from the first minute, unlike the chicken, in which I had several difficulties even taking off.

 

I've read several people believing that it's the SAS system that makes the hip a cakewalk, yet I must say that imho it remains a stable and controllable platform even in a "stick and rudder" setting.

 

In regards to your points:

 

1. What is it? Seriously, never heard of that.

2. ofc

3. Some folks tamper with those setting, but ED has stated that all the DCS aircraft are modeled to feel the most realistic with linear controls. In fact, real aircraft, both fixed and rotary, have linear controls (don't know if some new system - like the f-35 - may be configured in such regard, but I believe that most pilots would prefer a linear configuration all the times)

4. It is possible, just keep flying it and you'll get the hang of everything.

5. May be subjective, I'm better off with a light helo. Remember that more inertia also makes the heli more difficult to "stop" especially at higher speeds. In those situations, the transition phases need to be planned accurately.

6. Absolutely. Even after having logged several hours, and having the feeling of being able to control the hip in pretty much any condition, I still happen to enter vortex ring state some times.. If that happens, I normally manage to save the crew lives, yet the heli gets a snapped tail and the mission is a fail.

7. I don't use it, yet I would like to employ it in some cases with relatively long legs to the mission area. Ofc, not if among the mountains.

 

Also, depending on the mission you're flying (the campaign is a good example, and it's one of the best DCS campaigns ever), give the doppler navigation suite a try. It may look a little "archaic", yet if employed correctly, it's an accurate system that will bring you to the spot you need to go. Being designed in the sixties, where no GNSS systems were available, the radar navigation gets the job done, although it needs some precision by the pilot.

 

 

All in all, it's a good heli, a workhorse that will complete its mission at every latitude, weather condition, temperature - it will bring that cargo to its destination, or put those boots on the ground. It can mount a generous amount of external weapons in addition to the internal load, with rockets and several choices of guns of several calibers it can be devastating to anybody trying to approach the LZ with anything less armored than a MBT.

 

In that regard, I would had preferred to have a version in DCS able to employ ATGMs, yet the Mi-8 is likely to be escorted by Mi24s/Mi-28s/Ka-50s, which would take care of tanks and IFVs at the LZ.

[TickJackson]

Hey Whitehot,

 

The control helper is in the options menu. It seems to fight the autopilot and creates annoying oscillations in the controls.

I haven't really gotten into the adf and doppler nav yet. Perhaps this weekend. I do use the doppler radar for landing though. Its very helpful.

 

I agree I also really enjoy flying the hip, its my favorite module. I have the 21, a10, huey and f15 the last two I just bought during the last sale.

 

I haven't given the huey a fair chance yet, I've only got an hour or two in the seat.

[lmp]

Most important thing is to watch the VSI very closely and not let it drop below 5 m\s.

 

Near hover 5m/s might be too much, safe descent rate is more 2 - 3m/s. This corresponds to roughly 500 feet per minute in American units. I think that's what makes a lot of people believe the Hip is particularly prone to VRS - they try to keep the VVI needle above the 5 notch, like they would in the Huey, but that causes them to descent two times faster.

 

Of course the faster you're going forward, the faster you can descent without VRSing...

[msalama]

all the DCS aircraft are modeled to feel the most realistic with linear controls

No doubt, but controllers differ wildly and some are just too twitchy without curves. So there's no one correct method to this, I'm afraid...

[Socket7]

3 m/s maximum descent rate while in a hover according to the books.

 

You can get away with more, but you're playing with fire.

 

I love flying the mi-8. The difference in handling between fully loaded and empty is one of my favorite things about it.

[Body Farm]

Near hover 5m/s might be too much, safe descent rate is more 2 - 3m/s.

 

I stand corrected, thanks.

[whitehot]

Near hover 5m/s might be too much, safe descent rate is more 2 - 3m/s. This corresponds to roughly 500 feet per minute in American units. I think that's what makes a lot of people believe the Hip is particularly prone to VRS - they try to keep the VVI needle above the 5 notch, like they would in the Huey, but that causes them to descent two times faster.

 

Of course the faster you're going forward, the faster you can descent without VRSing...

 

In my case, I still end up in vortex ring because for some reason I fail to correct the descent rate promptly while not looking at the vspeed indicators for a second or two. I guess something like, that when I get my eyes off the instruments and look outside to sight possible obstacles, the heli suddenly goes from 3-4 m/s to 5+ and from there on, things go south easily.

 

My errors are ofc correctable with more practice - It's the kind of thing that, after having mastered most of the aircraft, still needs some time to be polished.

 

Yet, it also may be one of those situations in which the simulator may actually be more difficult than RL: in RL the pilot can feel the descent rate, very much precisely. Also he can feel all the vibrations and the movements the heli begins to produce while it approach said state. He can react promptly and feel the subtle changes in applying collective corrections.

 

In the sim, (I don't have force feedback and don't know how it does in this case) we have to rely solely on the instruments, as it is almost impossible (at least for me) to distinguish a 3ms descent rate from a 5ms one looking outside. Yes, the dcs hip makes sounds and the cockpit visibly vibrates when the rotor blades encounter the disturbed airflow - Yet when that happens, it is very often too late too react, especially at very low height.

 

I may add that, in the cases where I managed to get out in one piece, I recovered by adding the more collective I could reasonably do (don't over do it or you end up stalling the rotor and losing the residual lift you may have) while pushing the cyclic forward, to get velocity and get out of the "disturbed" area - I feel it's the only thing to try and sometimes it saves the chopper, while sometimes at least it can reduce the descent rate and instead of crashing and killing the crew you slam on the ground and snap the tail.

[lmp]

I may add that, in the cases where I managed to get out in one piece, I recovered by adding the more collective I could reasonably do (don't over do it or you end up stalling the rotor and losing the residual lift you may have) while pushing the cyclic forward, to get velocity and get out of the "disturbed" area - I feel it's the only thing to try and sometimes it saves the chopper, while sometimes at least it can reduce the descent rate and instead of crashing and killing the crew you slam on the ground and snap the tail.

 

If you react quickly enough you can sometimes recover from a developing VRS just like you describe. If you're in an established VRS - and you have the altitude to pull this off - recover by applying forward cyclic and lowering the collective to unstall the rotor. Then, once you have some forward speed, pull the power back up. Naturally you'll lose quite a bit more altitude this way, so near the ground it's usually not a realistic option.

 

One more thing to keep in mind is that the VVI has a bit of a lag. If your descent rate is changing rapidly, you might be dropping faster than your instruments are telling you.

[Rogue Trooper]

In case you don't, I would also suggest zooming out a touch so that more of your instrument panel can be seen whilst concentrating on the outside world. Eyeballing the VVI is faster than moving your head to see it.

 

For me, the instant the Hip starts to shake I slowly increase collective and check the VVI... as sure as the sun comes up in the morning the VVI will be dropping but at a nice slow rate because collective is already being increased, if I am happy with the descent rate I stop increasing collective but for sure the danger is gone or under control.

 

As IMP stated; the VVI does have a delay and if you wait to apply collective because you are waiting for the VVI to respond it may already be too late.. especially when the HIP is heavily loaded.

[Socket7]

The Doppler hover indicator responds a fair bit faster than the VVI, but its meter for vertical velocity can be affected by pitch or roll.