Wow, it is really difficult to "fly straight" in a Huey.

[WelshZeCorgi]

I'm not complaining, if it's 100% realistic, I'm all for it,

 

I'm just having a tough time trying to keep the Huey from oscillating during forward flight.

 

In the first mission in the Huey campaign, "which I think is very-well done, by the way." The annoyingly snarky copilot complained of my shaky flying. I know he was probably programmed to say that regardless of how well you are flying but I'm trying to get the Huey to stop oscillating during flight...

 

Any tips on how to get the Huey from wobbling all over the place during forward flight?

 

It seems to not wobble when I make no rudder corrections, but seems to wobble greatly when I try to center the ball on the slip indicator.

[Cibit]

Sometimes it looks like your trimmed to centre the ball but are still slipping, try flying 85-90 knots level with a small amount of right rudder and around 25-28% torque if flying a slick

Edited January 28, 2016 by Cibit

[hansangb]

Huey does need quality rudders. And try flying by looking at reference points outside of cockpit. I think you'll find it's easier than trying to center the ball.

[MegOhm_SD]

Finess comes with time in the seat....:pilotfly:

[Rogue Trooper]

All 3 answers are exactly what I would say. Start with what Cibit mentioned; slow down.. the chopper needs constant adjustment when flying real fast so trim down to 80 knots then creep up. the huey is a smooth ride at 80.

[WelshZeCorgi]

All 3 answers are exactly what I would say. Start with what Cibit mentioned; slow down.. the chopper needs constant adjustment when flying real fast so trim down to 80 knots then creep up. the huey is a smooth ride at 80.

 

What about missions where time is of the essence? (Elbe Rescue) and you're flying 140+? I'm guessing not much. In fact, at that speed you're actually correcting with right rudder to counteract the nose's tendency to pull and roll left...

[Cibit]

That mission is pretty much a one off. For general flying 90 knots is way fast enough and a lot easier to control. And 140 knots your pulling in lots of power which means a left pedal input to counteract the torque generated by the tail rotor

[Elwood]

All good suggestions. But most important practice, what I did was to follow the runway white center line at different speed and low level.

Keep doing it again and again, if you hover at the end of the runway to comeback is even a better exercise.

[Zimmerdylan]

Yeah.......It's like learning to drive a clutch while juggling 4 balls. I had a very hard time with roto craft at first. But there is hope!!! I learned and I am quite good at it now.

I once had a music student who flew Hueys in Vietnam (he passed away some years ago). I said to the guy "Man, it sure is hard and there's waaay to much to know." And his reply was, "I've been taking music lessons for 3 years and still can't play an instrument worth a damn, I learned to fly the Huey in a couple of months." That put it all into perspective for me.

 

A few things that I notice help me a heck of a lot.

 

Force trim= friend. Makes hovering and level flight much more tolerable and easy.

 

Balancing the craft and the collective is paramount (was for me anyway). Once you get that down, it's all over but the paperwork. Even though you cannot physically feel the A.C. moving in the sim, you actually can almost mentally feel it. It becomes kind of like riding a bike.

 

And.......Once you get use to flying it around, the dynamics change when there is a load. Everything is slightly different and you have to kind of get use to it again.

 

Of course, this is all just one guy's experience. Everyone is different.

[hansangb]

BTW, to Zimmerdylan's point, it is *WAY* easier once you fly with the Rift. What makes it so much harder is that you're missing the physical sensation of flying. You get that back with the Rift.

[Rogue Trooper]

What about missions where time is of the essence? (Elbe Rescue) and you're flying 140+? I'm guessing not much. In fact, at that speed you're actually correcting with right rudder to counteract the nose's tendency to pull and roll left...

 

You have to start somewhere and the best place to start is slow, If you rush in fast it will very quickly become sensory overload where every aspect of the chopper demands attention. Once you get experience, each component of the choppers flight becomes second nature and flying 140+ will be a doddle.

[Flamin_Squirrel]

That mission is pretty much a one off. For general flying 90 knots is way fast enough and a lot easier to control. And 140 knots your pulling in lots of power which means a left pedal input to counteract the torque generated by the tail rotor

 

At that speed you also risk experiencing "retreating blade stall". This is a dangerous condition and would be avoided in reality.

[BFBunny]

I think you always need some input from what I recall.

 

Hue is very much like a car in that it will generally need small, gentle inputs to keep it going the right way.

 

Remember there is a lot of torque in that rotor and all it wants to do is spin you round.

 

It's a tricky module to master, but after a while I found it fairly easy even with a fairly cheap stick.

 

You may need to tweak your axis settings to help you be more smooth.

[Pikey]

Been doing it casually for a while and the OP reminds me i'm still here. Loose unsticky rudder pedals and an eye for a reference point. Secondly the collective is quite sensitive by default, I have an x52 and need -20 negative curves. Just a touch of collective messes the torque all over the place. smooth inputs is not what we tend to do in sims. To some extent you begin to anticipate the torque with the pedals and even steer with it, but flying the Huey reminds me of taking the dog for a walk. OK, so the dog and you have seperate minds and don't always agree. Sometimes the dog gets to choose where you go for a bit and you have to have some strong willpower to get back on track. As you grow together you get better.

[Ashilta]

Been doing it casually for a while and the OP reminds me i'm still here. Loose unsticky rudder pedals and an eye for a reference point. Secondly the collective is quite sensitive by default, I have an x52 and need -20 negative curves. Just a touch of collective messes the torque all over the place. smooth inputs is not what we tend to do in sims. To some extent you begin to anticipate the torque with the pedals and even steer with it, but flying the Huey reminds me of taking the dog for a walk. OK, so the dog and you have seperate minds and don't always agree. Sometimes the dog gets to choose where you go for a bit and you have to have some strong willpower to get back on track. As you grow together you get better.

 

Sometimes, you'll see something your dog wants and you'll call them off before they go to it - that's the helicopter mentality. You alluded to it about using torque reaction to steer - I don't bother with pedal inputs now when I'm putting the heli down outside the hanger IRL. Predict what it's going to do rather than react; know, absolutely, the effect that each control input has on the airframe and start to automate your reactions. Helicopter collectives really are that sensitive!

 

It's interesting to compare the behaviour of this to my RL experiences - some things are a bit removed (I've never experienced the seemingly continual sway of the Huey, but then I've never flown a Huey) whereas some things are modelled absolutely spot on, for example the loss of translational lift - really well modelled. I had expected an easier transition into the DCS Huey then I've had!

[WildBillKelsoe]

in all "ruddery" craft, I find that having both toes pushing against eachother really works. the cruising speed to reduce oscillations in 60-80 knots and you can start with something simple like chasing the centerline of a runway or taxiway, "peripheral vision", along with regular instrument scan. Its important to establish time inside choppers to get comfy.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Chipwich]

I just finished 'Guts and Gunships' in which Garrison relates the trick to flying the under-powered Charlie model gunship as compared to the H model slicks. That was to use very small inputs on the controls. Really great read for this module BTW.

[Cibit]

I just finished 'Guts and Gunships' in which Garrison relates the trick to flying the under-powered Charlie model gunship as compared to the H model slicks. That was to use very small inputs on the controls. Really great read for this module BTW.

 

I just finished it too, very informative and very poignant at the end