Helos and FF HOTAS

[dresoccer4]

Hello fellow simmers! I have a couple questions that hopefully someone shall be able to shed some light on for me.

 

Question 1) I've only been flying planes, but would like to try out a heli, which module is the simplest and easiest to get started with, in your opinion?

 

Question 2) I use a Microsoft Force Feedback 2 joystick along with my trusty keyboard, and that has been more than enough for the planes; albeit i've only been flowing the lower fidelity ones. Can i still fly any helos with this setup, or is it actually pointless and I shouldn't waste my monies on a new module? :(

 

Question 3) As stated above, i fly with my FF stick. Had it for around 15 years and it still works perfectly. I used it in highschool when I was learning to fly a real plane (got my private when i turned 17 :) !), in conjunction with the many iterations of Microsoft Flight Simulator. I fell in love with the force feedback system as it's gives you the closest feel to the real thing from your virtual your plane in a way i haven't been able to get with regular joysticks.

 

However it is pretty limited in its other capabilities, and the thought of a sweet HOTAS setup gets more alluring every day. So, my actual question is, does the best of both worlds exist? HOTAS with FF?

 

Sorry for the long winded post. Cheers! :pilotfly:

[Aginor]

Kinda disagree. I have a G940 and it is great for helicopters.

Beware though, you might have to fix one or two issues it has.

 

I rewired the throttle for example.

[Fri13]

No such thing as FF HOTAS

 

Sorry :cry:

 

, unless you want to mix and match, which you can do (pick up a throttle quadrant of some sort). My opinion? Forget about FF, it's really not that big a deal in the long run when you set it against all the benefits of HOTAS.

 

FF is very important on helicopters as it really gives the experience and the feeling. The Logitech G940 (with all its possible electronical problems if happening to get hands on such unit) is great by its FF and its features. It has enough buttons, mini-joystick and many other features that makes it great. And its pedals even work amazingly well (unless you get the unit that has the mentioned electronic problems that cause spiking).

[dresoccer4]

Sorry :cry:

FF is very important on helicopters as it really gives the experience and the feeling. The Logitech G940 (with all its possible electronical problems if happening to get hands on such unit) is great by its FF and its features. It has enough buttons, mini-joystick and many other features that makes it great. And its pedals even work amazingly well (unless you get the unit that has the mentioned electronic problems that cause spiking).

 

sweet, basically exactly what i was looking for. EXCEPT :) i looked on amazon and balls are they expensive, IF you can find any. they are all used. ranging from $600 to over $1,200, defects and all. its a great idea, but don't think i'm gonna go for this one.

 

i'm surprised FF basically doesn't exist anymore (not counting those ancient models). maybe they're hard to pull off. something like the sidewinder FF2, but with another hat switch and good throttle control would be amazing.

 

as a compromise, i guess i can get a sweet throttle section, are there any stand alone's worth mentioning? the throttle from the X52 looks awesome with its little control panel. more in the price range too. not sure how easy it is to get get that section solo though...

[Gordon861]

I think the X-52 daisy chains the throttle and joystick so only uses one USB, but I cannot remember which bit has the USB so this might be a problem if you only want to use the throttle. Someone with the unit will know which.

 

The X-55 throttle and stick use separate USBs for each part.

[dresoccer4]

Still wondering about Question 1 and Question 2 - which is easiest helo to get into, and would my current setup even allow for a fun time with helos?

 

hopefully someone has some advice for me! thanks :)

[Slazi]

Still wondering about Question 1 and Question 2 - which is easiest helo to get into,

 

This is actually a very hard question.

 

The Ka-50 is the easiest to fly, and the most powerful, but it has the most complex systems. You will have a lot of trouble with the autopilot at the start.

 

The Huey is really simple. Flying can be a little tricky, but all the systems are really easy to manage.

 

The Mi-8 has tons of buttons, but once you're up in the air, it is really smooth. It's really heavy, so you need to predict its movements.

 

The Gazelle is really twitchy. If you're good at small stick movements, its actually quite easy to control.

 

TBH - they are all amazing modules. Hard to choose just one.

[Fri13]

Still wondering about Question 1 and Question 2 - which is easiest helo to get into, and would my current setup even allow for a fun time with helos?

 

hopefully someone has some advice for me! thanks :)

 

I think that KA-50 is easiest to get to because it flies so well and you basically just program it to do what you want. But you need to learn about "programming" for it like how to use the ABRIS (Advanced Moving Map), what Auto-pilot modes to use (Route following, Heading etc) and then it really comes like flying and watching when it goes. So you can focus more about the surroundings from its small windows :-P

 

It weapon systems are fairly easy to use, and very fun to use. As you have longest spear with ATGM (Vikhr missiles) to hit over 8-10km ranges (depending your altitude) and you carry a lot of them (instead 4). It has very fancy cannon that really makes "knife fighting" fun as you can example press and hold the Skhval Uncage button when you have the helmet aiming system down, and the cannon points where you look. That really requires a TrackIR or VR goggles, but it makes you able to really do quick pop-ups and turns and just shoot everywhere you can look at (in limits of the cannon moves).

 

It is as well fancy to fly in low-light environments as you can still operate it fairly well, but on dark nights you need to use illumination rockets.

 

And if you have someone to fly with, KA-50 becomes like super fancy, as you can share the ABRIS and Skhval over datalink, like you can see where the other one is flying on ABRIS, you can easily store targets to ABRIS and then upload those to each others, get automatically Skhval pointed to stored targets etc.

 

So KA-50 is fairly much about operating the helicopter, that in time becomes like second nature and it is then very powerful aircraft that just follows your wishes.

It does have nice capabilities to fight with rockets, bombs and such as well. And it is great for acrobatics too!

 

But where Mi-8MTv2 and UH-1H are great are then about lifting infantry, sling loading cargo etc. And UH-1H is now nice to be used against infantry because its door gunners (that you can as well man yourself if wanted, or in future a friend) and then the co-pilot has the flexible miniguns operated aiming device so you can fly straight and just shoot where you look at. Great for lightly armored targets.

 

The Gazelle is new, but I have found that it would really require 2-3 players so you can work together and really use the limited 4 ATGM missiles. But if you can work as a scout for CA units... It becomes fun too.

 

If I would be you, I would likely wait that DCS 2.5 gets out, so we can see how the map and new functions are affecting the gameplay. As currently helicopters are very vulnerable as AI can see and shoot you through the trees and you just can't get close to them as you should. Not be able to use correct tactics as enemy will react to you unrealistically once you pop-up or slide behind concealment/cover. So the helicopter combat really is now about getting to max range and firing from there a missile.

 

And if the Mi-24P or AH-1W gets out on this year, I think those are the funniest helicopters after KA-50 to fly then.

[dresoccer4]

This is actually a very hard question.

 

The Ka-50 is the easiest to fly, and the most powerful, but it has the most complex systems. You will have a lot of trouble with the autopilot at the start....

 

TBH - they are all amazing modules. Hard to choose just one.

 

thanks for the feedback! do you fly with a hotas?

 

I think that KA-50 is...

 

If I would be you, I would likely wait that DCS 2.5 gets out, so we can see how the map and new functions are affecting the gameplay. As currently helicopters are very vulnerable as AI can see and shoot you through the trees and you just can't get close to them as you should. Not be able to use correct tactics as enemy will react to you unrealistically once you pop-up or slide behind concealment/cover. So the helicopter combat really is now about getting to max range and firing from there a missile.

 

And if the Mi-24P or AH-1W gets out on this year, I think those are the funniest helicopters after KA-50 to fly then.

 

very descriptive, thanks for that. and waiting to 2.5 does seem like good advice. what is your helo setup?

[Fri13]

thanks for the feedback! do you fly with a hotas?

 

Yes, Logitech G940 is primary, sometimes Saitek X45 or just a old Saitek stick if on 2nd or 3rd computer.

The is difference with FF hotas and non one. As trimmer works totally differently.

 

I have ka-50 binded so i don't need to move hands off from HOTAS than when i need to enable anti-ice or adjust flood light or operate PVI-800 (and that i get back to keyboard once i buy correct battery to wireless numpad)

 

very descriptive, thanks for that. and waiting to 2.5 does seem like good advice. what is your helo setup?

 

What you mean with a setup?

[dresoccer4]

Yes, Logitech G940 is primary, sometimes Saitek X45 or just a old Saitek stick if on 2nd or 3rd computer.

The is difference with FF hotas and non one. As trimmer works totally differently.

 

I have ka-50 binded so i don't need to move hands off from HOTAS than when i need to enable anti-ice or adjust flood light or operate PVI-800 (and that i get back to keyboard once i buy correct battery to wireless numpad)

 

What you mean with a setup?

 

 

i was asking you and Slazi what setup you used to play helos on dcs. thanks for the answer. PS need that many computers and joysticks, huh? lol

[Slazi]

thanks for the feedback! do you fly with a hotas?

 

 

 

very descriptive, thanks for that. and waiting to 2.5 does seem like good advice. what is your helo setup?

HOTAS, pedals, and TrackIr. Pedals are especially important for helis. You might get away with none in the Ka-50 due to the autopilot, but all of the others need them.

 

Don't wait for anything. Now is a good time to start learning the basics. It'll take a while for you to become comfortable.

[Fri13]

Don't wait for anything. Now is a good time to start learning the basics. It'll take a while for you to become comfortable.

 

In DCS we can now just learn basics for flying, but not anything for combat as it is unrealistic by ranges and AI capabilities. Systems can be learned in aircraft in theory but not in operation.

 

So of a person doesn't know what is interesting and isn't ready to buy 2-3 modules, it is now better to wait and then see does combat helicopters make sense.

[Slazi]

I agree that combat vs ai ground units is off, but I'd expect a long wait for any significant changes. If you're willing to wait a year, this might be good advice. Combat is definitely still enjoyable.