Hey guys, spread the word: this chopper is the bee's knees

[msalama]

As we know Big Millie is nearing release status, so please spread the word. This chopper is one of the best sim modules ever made, and definitely the best virtual helicopter ever, so please tell folks with even just a passing interest to pick this baby up pronto. BST deserves the sales - and your friends deserve a great big honkin' helicopter!

 

Now am I right or am I right??? ;)

[Cibit]

As we know Big Millie is nearing release status, so please spread the word. This chopper is one of the best sim modules ever made, and definitely the best virtual helicopter ever, so please tell folks with even just a passing interest to pick this baby up pronto. BST deserves the sales - and your friends deserve a great big honkin' helicopter!

 

Now am I right or am I right??? ;)

 

Yes you are 100% correct:)

Thanks Belsimtek I knew you would come through for us that like our choppers on the larger side;)

and a manual too:smartass:

[ebabil]

mi-8 has become a dream module far better from any other. it is pure happinnes

i have been waiting new 2 campaigns fingers crossed. i am even thinking playing old campaign with my new gunners gang. :)

but bst looks like has forgotten the huey.

[TomCatMucDe]

99.99999999999% agree, that 0.0000000001% will be awarded when we have multicrew.

[EntropySG]

cannot agree more! Mi-8 is a dream

[AG-51_Razor]

I could not agree more! As a professional helicopter pilot, with 10K+ hours, and the last 25 years spent flying a large, twin engine, heavy lift helicopter, I think that I can say with some authority that the Mi-8 is, without a doubt, the best representation of a helicopter on a desktop computer that is currently available.

 

Having spent 30 years or so playing around with desktop simulators, almost exclusively the fixed wing variety, I have avoided the rotory wing simulators primarily because I never felt that they ever came close to accurately recreating the "feel" of flyiing a helicopter. The Mi-8 does that better than anything I have ever tried, short of a proffessional full motion, level D flight simulator!! Belsimtech has really done their homework on this and I can't speak highly enough about the high fidelity of this particular simulator! :pilotfly:

[Looney]

Congratulations to Belsimtek on a simulator very well made. You've given us a tool to use in the DCS community, one with outstanding quality and modelling.

 

I take my hat of for you sirs/madams, as well as taking a very, very deep bow.

[BaD CrC]

I can hardly wait to come back home to fly this magnificent machine and module. I am insanely happy with the final manual, new slingloads and side gunners.

[msalama]

Razor, testimonials from RL helo pilots such as yourself are extremely valuable to both BST and the community, because you guys speak from authority & experience and are thus the best at evaluating how things really are. So let it be known that I really appreciate your being around & am also sure I'm certainly not the only one either :)

[rrohde]

Superb module, superb developer. Thanks Belsimtek! :thumbup:

[Hawkeye60]

Razor, testimonials from RL helo pilots such as yourself are extremely  valuable to both BST and the community, because you guys speak from  authority & experience and are thus the best at evaluating how  things really are. So let it be known that I really appreciate your  being around & am also sure I'm certainly not the only one either [img=https://forums.eagle.ru/images/smilies/smile.gif]

 

+1:thumbup:

[PilotMi8]

I could not agree more! As a professional helicopter pilot, with 10K+ hours, and the last 25 years spent flying a large, twin engine, heavy lift helicopter, I think that I can say with some authority that the Mi-8 is, without a doubt, the best representation of a helicopter on a desktop computer that is currently available.

 

Having spent 30 years or so playing around with desktop simulators, almost exclusively the fixed wing variety, I have avoided the rotory wing simulators primarily because I never felt that they ever came close to accurately recreating the "feel" of flyiing a helicopter. The Mi-8 does that better than anything I have ever tried, short of a proffessional full motion, level D flight simulator!! Belsimtech has really done their homework on this and I can't speak highly enough about the high fidelity of this particular simulator! :pilotfly:

We very glad that you liked!:)

[MaxDamage]

It is the best but it is also ridiculously difficult to fly. I wish i had a joystick extention.

[msalama]

pssst... Max... curves...

[Cibit]

It is the best but it is also ridiculously difficult to fly. I wish i had a joystick extention.

 

Trim a lot. If in doubt trim some more:thumbup:

[Looney]

And make sure you have the pitch/roll dampening channel activated.

[enigma6584]

It really is a beautiful module. Just absolutely love it.

[Whisper]

And make sure you have the pitch/roll dampening channel activated.

 

This, +1000

I use zero curve, zero trim, and a cut down spring on my X55 to have a sensitive, low friction/counter force stick. You'll tame it pretty fast, tbh, it's not that difficult.

The thing is, without the pitch/roll channel active, it's pretty damn difficult to stop it from going everywhere but where you want it to go....

And to add to it : at the beginning, you have a tendancy to be a little too rough on the controls, and when doing so with the collective on the Mi8, you often end up in a transitionnal "RPM low" state (it doesn't last long, but Bitching Betty warns you about it).

In this case, your generator doesn't have enough power and some function are stopped, namely, the pitch/roll channel (in fact, the whole AP system) is disconnected!!

So whenever you get an audio warning and the lady gets uncontrollable, check the green LED

[firmek]

And make sure you have the pitch/roll dampening channel activated.

It's a point that was always interesting for me. I'm always keeping the pitch/roll channel on, altitude and heading off and then trimming a lot. The question is what the best practice is (if there is any) and how it looks in reality. The reason why I gave up on using the heading autopilot is that the computer pedals always come back to center instead of staying in place as those in the real Mi8. In result the centering action when the pedals are eased and then moving the pedals into a trimmed position makes the helicopter wiggle side to side.

 

Besides of that, not to be totally off topic - Mi-8 is a great module. Totally recommended! I have never though that a transport helicopter can be so much interesting and engaging.

[The Legman]

It's a point that was always interesting for me. I'm always keeping the pitch/roll channel on, altitude and heading off and then trimming a lot. The question is what the best practice is (if there is any) and how it looks in reality. The reason why I gave up on using the heading autopilot is that the computer pedals always come back to center instead of staying in place as those in the real Mi8. In result the centering action when the pedals are eased and then moving the pedals into a trimmed position makes the helicopter wiggle side to side.

 

Besides of that, not to be totally off topic - Mi-8 is a great module. Totally recommended! I have never though that a transport helicopter can be so much interesting and engaging.

 

This is why on helos i always want to see the control position (Rctrl Enter). You will see what is the position you want them to be before doing that, but also to have the "feel".

[Pocket Sized]

I think the Mi-8 doesn't get the attention it deserves because when you think "Digital Combat Simulator" you imagine dogfights and gun runs, not lugging crates between FARP's.

 

When somebody gets the Mi-8 it's always the same story. They think about it long and hard and eventually say "Eh, why not." As soon as they start flying her they fall in love and never look back. It's definitely the best choice after learning the Huey. More engines, bigger, more complex, fully functional autopilot/stabilization system, and very, very Russian. She never lets you forget just how much mass you're throwing around with that stick of yours.

 

Speaking of the autopilot, that's one of my favorite features. It is strong enough to hold you level for cruising or a rough hover, but it isn't at all intrusive like the Kamov's autopilot. You never have to disengage it because it makes the helicopter fly better, regardless of flight conditions! You also get to twiddle knobs with your tongue at just the right angle, which is always fun.

 

The engines provide an interesting challenge. They have enough power to fling you around the Moon at the cost of degrading over time if you overload them. They also take no small amount of time to spool up, which can be deadly if you unexpectedly enter VRS! I've found you can give them a little wake up call by pulling a bit of collective a few seconds before coming out of translational lift.

 

None of this is even touching the visual and audio quality of the module itself, which I could go on for hours about.

[Reflected]

As we know Big Millie is nearing release status, so please spread the word. This chopper is one of the best sim modules ever made, and definitely the best virtual helicopter ever, so please tell folks with even just a passing interest to pick this baby up pronto. BST deserves the sales - and your friends deserve a great big honkin' helicopter!

 

Now am I right or am I right??? ;)

 

Is it even better than the Huey?

[firmek]

Is it even better than the Huey?

There are threads that discuss differences between those two. I've got a Mi-8 first, spent a lot of time flying it, then got the Huey and after few hours with it I came back to Mi-8. Since than Huey sits for some other time in hangar. IMO it depends mostly on personal preferences, nostalgia, ethetics, etc.. Technically both are great modules.

[Quadg]

Is it even better than the Huey?

 

i would say they compliment each other very well..

 

the mi-8 teaches Huey pilots patience :) and corrects some bad habits they may have picked up

 

the huey teaches mi-8 pilots how to fly helicopters with no control delay..

 

so i would start in hueys :)

[Rangi]

I hope the Mi-8 is not the "bee's knees" as I would like to see more choppers from Belsimtek. It is a whole lot of challenging fun though.