Controlling the helicopter with HOTAS

[jurinko]

Hi all,

 

thinking about the BS, how is actually the real helicopter controlled in flight? I suppose the pedals will rotate it along the z-axis, the stick can lean the machine to the sides/forward/backwards, but which "slider" controls the prop angle so the machine goes up or down? How shall we do with our HOTAS?

 

I have Sidewinder 2, X-45 throttle and pedals.

[Ven]

Not a real pilot but remember how Longbow was. Joystick basically tilts the rotors side/forward/backwards. Rudder is for rotating. And throttle is for up/down.

[S77th-konkussion]

I suppose one might find a way to mount the throttle vertically. If needed- you could reverse the throttle axis.

[Aeroscout]

The cyclic (stick) is for tilting the helicopter in the direction you want to go. once you reach the speed you want, level out and glide. You also don't use the throttle control to go up and down. Instead, you use the collective to change the pitch of the blades. the more pitch you have, the higher you go.

 

Rudder has also been renammed "anti-torque" but they do still rotate the helicopter, like an aircraft's rudder. In conventional helicopters, this changes the pitch of the tail-roater. in the Ka-50, I'll bet it changes the speed of individual roaters. (don't quote me on it.)

 

Hope this helps.

 

And, I should mention helicopters are a lot harder to fly.

[EscCtrl]

And, I should mention helicopters are a lot harder to fly.

 

Nonsense!

[jurinko]

Hmm looking forward to it. Hiding in kamov between the blocks of flats, hovering above the ground, even landing in the urban zone to avoid fighters..

[thesystem]

Nonsense!

when your used to fly planes...the first step to learn a helicopter is hard. But when you parctice it will go better. But that is with everything!

[EscCtrl]

when your used to fly planes...the first step to learn a helicopter is hard. But when you parctice it will go better. But that is with everything!

 

I'm no helicopter ace but i've never found controlling them that difficult. Seems intuitive much like planes are :P

 

I don't see why anyone here would find it difficult either, even the first few steps shouldn't be a problem, you can fly 'choppers like planes too. If you want to pull harder corners you have to bank massively and pull back like a fighter - least I've always done it that way.

[Geier]

I've tried the BS myself and I can say flight on helicopter is easier than on a plane. All the more using the air-cushions makes the pilot's life much simpler...

[SUBS17]

You need rudder pedals for helicopter sims, a slider won't do the job as good and if you're against vehicles/aircraft etc you would want your pedals so your hands are free to operate the weapons. Thats what I learn't from LB2.:thumbup: IMO correctly modeled helicopter sims require constant adjustment of the pedals.

[Glowing_Amraam]

I'm using a very simple (and old) Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro, and i can control the KA-50 with not much trouble :)

 

But still, it IS hard to fly! Then again, im quite a noob with the KA-50, and play with full realism :P

[Glowing_Amraam]

IMO correctly modeled helicopter sims require constant adjustment of the pedals.

 

Bingo..

[Wags]

For those that don't have or want to buy pedals, using the X axis on a CH Pro throttle mini-stick works very well for me.

[EscCtrl]

I've managed perfectly fine without pedals in other sims and rarely use the rudder any more than I would with a plane sim. The only time I could use accurate yaw control is when you turn using the rudder then release the rudder, if you release it too fast the aircraft yaws fairly violently back into the original direction, the trick is to smoothly reel it off.

 

Other than that I doubt they'd be necessary.

[Aeroscout]

I've flown chopper sims w/o petals with no difficulty.

[SUBS17]

There have been chopper sims in the past that allowed for automatic tail rotor control and also remove the need for constant adjustment. IRL adjustments must be made constantly in relation to the RPM of the rotor to counter the torque. So if a chopper sim requires less adjustment in this area then you may have a setting somewhere turnned off that removes the need for it. Thats the main reason why I found LB2 to be one of the best chopper sims ever made because combined with my HOTAS and pedals the adjustment was always required and it took alot of work especially in dogfights.

[Kuky]

EscCtrl and Aeroscout... flying a chopper IS harder then flying an aircraft... to add to this... in a propperly simulated FM and physics. I have to say it's actually no difference to fly when you have some speed... but trying to hover or make good precise landing (and I mean doing it quickly in one go) is much much harder.

 

When you say pulling on the stick (hence increasing the blades pitch) increases height... well sure... untill you lose speed... after which I'd like to see you keep climbing and keeping that pitch :smilewink:

 

I am certain fighting in Ka-50 will be a challenge... more like with Su-25T. Landing in wind... well you'll see... you will change your mind about the rudder pedals :joystick:

[EscCtrl]

I realise you have to make those adjustments, I have FSX set so that effect occurs but it's so slight I can easily ignore it.

 

We'll see but I think people are making it sound far harder then it really is.

[hitman]

I see servers the instant 1.2 comes out lagged out because everyone crashing upon takeoff in their shiny new helis.

[Geier]

I see servers the instant 1.2 comes out lagged out because everyone crashing upon takeoff in their shiny new helis.

Why do you think so? Flight on Ka50 is rather simple, for me anyway ))

[hitman]

Every time I tried to play in a heli anywhere in any sim (havent tried ArmA yet) I had a difficult time comprehending the throttle as go up and go down in a heli as opposed to go fast and go faster in a jet. Theres more than 1 plane of movement for helis as compared to jet aircraft.

[Geier]

Every time I tried to play in a heli anywhere in any sim (havent tried ArmA yet) I had a difficult time comprehending the throttle as go up and go down in a heli as opposed to go fast and go faster in a jet. Theres more than 1 plane of movement for helis as compared to jet aircraft.

 

As I've already said Ka50 has 4 different air-cushions that helps you at these very moments

[hitman]

And what about when the heli autogyrates uncontrollably when you get lost on the way up(or is it down)?

[Geier]

And what about when the heli autogyrates uncontrollably when you get lost on the way up(or is it down)?

Do you mean the uncontrollably turning round during the take-off?

[britgliderpilot]

I realise you have to make those adjustments, I have FSX set so that effect occurs but it's so slight I can easily ignore it.

 

We'll see but I think people are making it sound far harder then it really is.

 

Yeah. The Ka50 has so much more power and agility than the FSX choppers it's just unreal.

 

. . . this does make it difficult to fly, you can't avoid that. It's like going from a 747 to an Extra. General handling may be straightforward, but hovering and precise control is still a bit of a nightmare to learn.

 

 

I strongly recommend learning to fly helicopters in other sims (FSX with add-ons will do, HoverControl has a nice 412) before Black Shark if you haven't touched them before ;)

 

I still don't believe pedals are completely necessary - they'd be nice to have, by all means, but a twist-stick or an X45 will suffice. You most definitely need an accurate method of yaw control, though.