Trim implementation

[Hextopia]

Just a short post to say I'd love to have a new type of helicopter trim implemented that's a blend of the "center stick" option we currently have, and the "Default" modes where I can push trim, and I get a short (user customized) delay before the control inputs start again, or a smoothed input period where the new trim position and the current stick input are gradually brought together. So I'm not stuck needing to completely recenter the stick (perfectly in both pitch and roll) before I'm allowed to control the helicopter again, but I'm also not stuck with the jerkiness of the instant change in default mode.

 

I'm asking for this because both default mode and center-stick suck, and FFB sticks are unfortunately hard to come by with enough controls on them to be useful.

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Can't help on the feature front, but for what it's worth the Mi-24 has a second trimmer on top of the traditional helicopter one. It works more or less like fixed-wing aircraft: you have a trim hat for pitch and roll that moves the cyclic on those axes, allowing for gradual, smooth corrections instead of the janky force trim dynamics of desktop set-ups.

[VampireNZ]

21 minutes ago, Lucas_From_Hell said:

Can't help on the feature front, but for what it's worth the Mi-24 has a second trimmer on top of the traditional helicopter one. It works more or less like fixed-wing aircraft: you have a trim hat for pitch and roll that moves the cyclic on those axes, allowing for gradual, smooth corrections instead of the janky force trim dynamics of desktop set-ups.

 

Mi-8 module has this same trim hat functionality as well.

[SmukY]

13 hours ago, VampireNZ said:

 

Mi-8 module has this same trim hat functionality as well.

Since when? AFAIK it has only a button trim ... and doesn't have trim hat on the cyclic at all.

[Munkwolf]

19 hours ago, Hextopia said:

Just a short post to say I'd love to have a new type of helicopter trim implemented that's a blend of the "center stick" option we currently have, and the "Default" modes where I can push trim, and I get a short (user customized) delay before the control inputs start again, or a smoothed input period where the new trim position and the current stick input are gradually brought together. So I'm not stuck needing to completely recenter the stick (perfectly in both pitch and roll) before I'm allowed to control the helicopter again, but I'm also not stuck with the jerkiness of the instant change in default mode.

 

I'm asking for this because both default mode and center-stick suck, and FFB sticks are unfortunately hard to come by with enough controls on them to be useful.

 

I've been flying helis a bit lately, and have been thinking about the trim modes. I wish there was a mode that worked where you push the button, then move the stick, then release the button... where the trim window is not dependent upon timing or stick position like the current two modes.

 

Say I'm pitched forward.

 

Using timing mode, I push trim button, then have a quarter second or whatever before it adjusts. The timing mode sucks, frankly. Can anyone use this mode and time the stick movements perfectly so they *don't* wobble about?

 

Using center mode, I push trim button, then move stick to center. This is my current preferred mode, but position-based seems like the user has less control than just having a button hold be the factor instead of stick position. My stick doesn't have a strong center, so often I need to kind of seek the center before the trim adjustment releases control back. Much less wobble than the timing method, but it's still there sometimes.

 

Which leads me to a new mode I've been thinking of lately.

 

Using this mode, I push and hold trim button, then move stick, then release button. Then amount of trim adjustment is the inverse of the stick movement while the button is held. Say I move stick to center and release button. Then it trims the same amounts as the current two modes do.

 

But say I push and hold trim button, then move the stick halfway to center, then release. Then the trim adjustment would be half of what the current stock modes allow (since they both reset to center). Or I could hold the trim button, give the stick slightly more deflection away from center, then release button, and have it trimmed slightly less (with minor stick movement, while keeping the stick away from center the whole time).

 

To me, this seems like it'd provide more fine control of the trim amount, in a smoother way, and also provide the user with more direct control over the timing of the trim adjustment, since it'd be based on a button hold.

Edited March 24, 2021 by Monkwolf

[Rogue Trooper]

19 hours ago, VampireNZ said:

 

Mi-8 module has this same trim hat functionality as well.

I never noticed that in the manuals or the Sim module!

 

Does the MI-24 have a bleep trim? I would like that very much. 

[Hextopia]

18 hours ago, Rogue Trooper said:

I never noticed that in the manuals or the Sim module!

 

Does the MI-24 have a bleep trim? I would like that very much. 

The Mi-8 has the autopilot knobs you can bind, which work sort of like a trim hat, but take some getting used to, and only work when the autopilot is on.

[Rogue Trooper]

On 3/25/2021 at 2:09 PM, Hextopia said:

The Mi-8 has the autopilot knobs you can bind, which work sort of like a trim hat, but take some getting used to, and only work when the autopilot is on.

Yes this is true.

I never really thought of using the stabiliser/autopilot dials to trim. 

The MI-8's small throw of the stick from hover to full speed allows the click trim system to work very well indeed and I was always very happy with that.

But you are right, it could be put on our Hotas..... I might see how that works this weekend.

Edited March 26, 2021 by Rogue Trooper

[Hextopia]

Just now, Rogue Trooper said:

Yes this is true.

Never really used the stabiliser/autopilot dials as the small throw of the stick from hover to full speed works extremely well with click trim system.

But you are right it could be put on our Hotas..... I might see how that works this weekend.

I fly the Mi-8 using those as a trim hat, and I've also reduced their sensitivity by about 20% in the default.lua for the controls.

 

It actually works really well, since the autopilot is perfect for minor trim/turns in long flights where I want to maintain near max possible speed without needing to fiddle with the stick trimmer constantly.

[Rogue Trooper]

Generally I always use the pitch stab only and the rest only if flying long distances and at altitude.

But I will give the pitch trim a go for sure.

[CoBlue]

This is how it works RL

 

[Northstar98]

Awesome!

 

I hope we get those sounds, especially for the trim hat.