DCS is quite difficult for a noob

[jackd]

Wanted just to do some simple map exploration ...

Starting with a Huey was not the best idea me thinks .... it felt like riding a mechanical bull at a Cowboy Fiesta;

so far successful only once in take off and landing OK, but in most cases it ended like this:

So i thought lets take it easy, with this 13 $$ baby for some reconnaissance, 

but even that one was tough shit even after fine tuning the axis controllers ..

Edited October 25, 2021 by jackd

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

It is called a study-level simulation  
So yes, there is a rather steep learning curve, and a proper controls setup is recommended, but that also means the feeling of accomplishment is huge when you do get the hang of flying! 

[Rudel_chw]

3 hours ago, jackd said:

Starting with a Huey was not the best idea me thinks

The Huey requires using a rudder, in addition to the usual control stick and throttle lever. If you dont have that hardware, then stick to planes until you do. Also, you may want to disable the "Game Filght Mode" and "Game Avionics".

Edit: This YT playlist may give you some hints on how to approach the learning of a new DCS aircraft:

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by Rudel_chw

[Черный Дракул]

3 hours ago, jackd said:

Starting with a Huey was not the best idea me thinks .... it felt like riding a mechanical bull at a Cowboy Fiesta

Maser double-back stick movements (you move the stick farther than required, then move it to the required position) and don't swing it around -- it will quickly become quite a tame beast. Also, adjust your response curves to 10% and use force trim button to reset the central point of the curves. That way, your control will be precise if you're not swinging that stick (which you shouldn't).

Also, try starting in the air with some airspeed -- that way it's much easier to understand the response of the machine to your inputs. Baby steps will take you all the way. 

Also also, rotor separation is usually achieved through mast bumping -- a literal rotor hub strike on its axis (yep, Bell engineering at its finest!) -- so avoid it through not rotating unloaded rotor. The easiest way to do such a rotation is to get some speed, pitch up, pull the collective down while you're at the top -- and pushing the cyclic forward to seemingly execute the /----\ flight profile (like moving over a hill). You'll immediately find your profile will most likely be /---| one. Just try it several times to get the feeling of the situation to avoid. 

Of course, you can change to coaxial robotized helicopter aka Ka-50. In it the only thing you have to fear is overspeeding and pulling on the cyclic while overspeeding (which will cause your rotor discs to collide). But Huey is a very controllable aircraft once you know its quirks. 

[Черный Дракул]

18 minutes ago, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

but that also means the feeling of accomplishment is huge when you do get the hang of flying!

Sadly, once you've mastered the flying, there's not much else to do. ED tries to make DCS into a game with dynamic campaign, but at the moment it's much more of a toy than a game. If there are static campaigns for your module, these can be used to prolong the fun, of course -- but these run out pretty quickly. 

3 minutes ago, Rudel_chw said:

The Huey requires using a rudder, in addition to the usual control stick and throttle lever. If you dont have that hardware, then stick to planes until you do

Ususlly the joysticks today have rotation control or some other axis to use for the rudder. It will be enough to start. 

Also, it's quite unnecessary to buy expensive aviation rudder pedals. I, for example, use cheap Genius Speed Wheel 3 pedals (which are in fact bound to a single axis) and it suits me just fine. You can see that it doesn't detrimentally affect the quality of my control here:

Spoiler

 

 

[jackd]

I have a modded Warthog Throttle, with a well working axis function (Deltasim electronics in the UK i think) i use for rudder in different flight sims OK.

But i found out just now how to fine tune the axis movements ...

PS i just looked at the mission editor, i am used to make missions for IL2, but this one is quite different LoL.

[jackd]

Thanks all, i am slowly getting the Hang of a Huey. BTW found this, model helicopters, nevertheless some info: https://www.rc-airplane-world.com/rc-helicopter-controls.html

[jackd]

PS i got the Gazelle as well, but where's the throttle setting? Is that called Gain Button maybe?

[MAXsenna]

PS i got the Gazelle as well, but where's the throttle setting? Is that called Gain Button maybe?

Fuel lever IIRC.
You've done the cold start training i suppose. When you're in the cockpit, hover the mouse over it, and you should see what it's called. But not always. Also, if you know the keybind combination, press that if controls setup, and you'll find it as well.
Word of advice for the Gazelle though. If you're gonna map it to an axis, make sure you reduce the saturation a little, or it might not reach a 100 percent, and some systems will not turn on completely, which is hard to notice. And you will not be able to turn auto hover on.
Cheers!

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

[jackd]

I only see 2 items, no fuel lever IIRC, but  'fuel lever flow forward' and 'fuel lever flow backward'... but i found an axis for 'fuel flow lever'

Edited October 28, 2021 by jackd

[MAXsenna]

I only see 2 items, no fuel lever IIRC, but  'fuel lever flow forward' and 'fuel lever flow backward'... but i found an axis for 'fuel flow lever'

Yup, that's the one. Just tested.
Thanks for inspiring me to take this little one out on a spin again.
Did some bird spotting and taunted the tanks in the first Quickstart mission.

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

[jackd]

What brand kind of hardware do you use, i am still fighting the controller lay outing for various planes for my warthog system without pedals.

This as i am used to IL2 sturmovik GB, and DCS defaults totally different.

Like i would set certain things up for all planes at once which seems impossible.

Example keyboard G for gear toggle, F4 for arcade chase view, instead of the default ShiftL-F4.

Assign Flaps and Autopilot to my Throttle unit that's marked there as such.

There's also an APU button which might be handy if you can address several engine start functions at once even.

Edited October 28, 2021 by jackd

[MAXsenna]

For the Gazelle?
K-51 collective, very nice in all helicopters.
The cheap TM rudders, gonna swap them for sure. They are okay, but very narrow, and I don't like I have to put my feet "in" them.
Cyclic is Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2, no curves
The gazelle is very twitchy, so check out post/videos from pro heli pilots that has some input on the matter.

As for DCS vs others. I LOVE the way it is in DCS. It sort of has to be the way everything is so different compared to other sims. Since each module is a game by itself.
But there are programs for DCS that can put the same function on the same HOTAS button. Haven't tried it though.
Gear toggle in the F-16 won't work in the MiG-21 for instance, because you have to remove the lock first, bring the lever up, then down, and finally lock it again.
I cheat with VoiceAttack though, and because I use VAICOM PRO, I have one profile for all DCS models in VA, so when I say "gear up" it will play the correct/different sequence depending on what module I'm using.
VAICOM will also let you get rid of the radio menu. You speak to the tower/wingmen/AWACS etc.
You can also talk to Jester in the Tomcat.

As for hardware for other modules.
Above setup in helicopters with my Warthog throttle for fuel levers etc.
I use my Warthog throttle for most aircraft, and switch between the FFB stick and Warthog (with extensions). Plan is to modify the FFB stick and only use that with different extensions/grips.
In the Viper and Jeff i use my Cougar throttle with rel4y's hardware mods, so it's now contact less and full USB.
Will get his force sensor mod for the Cougar/Warthog grip when he releases it.

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

3 hours ago, jackd said:

What brand kind of hardware do you use

For helicopter flying, a dedicated setup is recommended but expensive. There is for example the Pro Flight Trainer Puma, which is one of the more affordable ones if you can believe it.
But VKB and Virpil sticks can be used quite well instead of a dedicated cyclic if they have an extension, and there are several options available for the collective. I use a Virpil one, for example. More details of what I use are in my signature below.

[Черный Дракул]

On 10/28/2021 at 8:30 PM, jackd said:

What brand kind of hardware do you use, i am still fighting the controller lay outing for various planes for my warthog system without pedals.

If it still matters, I use Saitek X-52 as HOTAS and Genius Speed Wheel 3 pedals as rudder pedals (you still have to keep the wheel part plugged in, though). It still allows for precise control if you set the curves to 10 and use trim button as you should, while being not that skyrocketing expensive as some ultra-premium setups mentioned in this thread. 

On 10/28/2021 at 8:30 PM, jackd said:

This as i am used to IL2 sturmovik GB, and DCS defaults totally different.

Of course, you can use the programming tool to create profiles for each aircraft, so the functions are grouped more or less as you're used to. E.g. I use the mouse stick on throttle as a hat switch to control gear, speedbrakes and wheelbrakes on every setup that supports it (be it IL-2, DCS or the F-16 sim), or index finger hat switch on throttle as a target designation hat (TMS) in normal mode and display control hat (DMS) in shift mode (bottom trigger on the stick is assigned as a shift button). That way I don't have to re-learn the motor skills associated with different aiframes. 

[jackd]

thanks for all the tips ... my main reason for getting DCS was the choppers, and never realized controlling them buggers was so different, but of course it is,

and DCS did a great job at implementing them the way they did. BTW my landings get better and better, no fire this time:

Edited October 30, 2021 by jackd

[Exorcet]

There is a bit of irony with aircraft in that the super high performance, ultra expensive ones are the easier to fly. The cheap low performance aircraft are the difficult ones. You happened to choose the latter both times in the Huey and the Christen Eagle. They both require constant pilot attention and can't thrust their way out of problems.

The easiest aircraft to fly in the sim is probably the F/A-18, with the F-16, JF-17, and M2000 not far behind. On the helicopter side of things modern attack helicopters like the Ka-50 and AH-64 have a lot of automation to keep the pilot from being overwhelmed. The Ka-50 also has coaxial rotors for extra stability.

On the other hand, there is some fun to be had in mastering more hands on aircraft.

 

[jackd]

i like cheap ...... especially flying. This real cheep one has some quirks too, "and then there were two ..." :