What are you doing Dave? This is highly irregular...

[FlashPan]

Hi All,

 

Although I'm really enjoying this sim, it seems that this helicopter can really bite! Most of my deaths have been caused by the helicopter doing weird things in a hover.

 

It seems that I can hover it, target and shoot. Which is good. But after a few mins the Helicopter wants to rotate to some other bearing (wind?), so I'm having to try to fight the helicopter to point at the target. This occurs both with and without the stabalisation modes, with auto hover either on or off.

 

More often than not, I lose these 'fights' and the helicopter goes off in an uncontrollable spin into the ground.

 

I'm beginning to think that half of this is down to the stabalisation modes and the auto-pilot. I trim often and return the joystick to neutral, so its not a trimming issue (my trim button is under my small finger on the joystick).

 

Anyone got any tips for preventing these 'fights' with the helicopter?

 

I could be wrong, but I'm sure the autopilot is trying to kill me! :joystick:

 

Flashpan

[159th_Viper]

 

I could be wrong, but I'm sure the autopilot is trying to kill me! :joystick:

 

Flashpan

 

The first hour or so in the Cockpit I was absolutely Bloody convinced that there was a wee little Spetsnaz Commando running about cutting essential cables and the like.............And then things slowly began to fall into place!

 

Atm the majority of my flying is done with the Flight Director engaged - that and Trim coupled with Trim-Reset.......Vital to attend to trim all the time - and if setting up, Trim Reset.

 

Perseverance - Trust me - It does get better!

 

:D

[RedTiger]

The first hour or so in the Cockpit I was absolutely Bloody convinced that there was a wee little Spetsnaz Commando running about cutting essential cables and the like.............And then things slowly began to fall into place!

 

Atm the majority of my flying is done with the Flight Director engaged - that and Trim coupled with Trim-Reset.......Vital to attend to trim all the time - and if setting up, Trim Reset.

 

Perseverance - Trust me - It does get better!

 

:D

 

QFT. Its starting to click on how important trim is. Yeah, yeah, yeah, thats what everyone has said, but I still didn't get it. I don't think you can until you see for yourself.

 

I skipped ahead a bit, well not really, it was the next training track, to learn the start procedures so I could actually fly the helicopter in any of the training tracks. It took starting the Ka-50 from a cold state to fully appreciate how to use trim. The first experience I had with the instant action mission was a bit misleading.

[TwoLate]

Trim a four letter word you better be using all the time or you will be using other four letter words. lol

[sobek]

Trim a four letter word you better be using all the time or you will be using other four letter words. lol

 

So true, trimming well makes flying this bird so easy :) it almost flies itself

[Nate--IRL--]

Can we vote for best thread title of the year?

 

It does take awhile to learn the eccentricities of the autopilot but you will get there eventually.

 

Nate

[Bulletstop]

I have a question, in the left weapons panel, do you use keep nose pointed and auto track ground. It is the top left button and bottom right button on the weapons panel. The panel where you arm the laser.

It helps to keep the nose pointed where the target is.

I hope this helps.

Bullet

[deadsmell]

Hey one more thing i didnt see mentioned, is if you have "turn on target mode" turned on, the helicopter will make small adjustments to move the nose of the aircraft toward the whatever the shkval is looking at. sometimes i notice it more than others, but yeah before i knew what it was it was kind of freaky. If that's the case just relax and let it do its thing, and once it has finished the adjustment, then trim it in how you want it.

[scatter]

I still suspect that there may a gremlin or two in the autopilot systems (after all they're complex systems). I've been in a stable autohover/all trimmed for several minutes and the aircraft has suddenly gone wild while I've just been looking at the shkval - not even touching the controls.

 

Another thing (which may be a real and dangerous feature) is that when the autohover cuts out when close to the ground there's no bumpless transfer - the helo goes wild at 3m AGL. I've since learned that descent mode should be used to land instead but I would've expected that the aircraft would at least be trimmed when the autopilot disengages.

 

I really wish the manual had a substantial section on how to fly and use the autopilot correctly as I always suspect that I may not have it set up quite properly.

[deadsmell]

yeah, nothin like a mouth full of gobble dee goo. :)

[FlashPan]

I still suspect that there may a gremlin or two in the autopilot systems (after all they're complex systems). I've been in a stable autohover/all trimmed for several minutes and the aircraft has suddenly gone wild while I've just been looking at the shkval - not even touching the controls.

 

That's exactly what I have been getting. Stays in a perfect hover for minutes then goes absolutley wild - normally in yaw, which then ends in my untimely demise.

 

Maybe we are supposed to trim continually throughout the hover? But if this is the case, I'd be too afraid to look down at the shkval for fear of seeing what the helicopter is getting up to next...

 

Flashpan

[FlashPan]

I have a question, in the left weapons panel, do you use keep nose pointed and auto track ground. It is the top left button and bottom right button on the weapons panel. The panel where you arm the laser.

It helps to keep the nose pointed where the target is.

I hope this helps.

Bullet

 

I have tried this mode on occasion but have never had too much luck with it. I will take the helicopter over a lot of test flights over the next few days to see if I can understand its electronic pilot better.

Flashpan

[deadsmell]

you must use the force.

 

I am your father.

[Nate--IRL--]

I still suspect that there may a gremlin or two in the autopilot systems (after all they're complex systems). I've been in a stable autohover/all trimmed for several minutes and the aircraft has suddenly gone wild while I've just been looking at the SKHVAL - not even touching the controls.

 

Another thing (which may be a real and dangerous feature) is that when the autohover cuts out when close to the ground there's no bumpless transfer - the helo goes wild at 3m AGL. I've since learned that descent mode should be used to land instead but I would've expected that the aircraft would at least be trimmed when the autopilot disengages.

 

I really wish the manual had a substantial section on how to fly and use the autopilot correctly as I always suspect that I may not have it set up quite properly.

 

The Hover mode has done this to me also. For whatever reason, without me touching anything the Yaw, pitch and Bank channel disengage (Alt channel is unaffected), funny enough i am usually zoomed in concentrating on the SKHVAL when this happens. Cue wild flailing of a KA-50 as i try to restore my view and regain control of an epileptic helicopter.

 

Nate

 

I should mention that hover mode is still engaged when this happens. I must remember to save the track next time this happens

[deltahawk2008]

I have the devils job in using the auto hover feature, transitioning to. In the manual it states

To hover automatically over a ground-point after decelerating to near-zero airspeed, you can engage HOVER mode using the following procedure: Set the “МАРШРУТ-СНИЖЕНИЕ” (ROUTE - DESCENT) switch to the neutral position. Press the “ВИСЕНИЕ” (HOVER) button on the cyclic and this will illuminate the “ВИСЕНИЕ” (HOVER) light on the overhead panel. The helicopter will then stabilize above the hover point; radar altitude stabilization mode will engage; and the “Нрв СТАБ” (RALT HOLD) light will illuminate on the overhead panel

 

Trouble is, I cannot locate the NEUTRAL position of this switch. Its either on Route OR Descent. Correct me if I am wrong.

[GGTharos]

I'm pretty sure there's something in the manual that should tell you that if in autohover, the stabilization will be turned off if you drop to 4m AGL or less...

[Nate--IRL--]

I'm pretty sure there's something in the manual that should tell you that if in autohover, the stabilization will be turned off if you drop to 4m AGL or less...

 

Ah....the manual....right....

 

What part may i ask? Section 6-24, only mentions that the decent mode will decend to 4m AGL then stop. I can't find any mention of it disabling the stabilisation channels at this point.

 

Nate

[GGTharos]

I said I'm pretty sure. I could be wrong and it isn't in the manual. ;)

[Zorrin]

Trouble is, I cannot locate the NEUTRAL position of this switch. Its either on Route OR Descent. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

If you have turned them on, just turn them off. By default they are off unless you use them.

 

The collective's buttons aren't clickable.

[EvilBivol-1]

Such issues may be a lot easier to diagnose if a track is provided. Note, if you do provide a track, try to make it short and directly relevant to the issue.

Edited December 14, 2008 by EvilBivol-1

[FlashPan]

Don't know what happened, but all the flights I have had today have gone smoothly(!) It no longer feels like I'm fighting the helo. I think I now understand what people mean when they say this bird almost flies itself. Its as if I have suddenly become one with the autopilot.

 

The only thing I need to do now is practice coming out of turns more smoothly, but even these are coming along. Whilst the ride is now smooth, I'm not sure that I'm in a position to fly NOE yet.

 

Next things to learn are the cannon - forgot how to arm it. Everything else is now falling into place.

 

I have to say this is the best simulator of perhaps any kind that I have tried in a long while. Whilst I haven't done any combat, except the firing range, there is something that keeps drawing me back to this one.

 

Great job DCS!

 

Flashpan

[Tigrom]

HOORAH!

 

I just managed to land within 50 yards of where I was actually planning on landing. Thats a first for me in this sim. Very slowly, i'm getting the hang of this... like FlashPan I have only really done some simple flying, with a bit of gunnery on the shooting range mission.

 

Tried the instant action once, got blown to hell.. this may take some doing.

 

Does still feel a bit like a fight, maybe just a little more practice. Loving it so far, amazing work from ED.

 

I wasn't a huge fan of Lock On, I guess i'm just a rotorhead!

[EvilBivol-1]

You'll probably find that the shooting is actually much easier than the flying. Once you are able to get the chopper to do what you want all the time, the shooting part is easy. It's the not getting shot down in the process that may be another challenge. :D

[Rhino4]

@ GG:

The whole stabilization 4m AGL being turned of thingy (post #16) is for when you are in vertical descent mode. When in hover mode and doing an automatic descent the descent will be cancelled and you will stop going down at 4m true altitude.

[Brute]

That's exactly what I have been getting. Stays in a perfect hover for minutes then goes absolutley wild - normally in yaw, which then ends in my untimely demise.

 

Maybe we are supposed to trim continually throughout the hover? But if this is the case, I'd be too afraid to look down at the shkval for fear of seeing what the helicopter is getting up to next...

 

Flashpan

 

 

There's a bug (feature?) where Shkval gets stuck in a panning mode and starts panning to the side no matter what ( you can't stop it). If your helo is set up to follow Shkval then it will get spun around along with it. Had it happen a few times. Maybe that's what you're experiencing? :huh: