Entering Controlled Hover

[theox]

Can't seem to be able to do this withour autohover, which make landing at FARPS problematic. Anyone got a good procedure for this?

 

Occasionally, I entered an uncontrolled level descent that destroys my helicopter when I'm trying to hover. I push the collective to the firewall, but to no avail. What causes these uncontrolled and unrecoverable (at low alt) descents?

[crazysundog]

You have entered Vortex Ring State. Basically it is unsafe to descend a rotorcraft at a rate higher than 3 meters per second, and less than 50 km forward velocity; or you start descending into your own rotorwash and lose lift.

 

http://aerospaceplanes.suite101.com/article.cfm/vortex_ring_state

 

You can recover from VRS by nosing down/cyclic forward and increasing forward velocity to above 50 km/h..........assuming, of course, you have the altitude to recover!!

[element1108]

Keep a very close eye on your vertical decent/ascent guage. You can break the ring if you throttle up and slide your helo outside the ring. (Throttle up and push your stick to the left or right)...that's got me out of it a few times.

 

Use your throttle to balance your decent rate to 0 and if you keep it there she should hold altitude. Then you can worry about your foward/backward/side velocity.

 

It's tough without a building or close by trees to use as visual reference, your vert guage is your best friend.

[Zorrin]

Actually you shouldn't pull in more power, that can make the situation worse. Of course if you are that close to the ground you don't have much choice... Sometimes you can get out of it and just pull in full power and hope for the best... The majority of the time you'll be brown bread.

 

Now if you have altitude on your side the best thing you can do is dump the collective and push the nose forward to regain forward airspeed. You'll accelerate fairly quickly and once the vibrations stop you can then add in power to slow your descent