Trim the beast

[kotor633]

Hi@all,

the specialists for the KA-50 are primarily addressed here:
I found the following video on youtube on the subject of trimming in the KA-50: 

In summary, the message of the video is, at least that's how I understand it, that the autopilots yaw, roll, heading are sufficient if I want to cover long distances. E.g. from WP 1 to WP 2 or similar. However, as soon as I need more precise inputs, it is advisable to switch on the Flight Director autopilot. Since this refines the entries on the stick again. Is this right? Did I understand that correctly? Because I would conclude from this that it makes sense to activate the FD autopilot in combat operations. So that I can maneuver more precisely over the ground. 

[Beirut]

Standard AP is kInda like pants. Great for getting places, but as soon as you hit the bedroom, drop 'em.

 

Better mobility. 

 

[Slippery Pete]

Pitch, roll and heading hold (and FD if you're into that, I'm not) are for cross country flying. As soon as missiles start flying at you, i.e. you're in an autohover and the enemy has just lased you, I immediately switch off auto hover then make sure HH is off too, leaving only pitch and bank, and that's it. That's how you evade and skim tree top getting out of dodge.  Flight director is for waypoint flying, you really shouldn't have it on at all times.

[Beirut]

This guy has a ton of very good and very detailed tutorials. Well worth watching.

 

 

[kotor633]

Yes, I've watched a few videos from him. There is nothing comparable to it! I have a feeling he knows the module inside out.

[agamemnon_b5]

On 4/1/2022 at 10:01 PM, Slippery Pete said:

Flight director is for waypoint flying

Flight Director is not for waypoint flying (that’s what the hold channels are for).

[v2tec]

My best experiences:

- Keep PITCH and BANK Hold on

Use HEADING-Hold for WP flying or if you want to fly a straight course. I am also using the ALTITUDE-Hold for this.

The Flight Director is perfect for fast changes in direction and height - anytime.

E.g. when I am in hover mode, engaging a target and the enemy fires a missile at me, I use the Flight Director to dive/hide...

 

Btw. now that I know the AH-64D I really love the trim and autopilots of the KA-50 - it's totally easy

 

Edited June 1, 2022 by v2tec

[M1Combat]

I strongly recommend against the use of Alt Hold channel.  It will try to kill you if you're going fast enough.

 

[Volk.]

On 6/2/2022 at 11:33 PM, M1Combat said:

I strongly recommend against the use of Alt Hold channel.  It will try to kill you if you're going fast enough.

How have you found that to be the case? Or are you referring to using Alt hold while flying NOE and then going too fast for it up too steep a hill/across buildings in radalt?

[M1Combat]

Yeah that's exactly how.  It makes it so I have to pay attention to the terrain...  so I just find it much better to set the trim to produce what I need the aircraft to do for a while without the alt hold.

If I have to pay attentiont to the terrain anyway I'm basically still flying the thing and it's taking part of my attention away from searching and destroying.  So...  I find it better to just accurately set the trim in those situations and as long as I trust my trim I can do what I need to do with only glancing out the windows occasionally.

With the added benefit that I can get where I'm going a bit faster ;).

The benefits simply don't outweight the drawbacks.  I feel like with the alt hold I'm always flying around it and if you get good at setting a long term trim (as I suspect you are) you just don't lose anything.

 

And the other big one...

When you're at a high hover a ways behind a ridge and you chop the power to start a descent (to avoid fire etc) the att hold channel fights you so you end up about .5 seconds late into your evasive move compared to if you had alt hold off.

And again...  I have yet to find an offsetting benefit to having it on.

Edited June 20, 2022 by M1Combat