Apache so far for me :)

[florate]

Thank you, I now understand your use of "the window".  While I'm at it, there are 4 possible bindings for force trim two of which are 'attitude and/or altitude'.  A third possible binding acts to recenter the trim.  Do you happen to know what the fourth force trim setting is for?

Thanks, florate

Edited May 10, 2022 by florate

[Raptor9]

3 minutes ago, florate said:

While I'm at it, there are 4 possible bindings for force trim two of which are 'attitude and/or altitude'.  A third possible binding acts to recenter the trim.  Do you happen to know what the fourth force trim setting is for?

There are only two bindings for trim.  Force Trim Release (which is the Forward direction on the Force Trim/Hold Mode switch), and a cheat that doesn't exist in real aircraft for "Resetting trim".  The other three commands on the Force Trim/Hold Mode switch have nothing to do with force trim.  Left toggles Attitude Hold, Right toggles Altitude hold, and Aft disengages any active hold modes.

This seems to be creating a lot of confusion with players which are convoluting force trim and the hold modes because they share a 4-way switch, but they are separate functions.

[florate]

Thank you again, most helpful.

[Fuggzy]

6 hours ago, ApacheLongbow said:

Nice, do you mean the PTFE Tape?

I think it's close to PTFE, it's from "TapeCase" and is UHMW 423-5.  It claims to be "self lubricating to last longer than PTFE in sliding applications".   Sexy

[Dagobert666]

Flying for me becomes easier and easier with the coming experience.

But what I notice with fright is how precisely and quickly ground units shoot me out of the sky.... even infantry with AKs and on the lowest level of difficulty hit me in full curved flight with the 3rd salvo at the latest... more often already with the first. this is the total aimbot mode... I shoot REAL anti-aircraft guns in the Bundeswehr. for example with two MG3. Hitting a moving air target from the ground is extremely difficult. DCS is overly unrealistic.

[Andartu]

Yeah since we found out that DCS ground "AI" always aims for the pilots head (which is just painfully simple), yes they are definitely aimbots. I always set them to the lowest skill level "average" to just make it at least a bit "more realistic". So that they miss a lot. 

But I still get hit every now and then, from small arms and also the new NSTV's from the last update. Never got shot down yet. That is why either the Apache is actually a tank (at least against small arms) or relays on the yet not fully implemented damage model. Hard to judge though. Probably the latter, cause small arms hits don't even leave bullet holes in the fuselage.

Also for the whole COIN mission set I too do not fly that low. At least 300-500ft AGL and always keep moving. From 600-700ft upwards small arms also don't even attempt to shoot at you anymore.

Edited May 11, 2022 by Andartu

[macedk]

New try
1. To me the transition from forward (50+) to "hover" , for me it just falls off a cliff, that leads to a major increase in collective and since collective by numbers are high then low etc...it is very hard to control. 
2. Since we dont have feel of ascend or descend then I go by indicator and the numbers and visual . 
3. Casmo and the other real life people, you might have it dead on but you remember the feel an that does not translate to a simulator 1 to 1. 
4. I'm in control until the cliff over moment, then I start to react and with too much input and poor cp/g , he is going to be scared and sick
5. It might a lack of skill but my major hang up is the transition between forward flight and hover mode, as I said balance moment. 

In a racing game, they got the tire sound way wrong and coming from a racing sim where that sound ment loss of traction. 
My friend first time around was way slower than me because he didn't know about the offset between sound and grip in this game. 
He's "feel" was based wrong, once I told him that this sound in this game was not equal to los of grip, we went back to the naturel order  

So i don't get it or I a not skilled enough. I can control the bird but for me it takes a lot effort that dosen 't compute to me. 

To me there is no sweet spot.

I believe this a pin point machine and the only time I have been in a helicopter real life, it was steady as a rock. 

 

[Floyd1212]

Yes, that transition to hover is tricky, and one I am still working on. 

At the transition point from 10 knots to zero, I typically get behind on my collective and start to drop like a rock. Then, as I'm dialing it back in I get behind on the left pedal needed to keep the nose aligned where I want it.

EDIT: Just did some flying and I would say more like the range from 30 knots to zero is where it gets tricky.

Edited May 13, 2022 by Floyd1212

[Raptor9]

4 hours ago, macedk said:

1. To me the transition from forward (50+) to "hover" , for me it just falls off a cliff, that leads to a major increase in collective and since collective by numbers are high then low etc...it is very hard to control. 
3. Casmo and the other real life people, you might have it dead on but you remember the feel an that does not translate to a simulator 1 to 1. 
4. I'm in control until the cliff over moment, then I start to react and with too much input
5. It might a lack of skill but my major hang up is the transition between forward flight and hover mode, as I said balance moment. 

@macedk, I've highlighted portions of your post in the quote box above that I want to address. Before I comment on your issues, I want to stress that this is not intended to be a criticism of you as a player, but rather constructive criticism to you (and other players) of how to approach this problem from an aviator perspective.

From what I gather, reading your own words, it seems to me the primary hinderance to learning to handle the DCS AH-64 is not from a lack of practice, but a lack of control. When I say "control", I don't mean good HOTAS settings or a proper understanding of how to fly a helicopter, but a lack of control over the aircraft instead of letting it control you. A saying pilots have is "staying ahead of the aircraft". This implies that you are anticipating what is going to happen before it happens, and you are mentally calculating what you will do based on what you expect or anticipate to happen, and then doing it when it is precisely the right time to do so. Take pre-emptive steps to maintain control of the aircraft, instead of reacting to what is happening at any given moment. If you are reacting to what the aircraft is doing after it is already doing it, you aren't actually piloting it.

How this concept applies in your case of transitioning from forward flight to a hover? If you know that the aircraft is going to need significantly more collective as it approaches and goes below ETL (Effective Translational Lift) airspeeds, and you know that pulling in a lot of collective will require a significant increase in left pedal to compensate for the increase in torque, you should start to smoothly apply collective before the demand of additional lift is actually needed.  This deliberate but smooth collective application should be done in conjunction with a smooth application of left pedal, which is likewise initiated before the demand of counter-torque is actually needed. And because these inputs are smooth and expected, you can set the pace for how quickly they are applied to ensure you can maintain the balance of all the various control inputs.

There should be no surprises with basic maneuvers which are adequately practiced. Do not wait for the aircraft to tell you that you need to give it more collective to maintain your altitude. You control the helicopter and tell it what to do and where to go, it shouldn't be telling you what you need to do to save it. If you are reacting to what the helicopter is doing, and then trying to maintain balance of all the forces keeping it in the air and right-side up, you are already behind the proverbial power curve of "control". If you stay ahead of the aircraft and set the pace for the maneuvers at a rate that you can maintain the balance of all the control inputs, you will start to gain proficiency and you will find yourself able to perform the maneuvers at a faster pace more and more. This concept does translate to the simulator 1 to 1.

Again, not a critique of your skills, but some advice of what mindset to use when trying to solve this problem (based on how you've described your circumstances in text form).

[Floyd1212]

46 minutes ago, Raptor9 said:

A saying pilots have is "staying ahead of the aircraft".

This applies to what I was saying above about "getting behind" on my inputs.  This is what I need to practice, too.  <deep breath> Be "one" with the aircraft...

[Eshark]

I agree there are bugs but are liveable , the one I cannot stand is the loss of key board binds to joystick . I have never experienced this issue in DCS, until I installed the Apache module . I assume that this must be an early access issue ,so might hang up the Apache until this issue is resolved   

Edited May 13, 2022 by Eshark

[Sacarino111]

On 4/14/2022 at 11:13 PM, Nevyn said:

have to sell of a few of my kids to get them, I can always make more kids,

Easier said than done!

Saludos

Saca111

[macedk]

On 5/13/2022 at 8:16 PM, Eshark said:

I agree there are bugs but are liveable , the one I cannot stand is the loss of key board binds to joystick . I have never experienced this issue in DCS, until I installed the Apache module . I assume that this must be an early access issue ,so might hang up the Apache until this issue is resolved   

 

Hmm, never lost mine. wierd. 

[pii]

On 5/12/2022 at 9:38 PM, Floyd1212 said:

This applies to what I was saying above about "getting behind" on my inputs.  This is what I need to practice, too.  <deep breath> Be "one" with the aircraft...

yep, I just can't get this anticipate moving controls BEFORE they are needed thing. More work required! 

[monkie]

On 4/27/2022 at 11:41 AM, Fuggzy said:

Ok my Thrustmaster TFRP pedals are tolerable now.  Still too close together -- maybe I'll address that with the mod.  But to cure stiction, I bought 5yds of this UMHW sefl-lubricating tape with acrylic adhesive:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00823JFAI?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I simply removed the 6 screws on each pedal that hold the 3 rail clamps in place, and put little squares of the tape to cover the plastic rail slide feet so that plastic never touches the metal rails, only the teflon tape.  It works FAR better than Nyogel -- it creates an almost imperceptible cushion on the rails in addition to absolutely zero stiction.  Took me 15 minutes, very easy to do and transformed these pedals into ones that will work smoothly with helos.  I left the centering springs in place, still have the bump over center but it's far less annoying with everything smoothed up.

Hopefully the acrylic adhesive holds well over time.  2 days, good so far.  lol 

Any update on how this is holding up? I will pull the trigger on the tape if you think it's doing the trick still, tired of the micro striction I get from the pedals and this sounds like the perfect solution. Did you get the 2 inch tape or another size?

Edited May 28, 2022 by monkie

[Fuggzy]

On 5/28/2022 at 10:08 AM, monkie said:

Any update on how this is holding up? I will pull the trigger on the tape if you think it's doing the trick still, tired of the micro striction I get from the pedals and this sounds like the perfect solution. Did you get the 2 inch tape or another size?

 

Hi Monkie --  Funny you ask, I came online today to update and report that this tape I got has an adhesive issue -- two of the tabs came unstuck from the plastic rails, I could feel it when one jammed.   As far as the surface friction qualities, I have noticed no change -- good as new.   But now back to the drawing board to get these pieces stuck down better.  I think it's entirely possible, being I did it so half-assed initally.  I basically cut the squares "close enough", and stuck them down on the rails without them fully removed.  I'd found with the rail caps/screws off, I could twist them sideways and access the feet enough to press the tape into place.  But it was sloppy, they were crooked, best I could push them down with my fatass fingertips.  I'm going to redo it properly and remove the rails completely to get nicely-cut tape squares pressed in and clamp it to a dowel for the adhesive to set.  The tape is fairly rigid and doesn't want to conform to the curve, but won't matter once it's back on the rails.  

Edit: oh I got the 2 inch tape yes.  You do not need it that wide at all, it's overkill.  1" would easily do, but I got the 2" tape to make a couple of old bathroom cabinet drawers slide nice too.  It worked

I think I'm going to remove my spring while I'm in there.  I want to try it.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Fuggzy
answering other question

[pii]

On 5/12/2022 at 5:48 PM, Floyd1212 said:

Yes, that transition to hover is tricky, and one I am still working on. 

At the transition point from 10 knots to zero, I typically get behind on my collective and start to drop like a rock. Then, as I'm dialing it back in I get behind on the left pedal needed to keep the nose aligned where I want it.

EDIT: Just did some flying and I would say more like the range from 30 knots to zero is where it gets tricky.

 

Been trying to do out of ground effect hovering, above 50ft, and have found this is the time to start really making sure the bird doesn't get away on you. You need to anticipate what the helo will do when you slow down and stay ahead of it. It seems much more important to do this than it does for an IGE hover below 50ft. and be ready to hit that hover switch the second you are slow enough.  and then let go of the controls and let it settle into the hover.

[monkie]

Fuggzy

Thanks for the update on the tape, I think I will try it out myself. The good thing is that if the tape wears out over time you can always reapply with the amount you have to buy. What width did you purchase?