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Which end of AH-64D weathervane is front?


DmitriKozlowsky

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Which end of AH-64D weathervane is front? For me thats a little bit confusing because I am seeing non-predictable behavior.

The control mission is Instant Action-Syria -Cold Start.

Wind is FROM 145 at 5kt.

Sitting on the ground cold the little cylindrical shroud around wind speed sensor propeller is pointed into the relative wind. It continues that behavior with started engine and ready to take off, with nose at 145 heading. The expected behavior is that the shroud body would be pointed aft due to wind. But it is not. However after takeoff and at fwd speed or close to ETL , that behavior appears to be corrected, with shroud pointed aft. So I am faced with confusing contradictory behavior, as I check with F2 external view to verify that helicopter is pointed into the wind during hover and recovery. DCS is kind of weak in area of wind direction ques. Unless there are smoke stacks, flags, or windsock . Perhaps I am missing something on HUD or instrument panel. If the sideslip ball is centered, and I am at hover or slow fwd speed, then my nose is pointed into the wind. Right? I am not sure in Apache.

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Maybe, probably,  and if that is the case, then we have one of the very few cases , where user base has cause for righteous anger against ED. Basically a critical information ,wind direction, is flipped. Is it unique to AH-64D, or is wind direction flipped for all aircraft? Is the DCS met report for ground level wind of wind speed, wind FROM direction, and reciprocal,  hosed with directions flipped, or is it correct? Is the wind report on right MFD correct?

 

But my question is not answered yet? Which end of AH-64D anemometer (weatherwane) is front?

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It looks like someone has already used the bug reporting system to properly report this bug.  

 

TLDR / OPINION:

Righteous anger:  "...typically a reactive emotion of anger over perceived mistreatment, insult, or malice of another."

"Perceived" is a key word... but it may be important to identify the "mistreatment, insult, or malice" by Developers who are chasing bugs in an epically complex software which is still in "very early access".  

I had a friend growing up who had great parents who also happened to be very wealthy.  He wanted a new Porsche for his 16th birthday, but instead he got a very nice used car with a promise that if he graduated with honors, he'd get his new Porsche.  He would go on about how he hated his parents for this.  That reaction is barely excusable for a 16yo, but it's hard to imagine from an adult.  I know that the DCS user base must include some children, so it may be noted that guidance from the adults on how to properly identify "mistreatment, insult, and malice" may be helpful to them, especially these days when they're being encouraged to default to "petulant entitlement"

From a previous post discussing Apache "Early Access":

On 5/27/2022 at 1:17 PM, StrongHarm said:

I'd pay much more than $65 for the Apache even in it's current state, which all things said, is in great shape.  Especially for very early access.  I've not found anything that would make me say "this isn't ready for me to fly yet".  It's just rough edges, which can be expected for very early access.  I'm personally weary of giving any game studio money for early access, but it's important to remember what we're paying for.  A helo in an FPS game may have (let's just say) 300 function points which require code.  The FPS helo is basically a reskinned player object which is flying and has different weapons.  The early access DCS Apache on the other hand might have 250,000 function points which require code.  When it's complete it might have 300,000 function points.  These are arbitrary numbers of course, meant only to provide contrast.  My point is that for an aviation enthusiast like myself, a meticulously and lovingly modelled aircraft, complete with functional subsystems which aren't even visible like hydraulic lines, holds more value to me than to someone who isn't an aviation enthusiast.  If I were just "a gamer" I would probably wait until Apache launch to make the purchase... but I'm that guy who goes to visit his son on the Army base, but ends up spending all his time watching the Apaches play.  In other words; the value of this module is subjective, and it's purchase is completely optional.  In practical terms, early access to this module is, from my perspective, a generous move by ED which also allows me to contribute feedback and bug reports.  That payment of $65 was my confidence that ED is going to provide a great final product, and that I'm interested in helping them do it.

I'm just glad they didn't charge what it's worth to me... it would have gutted my bank account.

It's a good thing that this is Early Access and we've all volunteered to help test and enhance this work in progress... despite the frustrations inherent in the task with even the simplest of software... otherwise people might not understand that this incredibly complex unfinished module is unfinished. /light-hearted sarcasm

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I was using 'righteous anger' as hyperbole. Noone should really be angry at ED for a bug in early access. But it does seem that wind direction report,  being a basic function,  should not be a bug that was missed in internal and alpha testing. Sort of like  flipping gravity force . Its obvious when it is wrong.

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Yeah I feel you.. it seems like an obvious bug.  As someone who's been a tester for other modules, I can tell you that it's easy to paint a bullseye around an arrow that's already been fired.  With thousands of functions to test it's easy to miss some... and that's not to mention regression bugs (when a fix creates a new problem elsewhere).  Luckily, that's what we're paying/volunteering to do; high volume user testing through practical usage outside of the normal testplan (with the added benefit of getting our hands on it early).  It's gratifying to watch someone else enjoying a solid product after it's finished and knowing that you contributed to the quality... and really awesome when you see your feedback used.

With that being said, I wish I had more bug reports submitted for the Apache... but I'm ashamed to say that I've been too busy enjoying it to contribute as much as I should have.

It's a good thing that this is Early Access and we've all volunteered to help test and enhance this work in progress... despite the frustrations inherent in the task with even the simplest of software... otherwise people might not understand that this incredibly complex unfinished module is unfinished. /light-hearted sarcasm

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From patch notes:

  • Fixed: Wind direction on TSD reporting wrong.

It's a good thing that this is Early Access and we've all volunteered to help test and enhance this work in progress... despite the frustrations inherent in the task with even the simplest of software... otherwise people might not understand that this incredibly complex unfinished module is unfinished. /light-hearted sarcasm

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Well, my DCS just updated latest today. I still think that TSD wind report is hosed. Because its telling me wind CALM, yet anemometer weathervane, is not pointing straight down when Apache is in hover. In fact its almost horizontal;, which means that I am facing either into headwind, or tailwind. Per RL world instruction, a main-tail rotor helicopter hovering with tailwind is 'twitchy', unstable and subject to exaggerated response to controls. This combined with strong  evidence that 'rudder' tail rotor axis control with pedals, is oversensitive. I mean it really is way strong. I have 50 curve on that axis with my TM pedals, and its still crazy


Edited by DmitriKozlowsky
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1 hour ago, DmitriKozlowsky said:

Well, my DCS just updated latest today. I still think that TSD wind report is hosed. Because its telling me wind CALM, yet anemometer weathervane, is not pointing straight down when Apache is in hover. In fact its almost horizontal;, which means that I am facing either into headwind, or tailwind. Per RL world instruction, a main-tail rotor helicopter hovering with tailwind is 'twitchy', unstable and subject to exaggerated response to controls. This combined with strong  evidence that 'rudder' tail rotor axis control with pedals, is oversensitive. I mean it really is way strong. I have 50 curve on that axis with my TM pedals, and its still crazy

 

The TSD and PERF page will show "CALM" below a certain windspeed value which, from memory, should be 5kts. 

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On 6/8/2022 at 7:00 PM, DmitriKozlowsky said:

Well, my DCS just updated latest today. I still think that TSD wind report is hosed. Because its telling me wind CALM, yet anemometer weathervane, is not pointing straight down when Apache is in hover. In fact its almost horizontal;, which means that I am facing either into headwind, or tailwind. Per RL world instruction, a main-tail rotor helicopter hovering with tailwind is 'twitchy', unstable and subject to exaggerated response to controls. This combined with strong  evidence that 'rudder' tail rotor axis control with pedals, is oversensitive. I mean it really is way strong. I have 50 curve on that axis with my TM pedals, and its still crazy

 

I have found that if you make the curves too much the 64 will fly very "sloppy" so don't over do them.

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