What needs to be 'on' to use auto hover? same ? route following?

[kratz]

In missions that start with the helicopter shut down, I am never able to engage auto hover.

 

I start everything up with LWIN + HOME.

 

Take off... gear up, etc.

 

I come to a hover, as I normally would, hit LALT + T... and it doesn't engage the auto hover.

 

Obviously I need to be engaging a few extra steps, but I'm not sure what they are.

 

I actually shut off whatever it is on accident on another mission where I started w/ the helicopter turned on, and had successfully used auto hover several times... then, and I'm not sure how, I accidentally turned off whatever it is that lets me us auto hover, and I couldn't use it anymore (no light on the panel when I engage). I was not in route following mode in any of these.

 

Okay, related question... when I fire everything up manually, as described above, and there is a route on the ABRIS, it sets my 'waypoint' as wherever I was pointed when I last released the Trim button, and hitting 'R' doesn't take me on the route displayed on the ABRIS. I assume I am once again missing steps to do this.

 

Thanks for any help!

[MTFDarkEagle]

Allright... lets go through everything to try and figure this out :)

First i would try a full manual startup, you can find some on this site (Ill upload mine in a while, without pictures of where the buttons are at the moment... Ill upload another with pics later when I have time).

Right, in flight, do you see a speedindicator on the left top on the HUD?

 

Greetz

Edited February 10, 2009 by MTFDarkEagle

[kratz]

Yes, I do. That brings up another question... after I activate my weapons systems, I get a different HUD that does NOT have the speed indicator in the top left... how do I get the default one back?

[MTFDarkEagle]

Yes, I do. That brings up another question... after I activate my weapons systems, I get a different HUD that does NOT have the speed indicator in the top left... how do I get the default one back?

 

are you selecting a weapon?

[Frederf]

Yes, I do. That brings up another question... after I activate my weapons systems, I get a different HUD that does NOT have the speed indicator in the top left... how do I get the default one back?

 

One has to extinguish all green hardpoint lights and disengage the cannon (I think on that second bit) to get the full navigation HUD. The reset weapon system button is on the left weapon targeting panel (also Backspace).

[Sharkster64]

This thread brings me to another question. Why does the speed disappear on the hud when you bring up a weapon. That information is kind of important. Just as important as altitude.

[EtherealN]

Frederf, one further note - in my experience the reset button is not always sufficient, not if your currently selected weapon was the cannon. It seems the cannon has to be manually de-selected.

 

Sharkster64, I would suspect that the speed information (as well as a couple other navigation functions) disappear when entering a combat mode because the HUD switched it's input to a different onboard system. You could think of it as flipping a switch on those real old workstations where you might have two computers but for desk space concerns only one keyboard - you'd then have a switch that the keyboard is connected to in oprder to toggle which computer or terminal you connect to at any given time. When it is in one position the link to the other is severed.

 

As for WHY it was implemented that way I don't know of course - it could be anything from not wanting to clutter the HUD in an engagement scenario to limitations of mid-80's soviet electronics (if the Ka50 still utilizes the same electronics, that is). For myself I am perfectly ready to accept the former, since I actually quite often enter a weapons hot mode early, thereby removing the navigation information from the HUD, and I find it quite comfortable.

[kratz]

This thread brings me to another question. Why does the speed disappear on the hud when you bring up a weapon. That information is kind of important. Just as important as altitude.

 

You know that, while it's not on the HUD, which I agree would be preferable, it IS displayed on the tv, right?

 

Thanks for the info on getting the nav HUD back Federf and EtheralN - one more problem down!

 

Still wondering about why auto hover doesn't work sometimes though, if anyone knows.

[kratz]

Okay, so... is my problem that the default startup procedure (LWIN + HOME) turns ON the FD? This seems that it may be the problem with the route following mode not working. Would turning it off fix both of my problems? And where is the switch?

[arneh]

You know that, while it's not on the HUD, which I agree would be preferable, it IS displayed on the tv, right?

 

That's the indicated airspeed, which only works above 50 kph. I.e. useless when trying to hover. And the same with the analog gauge. BTW, you do get a speed scale on the HUD when going above 50 kph too, even in weapons mode.

Another little weird thing about the velocity on the HUD is the + sign that always prepends the number. The number is absolute so it will display +5 whether you're going 5 kph forwards, backwards or sideways. Which makes the + kind of redundant, since it will never be - in any case.

 

The part about removing velocity below 50 kph in weapons mode really gets me questioning what they were thinking, as it's quite essential information. Questioning Kamov that is, not blaming ED, as I'm sure they've just implemented what the real bird has.

[kratz]

It does not display above 50kph... I've had +120, for example, displayed in the TV window, and nothing on the HUD.

[arneh]

It's not a numerical display, but a scale. Like this:

 

Here I'm doing slightly under 200 kph.

[Frederf]

The scale is displayed on the navigation HUD when the ROUTE-DESC switch isn't in the ROUTE position. In the ROUTE position (even if ROUTE is not activated) the airspeed scale is replaced with the airspeed deviation scale.

 

Yes you have to extinguish the weapon green lights AND put away the cannon to get the navigation (non-weapon-decluttered) HUD up.

 

I don't think the weapon decluttering is for technical reasons, just for pilot clarity reasons. There is also a declutter switch at the bottom of the center panel which causes a permanent "targeting only" state.

 

The + indicated doppler speed is just like p indicated radar altitude (and it will read - instead of p if using baro altitude). It's not supposed to be a +/- sign for airspeed, just an indicator of information source. I figure if the Ka-50 was capable of displaying airspeed on the HUD another symbol other than + would prefix the speed display.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Frederf

[arneh]

The scale is displayed on the navigation HUD when the ROUTE-DESC switch isn't in the ROUTE position. In the ROUTE position (even if ROUTE is not activated) the groundspeed scale is replaced with the targeted groundspeed scale.

 

Hmm, maybe that makes it dissapear in weapons mode too... I rarely use route mode, so that may be why I get the speed scale in weapons mode.

 

The + indicated doppler speed is just like p indicated radar altitude (and it will read - instead of p if using baro altitude). It's not supposed to be a +/- sign for airspeed, just an indicator of information source.

 

Ok, thanks for the clarification, didn't know that.

[Frederf]

Corrected myself in post #13. The speed scale and speed deviation scale are airspeed, not Doppler speed. The only readout of Doppler ground speed is the +XXX numeric on the upper-left when it appears, all other HUD speed indications are airspeed.

 

Also the manual says two different things about radar altitude numeric (p YYY).

Barometric Altitude Numeric. When the aircraft is 50 meters above ground level, barometric altitude will be displayed in relation to altitude above sea level.

-FM4-5

Barometric. Altitude. All modes Barometric altitude numeric (18) above 300 m or with radio altimeter malfunction.

-FM4-9

 

I think FM4-5's statement is only true when radar altitude is not available due to a damaged or otherwise inoperative radar altimeter. Normal operation should be a radar scale from 0-50m, radar numeric from 50-300m, and baro numeric from 300m+.

[Pavlos]

Starting the chopper with Lwin+home does not flick the 'radar altimeter/barometric altimeter' switch next to the AP buttons. Therefore you engage the hover hold but the altitude hold autopilot is not working I believe, as neither of its modes are selected. This may be why you have trouble hovering..

[amfitamine]

Well I had the same problem. Check the right generator (electrical power controls). This should be on. See if it helps.

[kratz]

Thanks guys, I will give those a look!

[amfitamine]

@Kratz

I just tried my "advise" at home. Didn't work. Sorry.:( Still flashing AD channels. But what I did notice is that my x-52 pro didn't centre correctly (RCTRL-ENTER to check after releasing the trim) so I paused and ALT-TABBED the game, checked the Game controller configuration and it was indeed off-centred:joystick:. Unpluged the controller and pluged it back in again and went straight to the game....Suddelny after trimming with near zero speed I could Auto-Hover again. Maybe you could check this for yourself..When I pinpoint the problem/solution I'll let you know.

[dave4002000]

Starting the chopper with Lwin+home does not flick the 'radar altimeter/barometric altimeter' switch next to the AP buttons. Therefore you engage the hover hold but the altitude hold autopilot is not working I believe, as neither of its modes are selected. This may be why you have trouble hovering..

 

Pavlos hit it right on the head, when you use the cheat start..it leaves the ralt/balt switch in the neutral(off) position. You need to flip that switch either up or down..make sure "ALT" AP button is lit and the FD button is off. Auto-hover will then work.