Holding a Hover Position

[pbsmgm]

I have tried hundreds of times to fully engage the the hover and have it hold a position. I have a pretty good understanding of the autopilot features, etc. And when I get to a point where I want to hover, first I have to slow the BS down drastically by pulling the cyclic back to bring the nose up 45 degrees for a long time (over a minute) just to get the airspeed down to zero....even though I am only going about 10-15.

 

Then, even though the airspeed says ZERO, and I am engaged in full hover mode, the drift forward is significant. My guess is about 5 even though the airspeed indicator says zero.

 

I then need to pull the nose up almost 30 degrees just to hold my position all the while I am fully engaged in hover mode. In essence, the hover mode does not hold a position.

 

This also brings me to the question, is it even possible to hover with the nose down enough to have a line of sight onto a target without the BS cranking up to 10-15...as it does every time I try it, even though I am in hover mode?

Edited February 13, 2009 by pbsmgm

[GGTharos]

Track or didn't happen! :)

 

That'll be the best way to see what you're doing wrong and help.

 

Also no, it isn't possible to 'hover with the nose down'. I'm surprised you're asking - you push the nose down to go forward after all ;)

[Dusty Rhodes]

GG I think he means his nose down in a parallel position so he can see in front of him and not nose down like you are referring to. Sounds to me like his Auto Hover is being effected by wind and nature.

[GGTharos]

That's what I'm thinking too, but you can't really tell bad trimming from nature in a short description.

[Dusty Rhodes]

Yeah good point on the trimming. Forgot about that.

[AlphaInfinity]

Also make sure that the autopilot is set to hold based on either the radar altimeter or your barometric altimeter. If you do the quick startup (windows+home) this particular switch is turned off.

[DTWD]

Also make sure that the autopilot is set to hold based on either the radar altimeter or your barometric altimeter. If you do the quick startup (windows+home) this particular switch is turned off.

 

Altitide hole (which is what I am assuming your reffering too?) is engaged when you jab auto hover I think.

[pbsmgm]

ok, thanks everyone for the comments. First, I do simply mean holding the BS parallel with the ground vs needing the nose 30 degrees up most of the time and try to establish a good LOS for the target area from there. Secondly, I don't think it is nature that is causing this drift. After all, isn't the hover mode suppposed to make adjustments to hold a position no matter what the external factors are within reason?

 

I am using the standard autopilot features on: Bank, Pitch, Yaw and Alt are lit up, RD and DH are selected and FD is off. And when I press hover, the overhead lights R-Alt Hold and Auto Hover come on just fine.

 

Yet, I need to constantly fight the drift forward with keeping the nose pitched up nearly 30 degrees. In fact, I pretty much have to fight it constantly to keep it at the hover activated position. In other words, the position does not hold at all for hover.

Edited February 13, 2009 by pbsmgm

[Chizzy101]

Sounds to me like the helo isn't trimmed properly for a hover. You pretty much have to have it trimmed so that it holds a hover with your hand off the cyclic and be at a very low speed before engaging the auto hover for it to be stable. When you get to a low speed there will be a vector line pop up on the HUD (assuming you don't have a weapon selected), which I find really useful for getting into a good hover attitude. Try and get that line as short as possible and hold it steady, then trim and engage the auto hover.

 

Once in a steady auto hover you can update the position by quickly tapping the trim, which can be handy.

[Sharkster64]

Altitide hole (which is what I am assuming your reffering too?) is engaged when you jab auto hover I think.

No, alphainfinity was not referring to the altitude hold button on the autopilot, he was referring to the switch located next to the 4 autopilot button that changes to barometric altitude or radar. By default it is turned off after auto startup.

[pbsmgm]

There is something else going on because even if I line up the HUD to center everything, trim it perfectly with a airspeed of ZERO on the indicator, and I activate the hover, I am cruising forward at around 10 even though the indicator says ZERO.

 

That's the main point too. Why does the indicator say ZERO and yet I am moving forward at around 10. The pitot tube should be identifying an airspeed and it is not.

[CyBerkut]

Perhaps you have a tailwind of 10...

 

A hover is not defined as zero airspeed, but rather being stationary over a particular spot on the earth.

[PoleCat]

Confirm you are not engaging the hover as you pass theough zero and expecting it to hold. You need to trim to a point where you can let go of the stick and be very close to a hover before engaging hover hold. Within 20% of hover I believe. If this is not the problem (as you sound pretty sure of yourself) maybe your stick calibration is off?

Any other controllers plugged in?

 

Very strange....

Hope you can get it sorted.

 

Out

[pbsmgm]

I'll keep working with it. I am using the X52 Pro and will go through another calibration. And per the stationary over a particular spot on the earth, I agree and have made sure it wasn't my eyes seeing the ground go by when it wasn't. I monitor the changes on my coordinance on the ABRIS and it changes constantly.

[GGTharos]

The pitot can only sense 50kph +

 

Your HUD displays DNS ground speed, not AIR speed.