Huey or Gazelle for learning to fly a helicopter?

[The_Chugster]

So i bought the Apache in the last sale but realised I have a lot to learn when it comes to flying realistic helicopter sims.

And I know I could stick with the Apache but both the Huey and Gazelle are half-price right now so i wondered if it would help to get and learn the basics of heli flight with a simpler helicopter before going back to the Apache

I am leaning towards the Gazelle as I am a Brit and it would make sense to learn that before the Apache like the British Army does...or is the Huey better for noobs in training?

Edited October 26, 2023 by The_Chugster

[MAXsenna]

So i bought the Apache in the last sale but realised I have a lot to learn when it comes to flying realistic helicopter sims.
And I know I could stick with the Apache but both the Huey and Gazelle are half-price right now so i wondered if it would help to get and learn the basics of heli flight with a simpler helicopter before going back to the Apache
I am leaning towards the Gazelle as I am a Brit and it would make sense to learn that before the Apache like the British Army does...or is the Huey better for noobs in training?

The Mi-8, (and Hind), will give you the best skills when mastered, with the Huey a close second and it's way easier to learn. The Gazelle is the most fun currently, while it might give you bad habits for the Apache. My own opinion of course, and I'm oblivious to any current sales.
Cheers!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Beirut]

The Ka-50 is simply the greatest chopper in DCS, but I digress. 

 

I enjoy the Mi-8 more than the Huey, but both have that "pure chopper" feeling to them.

[wowbagger]

The Huey and the Mi-8 are the best choppery choppers in the game, with the flight model of the Hip just edging out the Bell (in my opinion). The Hind is the least helicoptery chopper - it's more of a Tomcat with a rotor on top. The Blackshark flies itself so it won't teach you much. The Gazelle is extremely light and doesn't quite give the sense of momentum and having to think ahead that the others require. The Apache is actually a pretty good place to start, if you already own it anyway.

[The_Chugster]

The MI-8 cockpit looks way more complex than the Huey/Gazelle, doesnt that make it harder to learn?

[Iron Sights]

I feel like I learned the most with the Mi-8. While the startup is a bit overwhelming at first, you learn it fairly quickly. The flight model is well done, so you learn how to handle a helicopter better. While the Huey is a close second on this, the Hip is the one I stuck with until I could fly it well. After that, all others just seemed to make more sense to me, when flying them. While the Apache is complex as well, I think it’s easier to fly. The KA-50 is the easiest to fly in my opinion of all with the Mi-24 being the hardest in my book. The Gazelle is smaller and lighter and still being tuned after the FM change, so would not advise that one for basic fundamentals.

[Crash *]

vor 17 Stunden schrieb The_Chugster:

So i bought the Apache in the last sale but realised I have a lot to learn when it comes to flying realistic helicopter sims.

And I know I could stick with the Apache but both the Huey and Gazelle are half-price right now so i wondered if it would help to get and learn the basics of heli flight with a simpler helicopter before going back to the Apache

I am leaning towards the Gazelle as I am a Brit and it would make sense to learn that before the Apache like the British Army does...or is the Huey better for noobs in training?

 

You are British. Take the gazelle. It's really great by now. While you're at it, check out an old 6-part documentary "Flying Soldiers." It's about aspiring helicopter pilots who are supposed to fly the Gazelle as a reconnaissance aircraft. Well done.

But honestly, all helicopters (as of today) are very well implemented.

But the Gazelle can shoot guided missiles and should work great as a multicrew with the current update. Everything fits perfectly with the Apache, which can really overwhelm you at the beginning. Just my opinion. We always like to use the Gazelle as a scout in our Apache squadron.

[dawgie79]

Huey all day long. 

[The_Chugster]

Well i think I will buy both, I do see that most say the Hip is the best to learn on but I have no real connection to that chopper like i do with most of the others in DCS and I do think having a connection or real interest in the module will help you to learn it,

[ARM505]

The Huey is the simplest (mechanically, systems) and the most 'pure, unfiltered' chopper-ery chopper. all the others have some form of SAS/AP to greater or lesser degrees. I have all of them, and when I want a blast of raw helicopter, that's what I'll go to. The Hip leads nicely into the Hind (similar systems/methodology, rotor spins the same direction etc) though.....frankly, they're all worth it in some way or another (I did only pick up the Gazelle after the FM update, and it was my last pick anyway - not much into it)

So....UH1. Also, 'Fortunate son: ON/ON' (there is no OFF)

Edited October 27, 2023 by ARM505

[wowbagger]

2 hours ago, The_Chugster said:

Well i think I will buy both, I do see that most say the Hip is the best to learn on but I have no real connection to that chopper like i do with most of the others in DCS and I do think having a connection or real interest in the module will help you to learn it,

This.

Good choice. Always go with the one you'd have a poster of on your wall (like Psylocke).

But don't forget you can try the others for 2 weeks.

Edited October 27, 2023 by wowbagger

[sniperwolfpk5]

I wouldn't recommend the Gazelle; go for the Hip and Huey instead. Flying the Huey is a must, as it lacks SAS/AP (autopilot) assistance. For mastering chopper basics, the Huey is your best choice. Personally, I have a preference for the Hip over the Huey, although it's a bit more challenging. I've had the opportunity to fly every chopper available in DCS. I've completed all the default campaigns with the Hip, Huey, and Shark, and I must say they are quite enjoyable. The Gazelle is the only chopper I've spent less time with.

Edited November 1, 2023 by sniperwolfpk5

[Lace]

The Gazelle is the best helo in the game, (yes, you heard me).  The Hip second.  If you want something to help you learn skills you can transfer to the Apache, then go with the Huey, as the main rotor turns in the same direction as the Apache, whereas the Gazelle (and Mi-8/24) turn the opposite way, meaning you apply the 'wrong' pedal when increasing collective, and this could result in a lot of negative skill transfer when you finally return to the Apache.

The real problem in choosing the Gazelle, is that once you start with it,  you will never want to go back to that overcomplicated, heavy bus that is the Apache.  You'll be killing tanks and ducking power lines while the AH-64 is still figuring out their acronym soup and configuring their screens.

[nessuno0505]

The Gazelle has the worst flight model in DCS, despite the latest updates even if it's improved still behaves unrealistically according to a lot of opinions here, even from real life pilots. I don't think it's the best choice if the goal is learn to fly a helicopter.

The mi-8 and the huey are both realistic and quite similar, being the former heavier and thus a bit more difficult to fly than the latter. On the other hand the mi-8 has some sort of servo-pilot, while the huey is fully manual. Both are a good choice.

The ka-50 is a kind of its own: it flies and has to be flown in a peculiar way, a great module but not the typical helicopter behaviour.

Edited November 2, 2023 by nessuno0505

[DD_Friar]

Stick with the Apache. Its flown by 662 Squadron, British Army (read "Apache Dawn its about the squadron in Afghanistan). The Gazelle is French.

I own the Gazelle, never fly it now, I own the Huey, good fun to jump into and bumble about our squads airfield. I have spent a LOT of time in the Apache, it is fun to flt and with George up front not that hard to "put warheads on foreheads".

My learning pattern was to spend a lot of time just going up and down a runway. Take off at one end and aim to set it down at the other end. Once you have mastered that then use the airfield as a race track to practice tight turns and slowing down from speed.

Use the Trim lock feature a lot. 

Then start to add talking to George, perhaps then learn the front seat, then radios / navigation.

It has given me a lot of fun and challenges but is worth it.

[Gunfreak]

The advantage of they Huey and Mi-8 is that you can do all helicopter stuff. You can go boom boom, but you can also do transport troops and cargo. 

The Apache has some strange flight behaviour right now.

[Frag]

HUEY without any doubt. The Huey is a classic in DCS. The Gazelle is crap ... it has the flight model of an Arma 3 chopper.

But the Huey ... WOW.

 

[Sobakopes]

Mi8 the best module in dcs. My favourite dcs activity is ffar rockets with mi8

Huey... It has no autopilot so long flight is a chore.

Edited November 6, 2023 by Sobakopes

[wowbagger]

10 hours ago, Sobakopes said:

Huey... It has no autopilot so long flight is a chore.

 

It does, just not one modeled on a real life aircraft system.

[Dragon1-1]

3 hours ago, wowbagger said:

It does, just not one modeled on a real life aircraft system.

Actually, it's very much modeled on a real life aircraft system... although the guy in the other seat might object to you calling him that.  I see the Huey's autopilot as essentially telling the copilot "hold the cyclic like this while I fiddle with the switches". Typically, that's how it works in the real helo, one crewmember focuses on flying, the other flips switches, talks on the radio and so on. I'd love to see George learn to fly the Huey someday, but what we have mostly works.

Edited November 7, 2023 by Dragon1-1

[wowbagger]

1 hour ago, Dragon1-1 said:

Actually, it's very much modeled on a real life aircraft system... although the guy in the other seat might object to you calling him that.  I see the Huey's autopilot as essentially telling the copilot "hold the cyclic like this while I fiddle with the switches". Typically, that's how it works in the real helo, one crewmember focuses on flying, the other flips switches, talks on the radio and so on. I'd love to see George learn to fly the Huey someday, but what we have mostly works.

Not to mention the Mosquito! (which doesn't mostly work)

[Sobakopes]

21 час назад, Dragon1-1 сказал:

Actually, it's very much modeled on a real life aircraft system... although the guy in the other seat might object to you calling him that.  I see the Huey's autopilot as essentially telling the copilot "hold the cyclic like this while I fiddle with the switches". Typically, that's how it works in the real helo, one crewmember focuses on flying, the other flips switches, talks on the radio and so on. I'd love to see George learn to fly the Huey someday, but what we have mostly works.

 

Lol slave pilot 

[Dragon1-1]

The poor copilot:  

 

 

[pii]

On 11/1/2023 at 2:24 PM, Lace said:

The Gazelle is the best helo in the game, (yes, you heard me). 

Not on my PC

 

On 10/27/2023 at 8:59 AM, The_Chugster said:

Well i think I will buy both, I do see that most say the Hip is the best to learn on but I have no real connection to that chopper like i do with most of the others in DCS and I do think having a connection or real interest in the module will help you to learn it,

That's it, just buy them all, that's what I did. My personal favorites are in order Ah64d, ka_50 II, Huey, mi-8. My main ride is the AH-64d

Take it for what it's worth.

Happy flying!

[cfrag]

40 minutes ago, pii said:

That's it, just buy them all

Agreed. In which case the question changes to "which model should I train first". IMHO, the order should be 

• Huey (always first)
• Shark (to appreciate the difference and learn to fly a very different FM - and using the flight director is cheating!)
• Mi-8 (it teaches you how to maneuver a truck that uses rotors that turn the 'proper' direction. Try to stop grinning after your first successful landing)
• Hind (heavily relies on what you learned with the whirly-truck, rounds out your 'heavy' abilities)
• Gazelle (by this time you can appreciate that there's still something wrong with the FM when slow. Still one of the most beautiful cockpits around)
• Apache (to get that Hornet deedle-deedle MFD-chasing experience)
• Chinook (to fully savor waiting a couple of years for an exciting release)