Rocket aiming with heading hold

[nexion]

How it is supposed to aim rockets while in hover?

Usually in hover when properly trimmed heading hold is active. When making fine aiming adjustments with rudder to get the I-bar to the cross hair, I generally fight the heading hold. So I apply more rudder to get the nose moving, until the outbreak values for heading hold are exceeded and heading hold deactivates. This means that suddenly to much rudder is applied and my aiming overshoots. So I wobble between no movement and to much movement. That's generally a problem to have precise yaw control with heading hold enabled.

How real Apache pilots cope with it, since they even can't look at the control indicator window?

[bradmick]

You get good. That or you put in the smallest amount of pedal, interrupt the force trim, input the tiniest amount of pedal, force trim, etc until you align the i-beam. It takes a lot of practice.

[ShuRugal]

On 6/16/2024 at 5:14 PM, nexion said:

How real Apache pilots cope with it, since they even can't look at the control indicator window?

The way force trimming works in DCS (or any sim) is a compromise which doesn't really reflect how it works IRL, unless you have a force-feedback setup.

IRL, force trip and autopilot work together to physically move the controls, but only using a tiny amount of force.  All the pilot has to do to override it is push slightly harder on the controls.  There won't be a moment where the helicopter suddenly "jumps" to the position commanded by the pedals like in DCS.

 

So, real Apache pilots just have to push the pedal where they want it.  no "overshooting" caused by the trim logic engaging/disengaging.  That is a limitation of the sim.

 

IMO, shooting rockets from a hover is just a waste of rockets in DCS.  you CAN do it, but you will always be more precise shooting rockets in a running engagement, because it's easier to make fine adjustments in forward flight than in a hover.

[bradmick]

19 minutes ago, ShuRugal said:

The way force trimming works in DCS (or any sim) is a compromise which doesn't really reflect how it works IRL, unless you have a force-feedback setup.

IRL, force trip and autopilot work together to physically move the controls, but only using a tiny amount of force.  All the pilot has to do to override it is push slightly harder on the controls.  There won't be a moment where the helicopter suddenly "jumps" to the position commanded by the pedals like in DCS.

 

So, real Apache pilots just have to push the pedal where they want it.  no "overshooting" caused by the trim logic engaging/disengaging.  That is a limitation of the sim.

 

IMO, shooting rockets from a hover is just a waste of rockets in DCS.  you CAN do it, but you will always be more precise shooting rockets in a running engagement, because it's easier to make fine adjustments in forward flight than in a hover.

I explained how you do it. And we overshoot all the time. It’s super easy to overshoot. 

[JetCat]

It takes a good amount of stick or rudder movement to override the hoover mode. It would be awesome to have tiny precise inputs possible while hoover mode is active for very precise aiming and landing.

[bradmick]

You have that, it's called holding the force trim intrupted, which is what you do during takeoff, landing, approaches to OGE hovers, basically anytime you make large changes to the aircraft attitude, airspeed or altitude.