Rookie Helo Driver Needs Help with Auto Pilot

[Golgotha]

Well last Saturday the day arrived when Black Shark was presented to me on my Birthday, after hinting for a couple of months to the wife and pointing out the correct Amazon page.

 

I have to say well done to the developers as this has grabbed my interest from Lock-On Flaming Cliffs. Whilst the A10 sounds fun, I for one am hoping for a Hind later in the series. Sure there were issues with the one produced by DI in days gone by, but it was a fun simulator all the same.

 

I am very much in training mode, practising powering up and getting airborne, before tipping over on landing, I have now read the contents of the appropriate thread and will practice, from here-on, using the tips that are given there, but I really would like to ask for somebody to explain the use of the Auto-Pilot, as I find the information in the PDF manual to be a little lacking.:helpsmilie:

 

I understand the 'augmentation' operations, but for the life of me cannot understand, how to use the Auto-Pilot for navigating a route; something I believe it will do, using the flight director button, I assume that the height hold is part of this.

 

If somebody can assist me I would be grateful, as I for one will have to buy or have printed a hardcopy of the manual, as I try to read the PDF, then remember what was written. The ABRIS is a bit of a beast to get to grips with, beside using it as a moving map.

 

Thanks in advance, I am sure I shall be asking plenty of other questions, later.

 

Regards,

 

John [Golgotha]:helpsmilie::joystick::joystick:

[Nate--IRL--]

Just a quick reply for now, I'm sure others will answer in more detail later. The flight Director isn't what you think it is. When the flight director is engaged the Autopilot and stability system switches to stability only for the autopilot channels selected. What you want is Route mode (press R) to follow waypoints with the flight director off.

 

Nate

[Golgotha]

Thanks Nate for such a quick reply and I shall wait to see if any others can go more into depth about the Augmentation system. I guess that having been a fixed wing virtual aviator, that I am looking at things like I have learned in LOMAC and of course my other favourite F4 Allied Force as well as the Flight Simulator series.

 

John :)

[HitchHikingFlatlander]

Well not to sound simplistic but get used to Trimming and how trimming works. Basically while flying your constantly trimming the helo but its very different from trimming an airplane. I'm a noob as well so I don't want to get ahead of myself giving hints when I really don't have a clue.

[Frederf]

There are 4 basic regimes of autopilot control in the Ka-50:

 

1. Full manual, stabilization channels off - emergency only

2. Stabilized, stabilization channels on - free flight

3. Fight Director - free flight with direction

4. Route Mode - traditional autopilot

 

For the autopilot systems to navigate a route you absolutely have to have the HOTAS descent-route switch in the route position, the DH/DT switch to a position other than neutral, and the FD off.

 

The ROUTE light will illuminate on the overhead panel to let you know you're in a navigation mode. Typical navigation tasks that are route mode compatible are the PVI-800 Airfield, NAVTGT, and WPT modes. If you want to get fancy the datalink Ingress button also works.

 

Be aware that "flight director" is not the original Russian language but an iffy translation. FD in the Ka-50 does not work like the FD in a Boeing 737. It is just a fancy mode that's a little more stabilized than normal and has more visual indications. FD mode cannot be used with Route mode at all.

 

For 99.99% of the time you will have 3 of the 4 AP channels engaged. Only when you want to do altitude hold would you have the ALT channel engaged such as in cruise or hover. The ALT channel is pretty much independent of all other autopilot functions in that it behaves the same way no matter if you're under stabilized free-flight, FD mode, or Route mode. It can hold radar or baro altitude and it's "trim button" (how you set it) is by relaxing the collective lever (default key to depress F).

[slug88]

Well not to sound simplistic but get used to Trimming and how trimming works. Basically while flying your constantly trimming the helo but its very different from trimming an airplane. I'm a noob as well so I don't want to get ahead of myself giving hints when I really don't have a clue.

 

On that note, make sure you watch the Producer's Note on Trimming. Located on the downloads section of this website.

[slug88]

The ALT channel is pretty much independent of all other autopilot functions in that it behaves the same way no matter if you're under stabilized free-flight, FD mode, or Route mode.

 

You sure about that? I thought ALT hold would be disabled by FD just like all the other holds.

[Frederf]

No I'm not sure.

[EinsteinEP]

Flight Director can be summarized as instead of flying the aircraft for the pilot, it Directs him/her where to go via visual cues. FD dioesn't provide any collective or cyclic or rudder inputs, it just says "hey, dude, you wanna go this way." It's up to the pilot to get there (or not).

[Frederf]

That's not exactly true. In a Boeing 737 that's how the Flight Director functions but in the Ka-50 the FD actually changes the nature of how the trim and stabilization systems control the aircraft (and it also gives a lot of visual indication).

[Sulman]

Both pilot and autopilot follow the flight director cues. That's how it works in most aircraft, except in the Kamov you don't see the cues with the stab modes engaged. FD mode in the KA-50 leaves damping switched on. The pilot has a lot of control authority otherwise.

[Golgotha]

Thanks for the help

 

Thanks to all the guys that have offered help and advice to my question.

 

Having created some simple navigation and flight training flights in the editor, I can now handle the 'shark' with a little more confidence, in the flight augmentation systems and trim. The flight director does seem to work like in some aircraft, where when flying manually it give control input guidence, to fly the helo.

 

I have to say that it would be great if DCS would produce a module that allows the ABRIS, to be used independantly, without starting the whole simulation, so that you can spend time getting to grips with it, as it is quite a powerful piece of equipment, like some of the flight computers in Flight Simulator.

 

Well now I can land, thanks to the advice on the wheelbrakes, in another thread, I shall start looking at the weapons system, before trying some action.

 

John :thumbup::pilotfly: