Dust cloud increase should occur after collective pull

[-0303-]

File under interesting, anal retentive modeling, less than top priority...

Video: Luxembourg helicopter trims tree.

Before takeoff, rotor clearly fully spun up, near complete absence of dusting and then sudden heavy dusting accompanied by audio change (collective pull?).

This real life example may or may not be extreme: Again, almost complete absence of dust cloud until collective pull.

Makes sense, only with collective does the heavy down wash starts. All helicopters obviously. Connect dust cloud graphics intensity to collective pull.

Checked of course, landed on grass, in DCS ground dust cloud identical whatever collective setting.

Update:

Observed: Dust cloud graphics is gradual and proportional to (only?) rotor rpm.

Fix: Make dust cloud proportional to BOTH rotor rpm AND collective setting.

Ie max dust cloud at max rpm with max collective raise. But also max rpm with zero collective would result in minimal to no dust cloud as in video.

Video deleted. Same video, cut for time(?) but still shows the point, no collective = no dust, collective = dust.

https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/2306561.html

 

 

Edited May 28 by -0303-
1st. More info. 2nd. Replaced deleted video.

[rhinofilms]

I agree.

 

 

[-0303-]

Thanks for agreeing.

Observed (external view, pause to note rpm) that dust cloud is gradual and proportional to rotor rpm. I think dust intensity should be proportional to both rpm and collective. Multiply rpm * collective:

Example 50% rpm * 50% collective = 25% dust cloud etc... making for no dust cloud no matter the rpm given zero collective (as in video).

Updated start post.

~

~80-100 rpm may or may not be a cutoff, that's where I stopped seeing dust. Might only mean I failed to see it.

Terrain and ground "wetness" matters obviously but that's different. Should green grass not dust so much(?) belongs to separate thread. This thread is solely about when and how powerful down wash occurs. But imagining terrain & wetness : Multiply rpm * collective * terrain-type * wetness? Then there's snowing, raining...

In multiplayer, dust onset also gradual, so not simplified (didn't expect it to be). Should mean all required clients <-->  server signalling already implemented. Only the client side "make dust" criteria needs updating.

Edited May 27 by -0303-

[MAXsenna]

On 5/24/2025 at 8:35 PM, -0303- said:

This real life example may or may not be extreme: Again, almost complete absence of dust cloud until collective pull.

Up here in Norway I've never seen a helicopter kick off dust no matter the collective setting. I have a video somewhere, made by me, where it starts up and takes off from dry land. Fresh snow in the other hand... 

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

Yes dry grass shouldn’t have that effect: I have first hand experience with it too.

But judging by some YouTube videos I saw, the effect is still quite *under*done in the desert, though.