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Jimmy RFR

Milviz Bell 407 - First Impressions

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Glad it's being received well - it's really very well done. Can't wait to get back home in a few days so as to get flying again!

 

I'll have to fire up my laptop so as to take in the manual - I didn't come across the extended VC option the other night in my too short adventure exploring it.

 

With the mention that engine failures are modelled, I did note the other night that after I happened to over torque long enough to get an alarm, that a caution light stayed on, and that the bar portion of the gauge started bouncing. I hadn't had a chance to check that in the flight manual yet, but I was planning on it.

 

The one thing that I did notice the other night but forgot to mention - I use my x52 throttle axis as the controller, but with the axis reversed, so that full forward is full down on the collective. I noticed that when I loaded up the model with the controller full forward, that the model wanted to initially set the collective full up, with the result that it would lift off immediately unless I moved the controller slightly. Not sure why, I was going to play with this a bit more.

 

(By the way, if anyone is using an x52 throttle as a collective, there's a really simple mod around to remove the detents from the throttle action. Requires opening it up, but it's very well worth it.)


Jim Stewart

Milviz Person.

 

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I hate to be a NOOB, but is there a way to set the Force Trim in Fsx to a joystick ?..

I don't see the corresponding setting in FSX setup.

 

Thanks,

B

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There's an option to set the Force Trim to a button in the setup panel that you can find on your desktop. I believe the option was located in a drop down menu in the top left corner.


Jim Stewart

Milviz Person.

 

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For helicopters I fly in DCS World. Real FDE & systems + grate damage model.

The sim is free, with SU-25T & you can get the "hardcore" UH-1 Huey or Mi-8 for 20 bucks now.

I can never go back to FSX for flying helicopters now :wink: 

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I've been flying in DCS lately as well; I had picked up almost all of the modules on sale. I've only had a chance to put some hours on the Huey thus far.

 

However great the FDE might be (and personally, I think my controllers may not be up to the requirements of the Huey) there are still major compelling reasons for me to fly helicopters in FSX - overall selection and an incredibly large civil environment with which to fly them.

 

Also, and I'll be completely honest here, flying helicopters in DCS is almost borderline to too much effort - a couple of hours in the Huey and I'm darn near sweating and definitely exhausted afterwards! Contrasting that with spending a few very enjoyable hours in the 407 the other night, where I finished flying for the night and thought to myself 'Wow, I can't wait to do that again!'.

 

Not trying to be too much of a fan here, but although FSX deservedly gets a bad rap for its helicopter physics, Milviz has managed to do a great job here; it's a slight injustice to write it off as a 'FSX' helicopter and therefore not worthy in some way.


Jim Stewart

Milviz Person.

 

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There's an option to set the Force Trim to a button in the setup panel that you can find on your desktop. I believe the option was located in a drop down menu in the top left corner.

 

Great!! Thanks for the information !

 

B.

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I'm a great admirer of DCS too, not only for the helicopters but also for the p51d.

 

I have used DSC for quite a while, but quited because, although it has, IMO, now paired by IL2 BOS, the best flight dynamics available, the purpose of those simulators is far from what I like to use a flight simulator for... I eventually gave up flying circuits in the p51d, uh-1h and mi-8 - got tired of it, and of knowing I wasn't really using the other 85% of the sime that it's there but I do not really want to use :-/

 

X-Plane 10 and FSX are then my choices for flying GA aircraft. Helicopters are thought to be modelled rather well in X-Plane 10, but I honestly think that either by using an external FDE ( easier now with P3Dv2 ) or a well designed and gauge/ DLL added model in FSX, we can certainly have here too a very good compromise between plausible rotary wing dynamics and the joy of flying anywhere in the World, using navaids and seeing places we're familiar with :-)

 

I am seriously considering this Bell 407, and my only problem now is the choice of the version. There's a problem here for me because most devs are making available versions taht one can fly both in FSX and P3Dv2, but this particular add-on has separate versions, and, I am still using ( and very satisfeied with ) fsx in dx10 mode, I tried P3Dv2 and liked it but also know that my system will need an upgrade to be able to use it at it's best, so, buying now for FSX can be a loss of money if anytime soon I decide to move to P3Dv2, and buying the version for the two platforms is expensive, IMO :-/


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Looks very nice indeed, but I dunno, 40$? 60$? prices gone crazy lately. Same for the metroliner, being 50$ and 70$. Quite out of my spectrum I'm afraid. At least good to hear that it's good. :)

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I'm going to jump on this one right away...

 

Though you (and others) might feel that prices have all of the sudden gone crazy...  the amount of detail, work, effort and quality that goes into (ours as I won't/can't speak for other devs) product(s) is IMMENSE and, over the past 4 years has doubled and in some cases, tripled.  Without the (expected) increase in price.

 

I apologize but at the same time, if we want to stay in business... we have no choice at all...


Please contact oisin at milviz dot com for forum registration information.  Please provide proof of purchase if you want support.  Also, include the username you wish to have.
 

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I'm going to jump on this one right away...

 

Though you (and others) might feel that prices have all of the sudden gone crazy...  the amount of detail, work, effort and quality that goes into (ours as I won't/can't speak for other devs) product(s) is IMMENSE and, over the past 4 years has doubled and in some cases, tripled.  Without the (expected) increase in price.

 

I apologize but at the same time, if we want to stay in business... we have no choice at all...

 

Personally, I feel the 407 is clearly worth the asking price for the FSX version. Especially compared to other products on the market. Between the Reality XP integration, configuration manager, night lighting, and the immersive feel, it's a winner! This is my first FSX heli, and I am very pleased! Just did a 70 mile flight in Africa in the 407 and between the FTX global, REX, and ASN it was simply amazing.

 

Use of the force trim is very helpful!!! Doh!

I would say the 407 is very fly able with a joystick with rudder control.

My observation is that unlike a GA plane, you have to really pay attention at all times to the heli. Basic flight demands a lot of concentration and there is not much time to play with knobs, GPS, or anything else.

 

But with the 407, I am learning how to use my forward inertia and vertical speed to control it. Finally did my best landing yet and landed right on the edge of a small helipad.

With the torque at 37 percent, I was just able to keep enough forward motion to make a slow descent onto the pad. Sweating bullets the whole way down and one of the first times I ever really needed the radar indicator.

 

B.

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This doesn't need to be a discussion about cost; whether an individual feels that a price is reasonable or unreasonable is a very subjective issue, one that often has more to with an individual's interest or lack thereof as anything else.

 

Relative value = actual cost +/- personal interest.

 

The only thing that becomes relevant at higher levels of pricing is that one is less likely to make rash impulse purchases. But in the end, it doesn't matter if an addon is $10 or $40; if you don't use it, you really shouldn't have bought it.


Jim Stewart

Milviz Person.

 

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What I don't like about this product is the lack of documentation and clear details of what you are actually getting for your money if you buy now. For example nowhere on the purchase page did I see that the P3Dv2 version is not yet available, this is the primary reason for my purchase and I cannot use it in that sim yet officially. So I've paid $60 for an incomplete product in more ways than one. No basic instructions at all is simply inexcusable for a product in this price range. It's great that there is a full real manual, but that is useless for a simmer who has no clue about the 407.


Cheers, Andy.

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There is a link in this discussion to a manual. I haven't had a chance to get on something that can d/l a zip file yet to see if it's a product manual as opposed to the flight manual that installs with the product.

 

I would agree that it's probably important for the Milviz bunch to update their website to let people know that the P3Dv2 version isn't released yet. That said, it is the holidays - gotta let people spend some of their time with family and such!


Jim Stewart

Milviz Person.

 

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Well, I had no clue about helicopters or the 407, but was able to get a handle on it .

Don't get me wrong, I can't start her up, (use auto start) But some of it is self explanatory, especially if you are used to the Milviz Config tool. But a product manual would be helpful, I agree.

 

First bit of advise is to get the force trim working on joystick via the Milviz Config.

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My main computer had a HDD crash the day of release.  So I was unable (until today) to access anything. I am now updating the site to point out that V2 is only going to be available later.

 

The product comes with the actual manual for the 407 but I will be putting up a link with the manual that we made for it today.

 

@ Andy, if you ordered the v2 and aren't happy, send me an email and I will refund your money immediately.


Please contact oisin at milviz dot com for forum registration information.  Please provide proof of purchase if you want support.  Also, include the username you wish to have.
 

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