I'm an ARCADE helicopter pilot :-)

[jcomm 6,053]

With the re-install of xp10.30, which rapidly brought beta 4 for me :), also came the re-install of many add-ons.

 

Yesterday I re-installed my only payware helicopter, the AS350 B3.

 

Two things that I had forgotten about it:

 

1) When landing it, well, crash-landing it, or landing on a slope, the aircraft you load afterwards, even after restarting XP10, have the outside view tilted ???? How to solve this? - Simply reload the AS350 B3 on a flat, straight surface :-)

 

2) I can't fly this helo unless I set the ARCADE mode On! One of the main problems I have is the extreme sensibility in roll. The cyclic is so sensible that we can easily make a tunneau with it, as if there was practically no inertia or even fuselage drag ( ? ). When the ARCADE mode is chosen, IMO the helicopter flies a lot more plausibly?

 

So... what can you tell me of the new Bell?

[Tushka 0]

Slightly offtopic, but I guess you have probably heard of DCS: Black Shark 2? It's a military simulation of the Kamov Ka-50 and has really great flight dynamics (simulates the helicopter better than FSX, maybe X-plane?). Hence I would recommend it as I remember you once replied to my topic about combat simulators.

 

There is something strange with X-Plane and Microsoft Flight Simulator as it is much harder than real life according to a helicopter pilot friend of mine so don't give yourself too hard of a time.

[jcomm 6,053]

Slightly offtopic, but I guess you have probably heard of DCS: Black Shark 2? It's a military simulation of the Kamov Ka-50 and has really great flight dynamics (simulates the helicopter better than FSX, maybe X-plane?). Hence I would recommend it as I remember you once replied to my topic about combat simulators.

 

There is something strange with X-Plane and Microsoft Flight Simulator as it is much harder than real life according to a helicopter pilot friend of mine so don't give yourself too hard of a time.

 

Yes Tushka :-) I know and have them all, the Ka-50, the UH-1H and the Mi-8 :-)

 

The P51d made me an avid DCS user. Only my recent inccursion into IL2 BOS and Rise of Flight reduced my DCS flight time :-)

 

For civil flights, mostly with the SSG 748i and the QPAC A320, and also a few GA and helicopters I will probably stay with XP10.

 

And... there's that superb An-28 too, by  Felis!

[Longranger 148]

Well the AS 350 is very light and reacts rather nervous.

The biggest problem with smaller and rather nimble helicoptersare the tiny movements you can make with a joystick compared to the normal controls of a helicopter.And without Rudder pedals they are simply unflyable.

But the bigger the heliocpter is the easyer it is to control. They do no longer depend on tiny corrections, you have to plan ahead instead.

The Dreamfoil 407 is a pretty good compromise. With a bit of training and Rudder pedals it can be controled much better than the AS 350, but it osn't as stable as the BKK 117, the Agusta or the Sikorsky S-92.

The Alabeo R66 is iMHO not realsitic even without Artifical Stability.

For me The Dreamfoil 407 is currently the best helicopter for X-Plane 10 with the BKK 117 as a close second.

[jcomm 6,053]

Yes, I agree Longranger, but I can perfectly fly the helos in DCS World, and believe me - it has quite a flight dynamics model!!!

 

It's not  a question of the controls being too small ( their arms ), and I do use rudder pedals. It's the fact that helicopters in 10.XX started feeling like if their was no roll inertia, and as if their center of gravity was at the rotor head ( inverted top effect... )

[User72 28]

jcomm, have you tried the 407? Much more enjoyable than the 350 which does seem more difficult to fly than it needs to be.

[jcomm 6,053]

Nope, but I intend to.... just waiting for some promotional sales to take place at the .org :-)

[Longranger 148]

Yes, I agree Longranger, but I can perfectly fly the helos in DCS World, and believe me - it has quite a flight dynamics model!!!

Well IMHO the AS 350 is too nervous but according to some helicopter specialists (they even modified their hardware) the AS 350 is in fact exactly as the original. According to them the AS 350 is pretty unstable and since they are able to master this beast i have no real reason to doubt their words.

But the 407 flies totally different. And exactly that is the point if they behave differently in real life they should behave differently in the simulator. IMHO you are in no position to critizise the general helicopter handling in X-Plane with only one example.

[jcomm 6,053]

I'll give it a fair try sooner or later :-) and report back.

[Tushka 0]

Yes Tushka :-) I know and have them all, the Ka-50, the UH-1H and the Mi-8 :-)

 

The P51d made me an avid DCS user. Only my recent inccursion into IL2 BOS and Rise of Flight reduced my DCS flight time :-)

 

For civil flights, mostly with the SSG 748i and the QPAC A320, and also a few GA and helicopters I will probably stay with XP10.

 

And... there's that superb An-28 too, by  Felis!

If you're in to helicopters in X-Plane 10, try the Mi-2. Has one of the best VC's I've seen and flies beautifully even if it's very complex for western standards: http://www.avsim.su/f/x-plane-originalnie-samoleti-95/mil-mi-2-red-eyes-for-x-plane-51860.html

 

I like helicopters, they're fun to fly. But for some reason they aren't modelled very well in flight simulator/x-plane so I tend to stick mostly to DCS for it... Quite fun to do it while having a mission and not just flying around.

[jcomm 6,053]

 

 

I like helicopters, they're fun to fly. But for some reason they aren't modelled very well in flight simulator/x-plane so I tend to stick mostly to DCS for it... Quite fun to do it while having a mission and not just flying around.

 

Exactly!  

[ryanbatc 13,104]

The AS350 is crazy touchy on my setup (MS ffb2 stick ch throttle Saitek combat pedals)

 

Arcade mode is too weird though so I typically fly the bk17 instead.

[jcomm 6,053]

Yes, I don't think the roll behavior of the AS350 is anywhere acceptable :-(   Even the default Bell feels better...

 

I've heard the best about the bk17, and also about the latest Bell 407, but I really don't ant to spend money in XP10 add-ons now....

 

I'll wait for the outcome of 10.35, since the blur isn't going to get fixed ( or the wall of fog ) in this version...