If we EVER needed a helicopter......it is NOW!

[spilok 1,140]

I am enjoying MSFS with GA flying over some of the spectacular scenery in this world.  However, if we EVER needed a helicopter...it is NOW!  I really want to explore some of this scenery very low and very slow.  I'm sure it could prove to be quite an experience.  I would like to land at an airport somewhere in this world, get out of my plane, and fire up a copter.  I think this sim is a natural sim for helicopter flying.

There's a lot to learn in this new sim, and I'm struggling with navigation.  Watching these Asobo experts utilize the Garmin and the FMC is mind boggling to me. I'll get there, but it's going to be a learning curve.  So, for now...I would just like to explore the many airports, cities, countries and points of interest in this sim.

Please, roll out a helicopter as soon as possible.  I think we all would love to have one.

Stan

 

 

 

[PurdueKev 159]

13 hours ago, spilok said:

I am enjoying MSFS with GA flying over some of the spectacular scenery in this world.  However, if we EVER needed a helicopter...it is NOW!

I second this. Rotary wing in this platform would be awesome. 👍

[FlyBaby 659]

I really wanted a Heli when finding my home....a fly by was good, but I want to be able to hover...and take in all in...visually.

It will take time for MSFS to get helicopters...but when they do....it will open up a whole new world of experiences in the sim.

Until then, there is so much to explore with what we have already.

[Paladin2005 447]

I agree, the scenery is PERRRRRFECT for Heli flying...

[Paraffin 2,197]

3 hours ago, spilok said:

Please, roll out a helicopter as soon as possible.  I think we all would love to have one.

I would love to fly a helicopter with this new scenery, but rather than "as soon as possible" I want Asobo and 3rd party devs to do it right, not some slapdash tweak of the current flight model to get one on the market soonest.

For example, the current biplane in the sim fakes it with a single airfoil representing both upper and lower wings. I don't want to see similar shortcuts when modeling a rotary wing aircraft. Maybe there are ways to approximate something like retreating blade stall in a helicopter by using a single large disk instead of individual blades, but it sure seems to me that individual blade modeling like X-Plane (and I think DCS too?) is the way to go. 

We need other things that are unique to helos, like "mast bump" with teetering two-blade designs, vortex ring state, realistic autorotation, transition in and out of ground effect. We also need realistic 3-axis and 4-axis autopilots, and force trim release on the cyclic for the larger helicopters. 

My hope is that like X-Plane, these features are built into the default flight model for 3rd party developers to use, so they can concentrate on other things like the systems and 3D modeling.

What I wouldn't want to see, is every developer having to build all these unique aspects of helicopters outside the sim as an add-on to the flight model. That would limit the number of great 3rd party helicopters available in the sim to just a few developers who could tackle the job. 

So get with it Asobo, my money is ready if you do this right!

[Slides 1,552]

The DCS Huey can be challenging enough to fly. It's going to be something else to fly a helo in MSFS with its air mass simulation.

Edited August 20, 2020 by Slides

[Gomoto 31]

Despacito!

[captain420 3,099]

We have a mini helicopter, it's called the drone. 😛

[Paraffin 2,197]

19 minutes ago, captain420 said:

We have a mini helicopter, it's called the drone. 😛

Boo! Hiss! 😀

I know what you're saying, but an immersion-breaking camera that doesn't even fly like a drone is a poor substitute. 

[High_Alpha 42]

8 hours ago, Paraffin said:

For example, the current biplane in the sim fakes it with a single airfoil representing both upper and lower wings. I don't want to see similar shortcuts when modeling a rotary wing aircraft.

Do we know for certain that the lift data that is being represented in the middle of the biplane is not the mean centre of lift as opposed to a singular “invisible wing”? I think this is just a misunderstanding of the graphics they’ve used to show the aero data. I’d like to know what the actual flight model is using to interpolate lift as opposed to the in game visualizer... Based on some of the other shortcomings in the stock aircraft I wouldn’t be too surprised if you’re correct, but I personally haven’t seen anything definitive about it yet...

[reignman40 450]

7 hours ago, Paraffin said:

Boo! Hiss! 😀

I know what you're saying, but an immersion-breaking camera that doesn't even fly like a drone is a poor substitute. 

I just played around with the drone around San Diego, absolutely amazing. This sim has features at launch that makes other sims seem old fashioned and boring at this point. 

[Penzoil3 481]

They have promised helicopters "soon". I can't wait !

 Sue

[n4gix 4,969]

7 hours ago, Paraffin said:

Boo! Hiss! 😀

I know what you're saying, but an immersion-breaking camera that doesn't even fly like a drone is a poor substitute. 

Program your joystick, yoke, or x-box controller to "fly" the drone camera around!  Up/Down, Ascend/Descend, Fly Right/Left, Fast/Slow...😇

[SeanMo 140]

I just drop my Cessna on the nearest lake, river or road and send my drone around. Using the Xbox controller for that is quite intuitive and really much better to get a look at a city. You can even "walk" around these crafted airports.

The devs mentioned about a week ago that they will be releasing a free update that will include about 4 helicopters. It will then be possible to make proper 3rd party helicopters as well. As much as I'd like one now, I'm glad they put that on the back burner to get this out now. 

[dobee51 349]

The Ultralight was good for checking out scenery in FSX.