New to helicopters

[mSparks 2,094]

1 hour ago, Bjoern said:

Why on Earth would you want to put a newbie intro a flying coffin for training?! That's analog to a very first flying lesson in a MiG-21!

Simulation is better than real life in some aspects.

Being able to chase the dragon without the inevitable health consequences is one of those aspects.

[Kalnon 160]

On 3/3/2023 at 9:39 PM, MrBitstFlyer said:

Never flown one in any sim, but its about time I added a helicopter to my fleet for a new challenge in XP12 🙂   For controls I have the Honeycomb Alpha Yoke, Bravo Throttle and rudder pedals.  I guess a stick would be best, but I suppose the Alpha yoke will do for a start for pitch and roll.  With 6 axis on the Bravo throttle I can use one for collective and one for throttle.  I would appreciate recommendations for a good stick to use for heli flying that isn't too expensive - I don't have to look at bargain basement stuff but neither do I want to be spending hundreds while I find out if heli flying is for me.

Next of course I need a helicopter!  I like complexity, so no fear of learning.  I would like to use the heli for short and long range, preferably something with some good nav equipement like a well equiped GA.  However, if the suggestion is to start with a basic helicopter, I'll do that 😁

Learning to fly helicopters in X-Plane is such a fun, unique and very challenging experience like nothing else I've experienced.  At first,, transitioning from fixed wing to helicopters it can be quite frustrating to learn at first, I recommend that you have lots of patience and practice a lot, don't give up, keep at it and you will find that it becomes a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.  My first helicopter in X-Plane was the Cowin Sim Bell 206 B3.  I was talking with a real world Bell 206 pilot that flys them every day and he told me the Cowin Sim 206 is about 90% accurate to the real thing.  I've always had a thing for Bell helicopters and the especially the 206 ever since I flew the FSX default 206 way back in the day.  It's a great first helicopter in my opinion and it's flight characteristics are easier to master than some other helicopters.

[Kalnon 160]

On 3/3/2023 at 9:39 PM, MrBitstFlyer said:

Never flown one in any sim, but its about time I added a helicopter to my fleet for a new challenge in XP12 🙂   For controls I have the Honeycomb Alpha Yoke, Bravo Throttle and rudder pedals.  I guess a stick would be best, but I suppose the Alpha yoke will do for a start for pitch and roll.  With 6 axis on the Bravo throttle I can use one for collective and one for throttle.  I would appreciate recommendations for a good stick to use for heli flying that isn't too expensive - I don't have to look at bargain basement stuff but neither do I want to be spending hundreds while I find out if heli flying is for me.

Next of course I need a helicopter!  I like complexity, so no fear of learning.  I would like to use the heli for short and long range, preferably something with some good nav equipement like a well equiped GA.  However, if the suggestion is to start with a basic helicopter, I'll do that 😁

Learning to fly helicopters in X-Plane is such a fun, unique and very challenging experience like nothing else I've experienced.  At first,, transitioning from fixed wing to helicopters it can be quite frustrating to learn at first, I recommend that you have lots of patience and practice a lot, don't give up, keep at it and you will find that it becomes a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.  My first helicopter in X-Plane was the Cowin Sim Bell 206 B3.  I was talking with a real world Bell 206 pilot that flys them every day and he told me the Cowin Sim 206 is about 90% accurate to the real thing.  I've always had a thing for Bell helicopters and the especially the 206 ever since I flew the FSX default 206 way back in the day.  It's a great first helicopter in my opinion and it's flight characteristics are easier to master than some other helicopters.

[Kalnon 160]

On 3/3/2023 at 9:39 PM, MrBitstFlyer said:

Never flown one in any sim, but its about time I added a helicopter to my fleet for a new challenge in XP12 🙂   For controls I have the Honeycomb Alpha Yoke, Bravo Throttle and rudder pedals.  I guess a stick would be best, but I suppose the Alpha yoke will do for a start for pitch and roll.  With 6 axis on the Bravo throttle I can use one for collective and one for throttle.  I would appreciate recommendations for a good stick to use for heli flying that isn't too expensive - I don't have to look at bargain basement stuff but neither do I want to be spending hundreds while I find out if heli flying is for me.

Next of course I need a helicopter!  I like complexity, so no fear of learning.  I would like to use the heli for short and long range, preferably something with some good nav equipement like a well equiped GA.  However, if the suggestion is to start with a basic helicopter, I'll do that 😁

Learning to fly helicopters in X-Plane is such a fun, unique and very challenging experience like nothing else I've experienced.  At first,, transitioning from fixed wing to helicopters it can be quite frustrating to learn at first, I recommend that you have lots of patience and practice a lot, don't give up, keep at it and you will find that it becomes a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.  My first helicopter in X-Plane was the Cowin Sim Bell 206 B3.  I was talking with a real world Bell 206 pilot that flys them every day and he told me the Cowin Sim 206 is about 90% accurate to the real thing.  I've always had a thing for Bell helicopters and the especially the 206 ever since I flew the FSX default 206 way back in the day.  It's a great first helicopter in my opinion and it's flight characteristics are easier to master than some other helicopters.

[Kalnon 160]

Sorry about that, something went wrong with the Post button when I tried to post, can some Moderator please delete my extra posts?  Thanks.

[Humpty 751]

10 hours ago, Bjoern said:

Why on Earth would you want to put a newbie intro a flying coffin for training?! That's analog to a very first flying lesson in a MiG-21!

Haha , flying coffin ! that's what we call our Mig-21's here.

Because that flying coffin is used to train new heli pilots along with other trainer helis

Edited March 6, 2023 by Humpty

[jcomm 6,005]

7 hours ago, Kalnon said:

Sorry about that, something went wrong with the Post button when I tried to post, can some Moderator please delete my extra posts?  Thanks.

DCS UH-1h was also very good. They have other military helis but I never tried those....

[Humpty 751]

@mSparks can you help with the governor script ?

[mSparks 2,094]

20 minutes ago, Humpty said:

@mSparks can you help with the governor script ?

yes, which heli, I have a newer one for the VSL44 than I've posted in here.

[Humpty 751]

1 minute ago, mSparks said:

yes, which heli, I have a newer one for the VSL44 than I've posted in here.

The default R22, it just nose dives on the ground, I don't think it's the issue because I am using the Extreme 3d (Until I fix the arduino on the modded stick for the helis).

I am not sure why should it want to kiss the ground when I raise the rotor rpm

[mSparks 2,094]

24 minutes ago, Humpty said:

I don't think it's the issue

governor script deals with excessive changes in torque when it should be stable.

24 minutes ago, Humpty said:

it just nose dives on the ground

does sound like something else.

My top list for those would be

weight and balance - nose heavy?

wind direction - strong tailwind?

joystick - inverted pitch axis?

Top of the new to helicopters list would be -> only apply pitch and roll if you want the pitch/roll to change, otherwise neutral will hold the current attitude (some people, myself included before I flew model helis, think you push forward on the stick to go forward - that only applies to coaxials)

just did a quick and dirty spin around the pad with the governor off and pitch/roll axis graph on- didn't touch the throttle in this flight:

pink is pitch

(graph is covering my reference point and 2D, so sorry for it being a bit messy... 😞 )

Edited March 6, 2023 by mSparks

[Humpty 751]

5 minutes ago, mSparks said:

governor script deals with excessive changes in torque when it should be stable.

does sound like something else.

My top list for those would be

weight and balance - nose heavy?

wind direction - strong tailwind?

joystick - inverted pitch axis?

Top of the new to helicopters list would be -> only apply pitch and roll if you want the pitch/roll to change, otherwise neutral will hold the current attitude (some people, myself included before I flew model helis, think you push forward on the stick to go forward - that only applies to coaxials)

just did a quick and dirty spin around the pad with the governor off and pitch/roll axis graph on- didn't touch the throttle in this flight:

pink is pitch

(graph is covering my reference point and 2D, so sorry for it being a bit messy... 😞 )

All that is fine.  Axis are perfect , weight balance is fine. 

Maybe I need to reset the weight balance when i select the R22.

Let me try.

[Humpty 751]

Hmm , not sure what's going on.

Wind direction is 72 , heli is facing 33. So don't think that the x-wind is the issue.

reset the weight balance to defaults but still.

Can you post a screenshot of your weight balance?

[mSparks 2,094]

13 minutes ago, Humpty said:

Can you post a screenshot of your weight balance?

I'd suggest also maybe try deleting/renaming

Robinson R22 Beta II_prefs.txt

in X-Plane 12/Aircraft/Laminar Research/Robinson R22 Beta II/

what you are describing sounds like a W&B issue, and early XP12 builds had all kinds of W&B bugs, could be that file became corrupt at some point.

[Humpty 751]

14 minutes ago, mSparks said:

I'd suggest also maybe try deleting/renaming

Robinson R22 Beta II_prefs.txt

in X-Plane 12/Aircraft/Laminar Research/Robinson R22 Beta II/

what you are describing sounds like a W&B issue, and early XP12 builds had all kinds of W&B bugs, could be that file became corrupt at some point.

Ok, will do that later and give it a try. Thanks