Hi all,

Finally decided to give it a go.

Other good helicopters out there, but the consensus seems to be

FlyInside Bell 206B ( most hands-on and most realistic)

HPG 145 / 160 (More automated,easier to fly)

HPG is more expensive.( Not really an issue)

The questions are would you agree with this assessment and second

is it still worth it if I am not using VR. I do use TrackIR.

 

I think for fllying a helicopter it is imperative to be able to quickly look around/use perpiheral vision, to judge movement in all directions. VR is the best option for that, but on a monitor an eyetracker or Trackir would be second best option.

BTW I love Flyinside Helicopters and also the Taog Helicopters, gotta buy the new Flyinside ones yet.

 

I dont like the heavily assisted modern helicopters (in real life I would I suspect).

Edited August 8, 20241 yr by Rene_Feijen

The H160 is probably the most in depth helicopter in MSFS.  It's also kinda tough on fps with all the custom glass avionics.

It is kinda stabilized like the real one but you can and should assign buttons to sort of take manual control for landing and takeoff.

It's a superb helicopter and even has autopilot and it works very well!

I just started down this path myself.  I've stuck mostly with the Cowan Sim helicopters, while they are pricy at regular price, you can often find them 50% off.  I've never tried the Flyinside ones yet.  

I'd recommend two youtubers:

P Gatcomb - has some great tips for sim heli pilots with some down to earth tips.  There's lots of real world training videos out there too, but this will give you all the basics you need to know.  

Belatu42 - Says he's a real heli pilot (and I have no reason to doubt him) and he covers a lot of helicopters.  He's where I got my Cowansim recommendation from.  (again, I'm cheap and when I find them on sale I pick them up).  Just be aware, he's got a really expensive heli control rig, plus he's a real pilot so he makes it look very easy.  

I notice a lot of people focus on autorotation, which is fine, but I don't really focus on emergency procedures as much.  

Make sure you set up custom helicopter controls and make separate "helicopter" control profiles.  Make sure you use the helicopter trim commands and map them to something.  You want custom axis for collective, torque pedals and cyclic.  Just using the default throttle, stick, etc aren't quite the same.  

I never use VR or TrackIR myself.  What you'll need is practice.  Also, stick with calm winds until you get the feel for the helicopter.  Don't be shocked if you are all over the place at first with assists off.  

Edited August 8, 20241 yr by kerosene31

I don't use VR but I would consider the new Taog UH-1H Huey to be the most realistic at the present time. In the next few weeks, Cera Simulations will be releasing a version 2+ upgrade to their Mil Mi-17V-5 helicopter which in my opinion will put it on par from a visuals, flight dynamics, and systems perspective with Taog products. 

The HPG H160 is great and in depth, but it's cutting edge and meant to be incredibly automated, so it's going to be a "different" kind of helo experience compared to more common helos of the past decades. 

I also do not use VR, but without TrackIR, I cannot imagine how to effectively control a helicopter. I have both older Flyinside choppers, the HPG 145, all three Taog entries (great fun flying the Lama in the Himalayas!) and some of the Cowansim birds. Too many, really….

Besides TrackIR, Warthog joystick on an extended shaft (some 8 inches) and especially Virpil Collective transformed my helicopter flying! Both “sticks” give me much, much better, finer control. Two of my best purchases. Three with TrackIR. 🙂

I have a VKB throttle and stick so I hope that will work well. Lots of stuff I can program.

I can also get an extension on the stick so it will be longer then a regular joystick

Going to be tough deciding which one to get.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I own all of Taog, HPG, Cowansim, Miltech Chinook and Flyinside 206B. My favorites in order are:

Taog UH-1, Flyinside 206B, Cowansim R22, Cowansim 500E, HPG 145/165, Chinook

I only fly in VR. Once you fly heli’s in VR, you probably won’t fly anything else for quite a while. I suggest starting with the free Cabri to get a feel for controls and handling. It’s super slow and easy to fly.

Then I would move to a chopper that is fun, exciting to fly, and that isn’t too frustrating to learn. I can fly the 500E with so much precision and it flies like a sports car. It is not the highest fidelity of the bunch, but it still gets lots of flight time. Or grab the Huey. It is nostalgic and has great visual modeling and immersion.

Then I would go with a more difficult but full fidelity heli like the CS Robinson R-22. It has exceptional flight modeling and is only $13 on sale. Belatu, a heli pilot and YouTuber, said it had the best flight model of all heli’s in then sim. But that was before the Huey was released. Next grab the Flyinside. Yes, you can modify the assist settings but it is not forgiving for first time heli pilots.

Lastly, I would save HPG for last. They’re a totally different experience. Lots of Automation and Avionics. As good as they are, they receive the least flight time out of my Heli’s.

The Chinook is also great fun along with the other Taog products!

And I just fly with a Thrustmaster Warthog stick with extension and throttle. I will eventually get a collective but it is not necessary.

I should have added anti-torque pedals (Rudder) are mandatory. 

Decided on the Flyinside Bell 206 finally.

Just felt like it was a good helo to learn from.

The HPG is certainly amazing, but not what I am looking for at this time.

Still have all the setup and so forth to do.

Took her up just to see. The view was amazing until I crashed into electric wires. LOL Not something you worry much about in a plane.

TrackIR is really worth it on the Helo.

Thanks for all the info.