Helicopter Takeoff

I am trying to launch Helicopters in a short distance as, possible. Using the Army CH-47, and the Army AH-64 by Nick Black, I get immediate, takeoff; it rises off the ground prior to takeoff, and then rises higher, going down the runway.

When I use the UH-60, it rolls down the Runway like an aircraft. Lifts about half way down the runway.

Using ZZZH helicopters, stemme_as_helicopter_1, or 2, I get the same result.

The question is, is there anyone, since Mr. Black retired, that knows how to get hellos , besides Flight One, Heli Traffic, to take off like Helicopters??

Look here:

I recently bought this package, works great.

There are two ways to "launch" a chopper: Vertical Lift-Off, and Running Lift-Off. ALL helicopters can do a vertical lift. They are designed that way.

For a vertical lift, you need to have enough "free power" for the current conditions. IOW, your lift (ie: engine power, the blade RPM should remain constant, hopefully) has to be high enough for the pressure altitude, wind velocity and direction, and so on. If it's not, again, 2 choices. Running take-off or reduce your gross weight (the aircraft, I mean. I know for fact that my own weight is pretty gross...) . Presuming your Free Power is sufficient for conditions, start raising the collective, slowly, keeping the aircraft level with the cyclic. Many birds will go a little nose high as they get light on the skids (wheels, whatever), because the main rotor is mounted slightly canted forward to enhance stability and lift. If you push forward on the cyclic to try to level it off, you will begin to move forward, and now you are in a Running take-off. If you control the forward/backward/sideways motions to remain over the same spot, often likened to balancing a spinning plate on a broom, while standing on a beach-ball, you will slowly come up off the gear and begin to rise vertically, Slowly. Vertical Take-Off. Now, very gingerly move the stick (cyclic: right hand, joystick) forward to begin moving forward, while adding power with the collective (the "throttle" in FS9). Set the twist grip to 100% and leave it there! The throttle raises and lowers the collective, increasing and decreasing the angle of the blades as they spin around the hub. The ECU maintains engine and rotor RPM by adding or decreasing fuel flow, to maintain altitude. And off ya go. ALWAYS remember to apply more of a pressure than a movement when flying a chopper, and always set your Control Sensitivities to 100%, Null Zones to 0% (maybe just a teensy little Null zone for Rudder, if you have a twist grip for the rudder on your joystick. It prevents "noise" from the other two control axes from interfering with it.

For a running take-off, let the bird stay level (stick centered or slightly forward) until the power is sufficient to begin to move forward, then simply accelerate this way by lifting the collective (SLOWLY!) until you get a sufficiency of translational lift and power to let you rise into the air. And off ya go!

I strongly, STRONGLY recommend going to HoverControl.com and DL'ing Helicopter Total Realism v1.5 (HTRv1.5), and the closest config file to your particular bird, manufacturer, say Nick Black or ZZZH or whoever, and model, UH-60 or whatever. Read the instructions included with HTR. You will need FSUIPC also. 3.999 preferably for FS9. HTR is a small program that runs alongside FS9, and takes the data that FS9 is supposed to use to make the helicopter fly properly, and adjusts it, sending it back to FS9 as correct data for how a helicopter actually flies. FS9 is notoriously terrible at doing heli's correctly, and HTR was designed to compensate for it's deficiencies. And, believe it not, it actually does. Marvelously. It has been vetted for some time by actual helicopter pilots, both military and civilian, as well as numerous MSFS pilots, both FS9 and FSX, and they are very enthusiastic about it.

They also have a section in the forums dedicated to HTR.Tons of config files and good to know, ho-to info. The instructions included with HTR will teach you exactly how it does what it does, and how to adjust the config files as needed, entry by entry, what each one changes, how much, and how to adjust them for your system. Every system set up, computer, FSUIPC, joystick, rudder pedals, etc., is different and unique, and as you get more comfortable adjusting config files you get faster and better at tweaking them for your system.

Does all this blathering help at all? Hope so!

Pat☺

I assume the discussion is about AI helicopters, not flyables...

The VTOL models are custom and cleverly designed with an invisible aircraft, and animations at takeoff and touchdown which make it look as if they go vertical.

In fact the helo has landed earlier, and taken off later, than you visibly see.

Names? FDE's by Mike McIntyre, John Young (Harriers); also SBAI do some.

So the stemme-based models behave like the glider they are based on, and will not do VTOL.

Look here:

I recently bought this package, works great.

I love Flight1's AI helo package, because you can put any model in there, and it will behave itself.

Oh, my, do I ever have egg on my face. I rambled on forever, on a totally irrelevant subject. I apologize. I honestly thought he meant a normal MSFS chopper, not AI's.

Sorry all!

Pat☺

When I use the UH-60, it rolls down the Runway like an aircraft.

You should create separate ADF for AI helicopters. A RWY of about 300 ft lenght is enough, and the helo will take off after about 50 ft. That's quite acceptable.

Effectively the AH-64 is up to now the only one I saw taking off vertically for some feets. But by far not the same way as they do with Heli2009. Unfortunately this tool doesn't allow to schedule flights like for AI.

Bernard

I honestly thought he meant a normal MSFS chopper, not AI's.

Sorry all!

Pat☺

No worries, Pat...

I am one of the other 3 helo flyers in FS9 ;) and I found your reference to HTR most interesting.

I've flown many FS9 hours without it, perhaps I could go back to basics and learn something new!

EDIT: But I see only a couple of FS9 config files! I assume the Effeh Sex ones don't work?

Not that I've heard, and they haven't told us how they did it.

WAIW says their working on it stand BY.

That'd be MAIW?

...FDE's by Mike McIntyre, John Young (Harriers); also SBAI do some...

McIntyre did the FDE for the helos you refer to, and John Young's Harriers too, complementary to ACG sceneries.

The models are hard-coded for the vertical bit.

SBAI are payware.

Sounds like a clever technique, with the aircraft invisible and the visible model doing its "own thing". More details would indeed be welcome. :)

Thanks,

The 'trick' is a combination of modeling, xml coding and FDE setup.

It cannot be replicated after the fact to another model, has to be built and coded into the original model.

Wing Z,

Quote: '...reference to HTR most interesting.' 'perhaps I could go back to basics and learn something new!'

I tried HTR. It just made flying helio impossible. When you figure it out (what to tweak or change) let us know. I myself think it's 'hocus pocus'. (it's just something to keep you 'busy' doing something??...). Too cute for me. My helio flying is perfect without it.

Chuck B

Napamule

HTR is a program to make Helo's in FS9 and FSX fly as realistically as possible on a sim. It was designed by an engineer specializing in aircraft dynamics to compenste for the Sim's terrible performance in diong what Holicopters really do, and how the physics of the world act upon them. It was created and perfected (although, of course, NO thing is "perfect", it's pretty close ), by the engineer in collaboration with RL helicopter pilots, both military and civilian, and some outstanding flight sim aircraft modelers/creators. As I say, not perfect, but awfully good.

The big trick is to make sure you have the correct config file for the bird you want to fly. Not all have one available, but many do. The thing to remember about the config files is that every computer/software/user combination is unique and different, so each file you use must be adjusted, either greatly or slightly, depending on set-ups etc. BUT: Once you have the config file set up right, the settings in your comp set up correctly, and the bird's aircraft.cfg and .air files adjusted properly, it's amazing how realistic the sims can make a chopper fly. This isn't just me, it's real pilots, sim pilots, and rank amateurs (such as myself). David (Opa) Marshal was a large contributor, and has a couple articles on Hovercontrol on what to set up and how in your computer and the chopper's own files. Him I have (had? it was a loss when he had to go...) a huge amount of confidence in, and respect for his opinions. Just me though.

I mean no disrespect for your opinion at all, Chuck (may I call you Chuck?), I am just stating only my opinion and what I've read on Hovercontrol. The information and "how-to" instructions that come with the program are remarkable well written and informative, but they are a little lengthy and take a little while to wade-through and become comfortable with, but once you do, you might be suprized. Again, just my opinion, and as like they say, everyone's got one and they all stink...

Pat☺