Helicopter question

[Aptosflier]

I'm considering adding a third-party helicopter to my MSFS "hangar," mainly for sightseeing. I already have a Logitech flight yoke and throttle quadrant. Will they work okay with a helicopter?

[g7rta]

Yes, I don’t see why not. I use the alpha yoke & bravo throttles, along with rudder pedals of course.

I highly recommend the Airbus H145 by Hype Performance Group

https://www.hypeperformancegroup.com/

 

Regards

Steve

[Aptosflier]

Yes, I don’t see why not. I use the alpha yoke & bravo throttles, along with rudder pedals of course.

I highly recommend the Airbus H145 by Hype Performance Group

https://www.hypeperformancegroup.com/

 

Regards

Steve

 

That's the one I've been looking at.

[Herc79]

Dunno about using a yoke for helis... I'm sure it's something that you can get used to, but might feel "unnatural" to some users but fine for other users.

 

I'd suggest using a good joystick instead, one with precision.

 

the thottle quadrant is probably decent to use as a colective, but you might want to make an extension for it, to give you more precision.

 

You didn't mention rudder pedals... you'll need to have "rudder control" for the antitorque tail rotor. Many on a budget will use a joystick thatt features a "twist grip" to do this. Or use any of the many rudder pedals available.

 

Before spending $$ on payware helis, maybe try some freeware first to see if this is something you enjoy. The H135 is free, so is the UH-60L, and I think there's a Robinson R44 somewhere. Try Flightsim.to

[Aptosflier]

Thanks. I have rudder pedals. I'll try freeware before I plunk down good money on payware.

[Herc79]

You might want to check the Youtube channel RotorSimPilot,

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/RotorSimPilot

 

he does reviews, tips and tutorials, and has a volunteer team that is developing a freeware R44 that's already available in a testing phase, and also a freeware Aerospacial Squirl AS350, which is now known as an Airbus H125

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suUDmgGT2RE&t=1232s

 

YOU WILL NEED TO BE RUNNING AIRLAND FS to Fly this Helicopter - download the latest version from flightsim.to

https://flightsim.to/file/21417/airlandfs

 

 

https://flightsim.to/file/25212/airbus-h125-helicopter-project

 

https://flightsim.to/file/20566/robinson-r44-raven-ii-helicopter-project

 

https://flightsim.to/file/8970/airbus-h135-helicopter-project

 

The H135 is freeware, and the same group HPG offers the payware H145 mentioned by Steve, presumably with "more" to it!

 

https://flightsim.to/file/21192/native-h-60-project-wip

 

https://flightsim.to/file/25096/native-helicopter-sikorsky-h34

 

https://flightsim.to/c/aircraft/helicopters

 

 

And then of course there is the Bell 47 which is a true classic, most recognisably as the chopper from the MASH tv show. This one is payware, and requires care and attention to the engine mixtures, proper heli techniques, and the understanding that this is not a powerful heli. It takes patience and care to fly this one, apparently!

 

https://flyinside-helis.com/

Edited May 25, 2022 by Herc79

[Aptosflier]

Thanks for all the tips. I’ve decided to skip it for now. Instead, I’ll practice flying Cessnas low and slow to take the in scenery. I flew a 152 down a stretch of the Rhône River valley the other day, following the river and keeping within the higher ground on either side. I recently got a Flight Velocity Trim Wheel Pro, which has really helped with this.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gpurg]

Update for the 2022 guys, new to helicopters:

H135 by Hype Performance Group is extremely close to the H145, except that it is Free, just doesn't have all the bells and whistles. Flies great with a few curve adjustments. You will like either one. The Yoke control for a heli should be fun.... extremely challenging, but fun.

 

I program my throttle (Collective), so it works in a reverse fashion than what we use for fixed wing aircraft, but it functions much more natural that way for heli vertical control.. ie; like the real version.

 

I have virtually all that are available for MSFS and can't wait for another UH-1H "Huey", this one from MILVIZ, and the Mini MD-500 from GOT FRIENDS.

[Herc79]

Thanks for all the tips. I’ve decided to skip it for now. Instead, I’ll practice flying Cessnas low and slow to take the in scenery.

 

 

Why not do both?

 

Spend 70% in the Cessna as you plan... but then also do 15% autopilot and VOR navigation to learn that, and 15% baby steps into flying helis.

 

Baby steps learning helis:

 

Don't try hovering or landing to start. Instead, learn to take off smoothly, then pitch forward slightly, and do basic forward flight, with some gentle turns. Maintain an altitude as much as you can.

 

Get a basic joystick. Though there are many others that are much better/expensive and much worse/cheapbutnotcheapenough, I recommend the Thrustmaster TCA Sidestick Airbus Edition. Or a T.16000m, which is the earlier version of it, that should be less expensive, but has a grip shape that I don't really like, but is just as precise as you'll need.

 

https://www.thrustmaster.com/en-us/products/tca-sidestick-airbus-edition/

 

For a collective, a civil throttle quadrant ought to do a decent/good job.

 

The best helo stick for a budget... is not so easy to find and a bit of a risk... because it's old, hasn't been manufactured in more than 16 years or longer, so you'd be buying old hardware, used, that could break down with no warning. BUT... gives possibly the most realistic (on a budget) helo feel off any. Because it uses Force Feedback. I'm talking about the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2. Don't get earlier versions, and make sure it has Force Feedback. They usually work as good as new, they were built very well for a budget stick. But in-game works realistically!

 

As you gain experience, try a gentle rolling landing, doing your approach as if flying a bush plane in to land.

 

Once you start getting good at a basic landing, start learning how to hover in place. Much like playing golf, is both very simple... but hard to master. There are lots of exercises to learn and get good and great at effective hovering: get on the runway, takeoff and land right on the corner of the runway numbers, then the threshold markers, go to the other end of the runway and to the same but without climbing more than 100ft AGL.

 

If you have much money to throw at it, a few items can REALLY make this more immersive and realistic: a really great VR headset... the stereo vision gives a sense of depth and measurement along with natural head movements, almost like cheating, but is apparently SOOOOO amazing for simulation heli flight.

 

 

THIS will TRANSFORM your DCS Helicopter Flying Precision

 

 

 

Another is to go with a premium helo controls. Not cheap, but if you find you enjoy helis, start saving!! I have used the Puma heli trainer and it's great:

 

https://www.pro-flight-trainer.com/products/custompuma

 

Komodo is fancier still:

https://komodosimulations.co.uk/

 

Virpil makes great products, but the wait time is long due to where it's made:

https://virpil.com/en/blog/178-vpc-collective-controller-lineup-preorders-open-today

 

And I think there's one or two others that are now making heli controls, which will increase now that DCS has the AH-64 Apache in a proper realism combat flight simulation.

 

The ultimate is in the future, where you could buy a premium set of controls, with button layout for your favorite helos, in a proper moderrn, repairable FORCE FEEDBACK at a reasonable (for a premium product) pricing. But alas we are not there yet!! Could come soon though...

Edited May 26, 2022 by Herc79

[Herc79]

Ok so it was just announced that helicopter support from the sim developers is arriving shortly, along with two helis:

 

Bell 407

 

Guimbal Cabri G2

 

and it seems like many new helipads and heli locations! The 407 is known to often be sold with an autopilot, so this might be an opportunity to fiddle with a heli in autopilot, as this is something the flight sim community has not seen much of.

 

This seems to be part of a huge effort to upgrade much of the current sim, for the 40th anniversary of Microsoft in flight simulations!!