Personal computer helicopter simulators

[Rick_Michael]

My instructor has mentioned Microsoft Flight Simulator to help me in my future IFR training. Do you have any programs that you think will help and anyone know of a particular simulator that is both accurate and has helicopters (rather than fixed-wing crafts)? R-22 preferable.

 

Please make any suggestions. Thanks.

 

Links definitely welcomed.

[mechanic]

Hey,

Try a search of "simulators" up at the upper right. There have been some good threads about pro's and con's of MS and X plane software as well as hardware thats being used. ASA makes a book that covers tips and topics about using MS version.

 

Later

[Whistlerpilot]

Check out www.hovercontrol.com a website dedicated to pc helicopter flight sim.

 

I learned how to hover, and all the basic flight regimes on MS flightsim 2004 before starting my flight training. I use MS 2004 so I can do it on my laptop. The more recent programs need a fast computer. It really accelerated the early real flying learning curve. Took 15 minutes to get a real hover, and could fly straight, turn, climb, descend right away. It is definitely an under utilized training tool. It is a couple hundred bucks to get all the controls (you need pedals as well as cyclic & collective), but a worthwhile investment. Download the dodosim Bell 206 it is the best for training I think.

 

You can fly IFR to your hearts content for free before starting and impress the hell out of your instructor. Caution, you need to be disciplined and focused. There is potential to just mess around and teach yourself bad habits too.

 

This thread comes every now and again so do a search to get tons of opinions and advice.

[ADRidge]

I've toyed around with both. To be honest, IFR is IFR, it seems. If you're already flying a -22 VFR, I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you're trying to teach yourself the principles behind flying a DME arc, why not do it in a simulated C-172? The gauges are all the same, and you're probably going to be flying Category A approaches anyway. Sims generally suck for developing "the touch" it takes to fly a robbie well. It's not a knock against the software so much as it is a knock on the joystick and pedal combos out there. It seems X-Plane is more flexible as far as that goes. See my thread in the Training forum, specifically bgmassey's post.

[palmfish]

I'll second the benefit of MS Flight Simulator 2004. I picked it up for $20 last year when I was working on my FW add-on and it was very helpful. For instrument training, I agree - don't worry about simulating a helicopter. Just get yourself a $30 Saitek Cyborg joystick and fly the Cessna 172.

 

The one thing I'll add about practicing IFR flight in a sim is this - do it alongside your IFR training (flight and ground school) with an instructor. MS Flight Simulator is a great tool, but if you haven't learned cockpit management, you may develop habits that will later need to be unlearned.

 

Enjoy!

[slick1537]

The two big things I would get down before doing them in the aircraft is holding, and all the holding entries. Also no gyro tracking an intercepting was very very confusing to me until we sat down and did it on the sim.

[DieselBoy]

What do you use for a collective?

[Whistlerpilot]

I use the Saitek X-52 joystick with separate airplane throttle. In the settings reverse the throttle so it works like a collective, up/down. If you want to get fancy you can add a stick to it but it works great as is.

[DieselBoy]

Thanks!