Flight Simulator X

[Sparker]

I just purchased FSX and I haven't started flying real helicopters yet. I am waiting to start training for financial reasons, and I am wondering if anybody with flying experience has tried FSX yet.

 

The first problem I noticed is that once I have gained some forward airspeed in any helicopter in the game I have to pull back quite a bit to avoid pointing at the ground. If I leave the control centered the helicopter rolls forward and gains a ton of airspeed 100+ and if unchecked will just crash into the ground. I have calibrated the joystick a million times and it still does it. Shouldn't I have to have some forward cyclic to maintain a nose low attitude? It seems silly to pull aft to fly forward.

 

Just wondering if this is what you actually do, and if there are any other practical ways to gain experience before I jump in with both feet.

 

Thanks.

 

Sparker

[svtcobra66]

The helicopters are terrible in Flight Sim X, I actually like the physics in Battlefield Vietnam, thats the most realistic game i've tried in terms of helicopter "feel". Flight Simulator X is better for instrument training and procedural things, but the basic helicopter models are pretty bad.

[volition]

Your right!! The sim stuff is not realistic, but great for instrument work, VOR holds, ILS Approach, etc.

[Worldcrime]

X Plane by Laminar Research is a pretty good Helo Simulation, and it accepts an external collective and pedals.

 

Richard

[Sparker]

Is X-Plane worth the $50? I haven't ever heard of it. Any reviews?

[Goldy]

Sparker- If I flew the R22 like the one in MX, I would look like my avitar for real !!

[mechanic]

Hey,

 

Scroll through the button assignments and make sure all the assignments are correct and not duplicated. I had a issue when I added my CH Pro Pedals with my Saitek Cyborg stick. I had double rudder control at the same time. My rudder control was all over the place in flight.

 

 

 

ASA has a nice book out called, Flight Simulator as a training aid. It has tips for MS 04' and X.

[Falcon1184]

I just purchased FSX and I haven't started flying real helicopters yet. I am waiting to start training for financial reasons, and I am wondering if anybody with flying experience has tried FSX yet.

 

The first problem I noticed is that once I have gained some forward airspeed in any helicopter in the game I have to pull back quite a bit to avoid pointing at the ground. If I leave the control centered the helicopter rolls forward and gains a ton of airspeed 100+ and if unchecked will just crash into the ground. I have calibrated the joystick a million times and it still does it. Shouldn't I have to have some forward cyclic to maintain a nose low attitude? It seems silly to pull aft to fly forward.

 

Just wondering if this is what you actually do, and if there are any other practical ways to gain experience before I jump in with both feet.

 

Thanks.

 

Sparker

 

Straight out of the box, FSX is going to do nearly nothing for you in terms of helicopter flight. I really enjoy flying airplanes and helicopters in both real life and in the sim, so I can shed some light on this. With airplanes, you can play around on the sim with no real experience, then do the real thing with an advantage. Helicopters are the opposite. You actually are better off flying the real thing first, then trying to tweak FS to feel as real as possible, since you'd already know. There are a few addon helicopters that are much more improved. I have only two helicopters that I even bother flying on FS because they go above and beyond anything else out there, and give me the most realistic feel and procedure. The Bell 206 jetranger by Dodosim is one I use (about $70, worth every penny), and the Bell 412 by Hovercontrol (free). Go to www.hovercontrol.com for more info on those. Don't let anyone tell you that FS is a waste of time and you can't get anything out of it for helicopters. You just have to have the right addons, and have everything set up properly. What I'm able to do on FS is very helpful for my real world flying.

[mechanic]

I recommend the Gilles Arlove (blue) R22 and gauge patch, at Hovercontrol.com, its free. I find it way better than the MS 04' R22 offered.

[helo08]

There are a lot of various ways to enhance the FS experience. Flightsim.net is a good way to connect with other pilots and also fly with them. It's kind of like Xbox live and things like that, you can talk with them and discuss certain issues. There is also VATSIM in which it's actually like an air traffic control network where you actually talk to controllers and it becomes similar to real world flight in controlled airspace. There's a lot of ways to enhance the experience just explore the many options, www.hovercontrol.com is a good place to start.

[FlyNHighNFast]

The helicopter dynamics are much better in FS2004 than in FSX, I have both installed and use FSX for airplane "work" and FS2004 for helicopters.

 

Download and try out the hovercontrol.com models. Their UH-1H is my favorite.

[hcgalvin]

ASA has a nice book out called, Flight Simulator as a training aid. It has tips for MS 04' and X.

 

Does this book cover any portion of the helicopters in FS? Or is it pretty much all fixed winged based?

[mechanic]

Does this book cover any portion of the helicopters in FS? Or is it pretty much all fixed winged based?

 

Yes, the book only references flying airplanes, both VFR and IFR. If you plan a VFR/IFR flight for a plane, it still can be used for heli practice too.. The book is for helping you use all the benefits of the sim to sharpen skills and save some money. I only use it for heli work myself. I usually hover around things, approach/departures, pickups/setdowns, and etc....I mainly do it for my muscle memory, not to try new manuvers I have not trained on with my instructor. I am flying part time and I have breaks in training. Its review for me. The sim won't auto like a real R22, so I don't try. I fly the VASI at my airport on the sim sometimes, just to do something different.

 

 

 

This is the contents of the book.

 

 

 

About this book

 

Using FS as a training aid

 

Best practices for using FS

 

FS essentials

 

Advanced "training features" in FS

 

Differences between MS 04' and X

 

About the practice flights

 

Flying the aircraft used in the practice flights

 

Supplemental information and web links

 

Introduction to the VFR practice flights

 

Sample briefings for VFR practice flights

 

Introduction to the IFR practice flights

 

Sample briefings for IFR practice flights

 

Creating your own practice flights