DCS Helicopter Bundle

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Wes_Howes
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DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wes_Howes »

Well, temptation finally got the better of me and I purchased the helo bundle yesterday. I only had a short while to mess around with the Hip and the Ka-50 and my goodness I've got a steep learning curve ahead of me :grin: I've downloaded all of Chuck's guides, those guys are heroes.

Does anyone recommend the NS 430? Or should I just learn to handle the aircraft first before worrying about the GPS?

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Wissam24
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wissam24 »

See, I've got the NS430 but I have to confess to never actually working it out. I tend to just use the F10 map :p

"Those guys" That guy! Just the one!

The Hip and Huey are the best in my opinion. The Hip is just a beast with so much power, the Huey is a real pilot's helicopter, if you thought the Hip was hard to fly....but once you master the Huey any other helicopter is a doddle. When you make that first hover stick, it'll click.

The Hip has quite a...busy...cockpit too, but as you say, take the time to learn things and it'll be easy. I'd also recommend using the Crash Laobi 1 Minute DCS videos as well, they're very useful (if a bit blue!)
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Wes_Howes
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wes_Howes »

It looks very similar to the G1000 GPS on FSX and I'm pretty used to that so I think it might be worth a shot, especially at $14.99 but then again, I need to start using ADF, NDB and VOR nav properly first, GPS makes it too easy.

I thought a couple of guys contributed to the guides but if it's just one guy then wow! :hypno:

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Wissam24
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wissam24 »

Do you have pedals?

By the way, at some point in the near future I want to set up a UKAR DCS get together with various aircraft and maybe one or two things to do in the map.
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wes_Howes »

No I don't, I've recently upgraded from the T-Flight HOTAS X to the T.16000M HOTAS and using the the rocker in the backside of the throttle for rudder input but I can see a purchase of rudder pedals on the horizon after purchasing the choppers.

Sounds good, I haven't done any online flying yet, don't fancy embarrassing myself too much just yet.

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Agg
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Agg »

I'm in the same boat as Sam, I bought the GPS, but I haven't really used it much. Or even tried to figure out how to use it... :oops:

The Huey and the Hip are fantastic, the Black Shark is a bit of a different beast, but still a blast. Never really got the hang of the Gazelle though.

I'd be up for a UKAR DCS meet up as well, you shouldn't be worried about going online Wes, multiplayer adds a whole new dimension to the simulation.

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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wes_Howes »

Well, I hopped in the Huey for 20mins last night and had a blast, I was sweating from concentrating so hard :grin: I landed in the same position I took off from with the airframe still intact so I'd count that as successful. Trying to juggle the collective with the throttle and the rudder all on the same controller was fun but worked it out eventually. Didn't manage to hover though so that's tonight's lesson.

I remember flying online with CFS and CFS2 back in the day and remember getting frustrated at constantly being blasted out of the sky by people who clearly do nothing more than fly online all the time so I think that's making me a little hesitant.

Think I'll hold off with the GPS for now, learn how to fly the damn things properly first.

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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wissam24 »

"I was sweating from concentrating so hard"

Yep, sounds about right. I remember much the same attempting my same hover!

I can guarantee a set of rudder pedals will - literally - change the game for you with the helicopters. If you do get them, once you realise you're coordinating your hands and feet you'll be over the moon, it's awesome. But you'll also see enormous improvement in flying the other aircraft too, especially the warbirds if you have any.

As Agg says, multiplayer is fantastic. When you're with other people and you see them flying around knowing there's actual people controlling them, it's so much fun. And don't worry about being blasted out of the sky, in all likelihood I'll just disable weapons anyway. And if I don't, then it's not like there'll be many of us anyway so it's easy to stop people! We can just have a blast flying around and trying some formations for example.

Truth be told, I don't do all that much multiplayer, not serious mission based stuff. I usually just mess around with a mate or on the aerobatics server.
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Agg
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Agg »

Even if you do fly missions only you don't have to do PvP, I mostly do coop-missions with my "squad".

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Wissam24
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wissam24 »

Yeah I don't like PvP. Mainly because I can't dogfight! Much more fun doing co-op work.
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wes_Howes »

Quick question about binding an axis to the throttle on the Hip, I notice in the setup it gives left and right throttle but is there anyway to combine the two?

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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wissam24 »

You wouldn't really need to bind the throttles to be honest. I never have, I just use the mouse. Once you've finished start up you never really need to touch them again outside emergency. I have the Huey throttle bound to my stick but only because it has the one throttle.
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wes_Howes »

Thanks Sam, I just noticed when I was playing around with the Huey that I was increasing the throttle to cope with the RPM loss when adjusting the collective.

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Wissam24
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wissam24 »

No, no need to adjust it. Part of your startup up procedure is putting the throttle to full anyway, and it should stay there. In helicopters really the throttle is at off, idle or full. "Power" is controlled by the collective.

RPM will go down - think about when you're driving and you stick your hand out of the window. If it's horizontal, there's a little resistance, but if you hold it vertically, there's a lot more resistance and it's a lot harder to hold it. That's what happens when you increase collective, you're increasing the pitch angle of the rotors, which in turn increases the lift at the expense of drag, lowering RPM. This increases Engine Gas Temperature as the engine computer increases fuel supply in order to keep the engine at constant RPM. I.e. in order to compensate for incraesed drag and thus lowering RPM the power demand on the engine is increased to try and maintain the RPM (as best I understand it). As you increase collective, you need to make sure you're keeping the Engine Gas Temperature in the green - too high for too long (not very long!) will cause engine fire. This determines your max collective by and large.

At full throttle the RPM is controlled by the engine governor. Somewhat more important to bind is RPM governor though you're also not necessarily going to need that except in extreme circumstance.
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by UKTopgun »

For some brilliant YouTube DCS multiplayer vids check out the Grim Reapers, some scenarios are very amusing and the participants don't take things too seriously (and here I should say best wishes and get well soon to host Cap who has been very ill recently)

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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wes_Howes »

Thanks for the advice chaps. I flew the Harbour tour quick mission yesterday and managed it without getting a scratch, even if the AI Huey cut across me to land on the pad I'd been eyeing up :grin:

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Wissam24
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wissam24 »

Now try slingloading! :lol:
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The Doctor
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by The Doctor »

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=205546

The first mission is a great co-op mission made by the guy who did the excellent (in my opinion) museum relic campaign for the Sabre and Mig-15. Its a selection of missions flyable in practically any aircraft, would be great fun for a UKAR flight.

Count me in for a UKAR ground looping session. :rock:

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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wissam24 »

I actually got the Oilfields campaign some time ago, played a few missions a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. No combat, just navigation and sling loading but it's decent fun.

I do want to get a mission going though. I'm only on the beta build at the moment which would be a problem I imagine, assuming you're all not. Also, I'd love to use Simple Radio - it adds loads of immersion. We just need to find the best time to organise it and get everyone together

But my most recent sessions have been taken up with the new MiG-29 PFM which is superb. Though I did have this happen to me last night!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHdAjokSTAM[/youtube]
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by The Doctor »

Beta user here too. Will have a look at simple radio.

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Wissam24
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by Wissam24 »

It's cracking fun, even if it's just for the effect it overlays over radio chat and the little clicky T/R noises.
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Re: DCS Helicopter Bundle

Post by The Doctor »

Will have a crack at it tonight, thanks.

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