What are the realistic helicopters for FS ?

[Daube]

Hi all,

I would need some information about the various payware and freeware helicopters out there. I know that the flight model of the copters are not top-notch in FSX but that's not what I'm looking for.
Being addicted to Accusim planes and the VRS Hornet, I would like to know if there is any helicopter beside the Dodosim 206 that has a realistic avionic and especially engine management.

Thanks in advance for your adivses.

[1pepito2]

Hi,

A good place to check out is Hovercontrol... http://www.hovercontrol.com/addons.html
All they do is helicopters, and they do them well. Be sure to have a peek at "Helicopter Total Realism" section.

P

[Daube]

Hi,

A good place to check out is Hovercontrol... http://www.hovercontrol.com/addons.html
All they do is helicopters, and they do them well. Be sure to have a peek at "Helicopter Total Realism" section.

P

I know HoverControl quite well, and as far as I remember the one and only helicopter that tries to provide a realistic engine management is their 412... which has a non-functionnal virtual cockpit.
Is there any other helicopter over there that has realistic systems/engine operation ?
Helicopter Total Realism is for the flight models, which is off-topic here.

[Victory103]

Daube,
Do you have the latest "updated to FSX HC model" with the new FDE? Yes it's a port over, but JM did a great job on what he could change and it starts as it should from the VC. I didn't get the Cera B412 and only the B212 since the HC model was that good in FSX, as it was in FS9. Only real issue is the alpha with rotor textures vs clouds.

[Daube]

I remember I tried the updated mode made for Japanese variants, or something like that. It was definitely updated, in terms of 3D and textures, also in the VC, but the VC interactivity was still zero, and the copter could simply not be operated without using the 2D panels, which is a show-stopper for me.
So far, the only pseudo-realistic copter I have on my sim is Dirk Fassbender Puma. It has some nice elements and features, and the interactivity of the virtual cockpit is not bad at all, but the actual gauges are not responding properly when used in a cold&dark situation, switches are inversed etc.... and the engines are started with a single button :/

[SeanTK]

Daube,

While nothing apparently beats the "Dodo" product, I've had a lot of enjoyment from Cera aircraft (Bell 212 and Bell 222).

[1pepito2]

At the threat of being "off topic" again, the ICARO helo's offered at Hovercontrol (FS9 but port over well) may have what your looking for. It's not a one button start procedure.

But short of that, I know of a fellow at a nearby airport with an R-22 for sale... that should give you some realism....

[Daube]

Yes, the Icaro 139 seems to be a nice piece of freeware, very similar to Dirk's Puma in terms of interactivity, but with an even nicer external model and textures !
However, last time I tried it, its VC was suffering from major "mirror effect" as soon as any effect or light was activated :/

Sean, thanks for the advise. I know nothing "beats" the Dodosim at the moment, but after 6 years of existence, I am simply shocked by the fact that FSX still hasn't received any other helicopter that, at least, tries to get close to the Dodosim. Given the interest that helicopters are getting, both in the FS9 and the FSX communities, it is for me a total non-sense.

[hae5904]

Daube, I fly for years the FSHeli LamaX, very nice helicopter, test flown by real lama operators in Switserland. Very easy on the FPS too.....!
Other than that, the Cera range are very nice, especially the latest Bell 222.....

Cheers,
Hank

[vonstroheim]

The Nemeth BO105 is supposed to have very accurate flight dynamics, and the VC is 100% clickable (actually no 2D panel option except the usual GPS and radio popups). Not new but still a classic!

http://www.nemethdesigns.com/29-846-thickbox/messerschmitt-bolkow-blohm-bo-105-fsx.jpg

http://www.nemethdesigns.com/29-864-thickbox/messerschmitt-bolkow-blohm-bo-105-fsx.jpg

More pictures, info and price here:
http://www.nemethdesigns.com/payware/29-messerschmitt-bolkow-blohm-bo-105-fsx.html

[vonstroheim]

The native FSX freeware Piasecki H-21C "Flying Banana" (and Vertol V44) by Mick Posch (piash21c.zip @ flightsim) is quite psychedelic, but the VC is clickable, and seems realistic to me. The float version is floating alright... Check it out! But read-on, this aircraft has a modeling bug, easily fixed (see below).

http://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/535526Piasecki.jpg

http://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/685871Piaseckivc.jpg

Unfortunatly, the Piasceki is way too small in the aircraft preview screen. It affects also the "spot" external view... No need to zoom to 400% - It's easy to fix with the "RADitor" tool:

"Aircraft designers sometimes face the problem that their aircraft shows too small (or too big) in the rotating preview within FS. This size is controlled by the radius set within the MDL file, but there is no way to directly set it when modelling. The compiler calculates it for you, but unfortunately is sometimes wrong. The Radius Editor (or RADItor for short) is a small tool to help you correct such trouble. " (FSdevelopper Wiki)

http://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/369144raditor.jpg

On top the original radius of 39.6 meters, below my version with a 11 meters radius.

RADitor is free, safe and easy to use, thanks to Arno:
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=RADItor

And now you can really enjoy this chopper! I'm sure a lot of you tried it once back in 2007, but quickly discarded it because of this bug...

[strikehawk]

Piglet's OH-6 is a good freeware bird, add the sound pack for the MD500 at Hovercontrol and you got a nice little flyer. I think I have more hours in this bird than some of my payware stuff.

[Daube]

Piglet's OH-6 is a good freeware bird, add the sound pack for the MD500 at Hovercontrol and you got a nice little flyer. I think I have more hours in this bird than some of my payware stuff.

Piglet's copters are long-time resident of my FSX hangar ! However, I was here not referring to the "beautifull" models, but to the realistic ones, in terms of "operation". I don't think that anybody able to fly Piglet's OH-6 in FSX would be able to start a real OH-6 in real life. Or would he ? Is the real OH-6 started by activating the batteries and one other switch ? That's the kind of realism I was talking about in my first message. I want to know the helicopters which are actually teaching you how the real thing works.

[Daube]

The native FSX freeware Piasecki H-21C "Flying Banana" (and Vertol V44) by Mick Posch (piash21c.zip @ flightsim) is quite psychedelic, but the VC is clickable, and seems realistic to me. The float version is floating alright... Check it out! But read-on, this aircraft has a modeling bug, easily fixed (see below).

...

RADitor is free, safe and easy to use, thanks to Arno:
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=RADItor


I've been flying this copter since it has been released, and it never left my FSX hangar (although I fly mainly the military versions). I'm not too sure about how realistic is its engine starting procedure, though...

Concerning the Bo-105 from Nemeth, I read frequently here and there that the addons from this editor usually have quite a big impact on the FPS for unknown reasons. What do you think ?

[big-mike]

The native FSX freeware Piasecki H-21C "Flying Banana" (and Vertol V44) by Mick Posch (piash21c.zip @ flightsim) is quite psychedelic, but the VC is clickable, and seems realistic to me. The float version is floating alright... Check it out! But read-on, this aircraft has a modeling bug, easily fixed (see below).

On top the original radius of 39.6 meters, below my version with a 11 meters radius.

RADitor is free, safe and easy to use, thanks to Arno:
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=RADItor

And now you can really enjoy this chopper! I'm sure a lot of you tried it once back in 2007, but quickly discarded it because of this bug...


Thank you very much!
I made the changes with RADItor and now it has the right size and is really enjoyable.:icon29:
Michael

[SeanTK]

For what it's worth, the BO-105 and the A-109 (since the major update) have been my two favorite Nemeth aircraft. The sounds are a little quiet on the 105, and it's kind of difficult to taxi around with the 109 due to weird contact points (the nosewheel sinks severely), but overall, both of these aircraft are actually fairly decent.
If I had to choose between these two though, I would pick the 105...it seems to have less overall issues for me.

Again though, check out Cera's stuff! I have the Bell 212 and love it, as well as the Bell 222, which is equally enjoyable, and the latter has a selection of repaints that I created for it available on Aussiex.

[vonstroheim]

Concerning the Bo-105 from Nemeth, I read frequently here and there that the addons from this editor usually have quite a big impact on the FPS for unknown reasons. What do you think ?

FPS are very good for all native FSX Nemeth products (I have their EC120).

The new Nemeth AS350 Ecureuil is very tempting too... You can download the PDF manual even without buying it. So you'll know what to expect. Too bad the BO105 manual is not available like this... Maybe somebody who has it could send to you the PDF?

http://www.nemethdesigns.com/47-1528-thickbox/aerospatiale-as350-for-fsx-new.jpg

User manual and more informations here:
http://www.nemethdesigns.com/payware/47-aerospatiale-as350-for-fsx-new.html

Et c'est un hélico bien de chez nous !

[Victory103]

Daube,
Outside of the Dodo, I think you are pretty limited. Some of the models mentioned do have somewhat realistic start procedures that you are looking for. (BTW if you can start the Dodo, you could start the OH-6, same general procedure). Agree with you about the systems, FS helos are far behind, but I think the focus has been on flight dynamics first (Fred N's HTR), since they have not changed from previous versions of FS. I hope to see the complex systems applied to rotary models in future, as developers continue to advance the coding on the "fast-movers".
I remember when the Aerosoft Seahawk came out for FS9, I was happy to just have a working APU, being able to use the same switchology as the real bird, of course after that the start up was "stock Bell 206". Remember also that many simmers want to get in and fly, so "Ctrl-e" works for them.

[Daube]

Daube,
Outside of the Dodo, I think you are pretty limited. Some of the models mentioned do have somewhat realistic start procedures that you are looking for. (BTW if you can start the Dodo, you could start the OH-6, same general procedure). Agree with you about the systems, FS helos are far behind, but I think the focus has been on flight dynamics first (Fred N's HTR), since they have not changed from previous versions of FS. I hope to see the complex systems applied to rotary models in future, as developers continue to advance the coding on the "fast-movers".
I remember when the Aerosoft Seahawk came out for FS9, I was happy to just have a working APU, being able to use the same switchology as the real bird, of course after that the start up was "stock Bell 206".

My feeling exactely !
We can still hope of course, but frankly, if after all these years Dodosim is still the one and only editor that produced a (I mean, ONE) realistic helicopter, I doubt any other editor will ever try to do that.


Remember also that many simmers want to get in and fly, so "Ctrl-e" works for them.
MS Flight would work as well for them...
Sorry, couldn't resist :monkies: