Landing a helicopter?

[fliger747]

Something to remember in a conventional single rotor helicopter is that the aircraft is supported from the motor hub, with the CG significantly below. There is an appreciable pendulum effect as one slows into a hover, which one must compensate for. Think of a yo yo or plumbob on a string, note how it will pitch up (swing fwd) as you bring it into a "hover". This is where the active compensation of an inherently unstable system comes in.

Accurate controls are necessary with zero null zone. From flying FSX choppers I taught myself enough that transferred to real choppers for both my instructors to say I was the best student they ever had. Because of the lack of seat of the pants feel, FS may be harder!

[Bone]

Accurate controls are necessary with zero null zone. From flying FSX choppers I taught myself enough that transferred to real choppers for both my instructors to say I was the best student they ever had. Because of the lack of seat of the pants feel, FS may be harder!

That's funny, Tom, I had the same experience when I went for some chopper lessons. My instructor's comment after a few lessons was 'I really don't see what you need me for, lol'. And I agree with you, flying FS choppers is a touch more tricky than real.

[fliger747]

Steve:

There are however more ways than I could have possibly imagined to kill yourself in a real chopper. So far I haven't found auto rotation to be all that realistic in FSX, at least for low inertia rotor systems. I did map an engine kill switch to the joystick.

Cheers: Tom

[griphos]

Have you tried it in the Dodo? Not that realistic still, but much better than the others I think.