FSX
I created ai traffic for KDTO from the flights on Flightaware to and from Denton Enterprise Airport. Searched and found all of the aircrafts freeware online also using ORBX North American AI aircrafts. Among these flights were a couple of helicopter flights. Well, first, unsuccessfully, I tried using FSX default R-22 and B206 JetRangers. I remembered that MAIW has ai helicopters albeit military ones so I downloaded an AW 139 FSX from MAIW and it followed the flightplan perfectly taxiing to the runway with the rotors rotating and taking off beautifully. Then I Google searched for ai helicopters for flight sims and found a download in Simviation called: FS2002 ai helicopters 101 by Holger Sandmann. Substituting the model and cfg according to his instructions into his Bell JetRanger folder from the FSX default I was able to get it to follow the flightplan BUT rotors don't work. Research says in Model Converter X you change rotor animations to prop animations but unfortunately Holger's setup and FSX model and airfiles are not compatible. Still no rotation.
John Young who designs the helicopters for MAIW was kind enough to answer a PM I sent to him on how he gets HIS helicopters to perfoms so well. They are designed from scratch with the animations engineered into them.
OK: Here is MY success and how I did it...
starting out from a parking spot
in the air first turn on the flight plan
just before landing
I "ran out of film" so I didn't get the touchdown which is not hovered but like a very slow aircraft landing and then taxi back to parking
Its done with the default FS2002 Bell 206B JetRanger which I was able to find at Simviation after a lot of searching for it with a repaint. I also found the R-22 and two other FS2002 helo's. They are not a detailed as FSX choppers but they work as ai. Its fun to view them in traffic and follow them through the whole flight. You can find Holger's program and the 3 subsequent lessons at Simviation.
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