For rotorheads: Helicopter Total Realism

[empeck]

Have you guys seen this? It's an utility that replaces default flight dynamics for helicopters. It works with R-22, Bell 206, EH-101 and AS350 (for FS9) so far. I've been testing this tool today, and I can't say if I like it or not. Flying 'feel' seems much better, but landing and take off is too difficult for me. It looks like ground effect is too strong.

I don't have any experience with real helicopters, I'm just comparing HTR to DCS: Black Shark, EECH and default FSX.

HTR simulates autorotation, vortex ring state, blowback and transverse flow effect, retreating blade stall, ground effect, wind, weight displacement and ground forces.

http://www.hovercontrol.com/cgi-bin/...&cat=&bool=and

http://www.hovercontrol.com/cgi-bin/...1;t=17635;st=0

[MCDesigns]

I was following it at HC also, haven't tried it yet

[Daube]

Just tried it.
It's impressive, my hand is still shacking from the stress. Controlling the Merlin was hard, but I somhow managed to land. I almost crashed the R-22 though... on takeoff
Thanks for the information, Empeck, I didn't know at all about this addon.

[cheezyflier]

interesting. i think the boys at hovercontrol would have the informed opinion on this. i'm curious to go there and see what they think.

[tigisfat]

Hmm, Is this a case of the 'everything fails and is super hard' snake oil realism?

Or has someone cracked the chopper .AIR file gold mine and really made it right?


Experience says it's probably the former, but I can't wait to give it a shot.

[empeck]

Hmm, Is this a case of the 'everything fails and is super hard' snake oil realism?

Or has someone cracked the chopper .AIR file gold mine and really made it right?


Experience says it's probably the former, but I can't wait to give it a shot.

It doesn't change Air files at all, flight dynamics are controlled by external application, not FSX.

[tigisfat]

It doesn't change Air files at all, flight dynamics are controlled by external application, not FSX.

hmm

[Dain Arns]

Mr. Fred Naar has been working extremely hard for over a year now, to develop a freeware external physics module to simulate such things as, transverse flow, retreating blade stall, and vortex ring state for helicopters in FSX.
He himself was disappointed by the FDE of rotorcraft in the sim, as it is also his favorite type of flying craft to operate.
He most assuredly has a good educational background in physics and mathematics, not snake oil.

This will be a foundational piece of software, and as important for good rotorcraft simulation, as FSUIPC has become for flight sim overall.

As such, he deserves praise from the community for his steadfast resolve over the past year for developing HTR.

The program calculates the various forces applied to the helicopter at every cycle (update frequency). Each force causes an acceleration on the three axes, it might also cause a torque based on the force application point position in respect of the center of mass. Rotors also cause torques due to the torque applied by the engine.

The forces and relative positions are configured through a config file. I have also included an excel file and a manual to make things easier.

Through the configuration files you can define over 200 parameters that will in turn define the main forces and their interactions, namely: Main Rotor, Tail Rotor, Drag, Gravity, Stabilizers. It is not that difficult to do, and creating a new configuration with testing should not last more than 2-3 evenings. The rotor modeling part is the most complex. Rotor thrust will depend on induced velocity that will in turn depend on rotor thrust and helicopter attitude and velocities.

Power management will then define the power requirement, the necessary power will be supplied by the governor (if present). If power is insufficient (available power will change with altitude, especially for piston engines) this will result in a rotor RPM reduction. In descent, your power need will decrease to a point where autorotative power is sufficient to overcome the other forces, so you can operate a full autorotation without engines.

Fred Naar - From a post at Hovercontrol.com

Simply, real world statisics are plugged into a HTR config file to develop the results. So any of the helicopters available for FSX will be able to have a specific config file created for them.
The forces can then be applied and updated, up to 90 times per second.

I have been using it for about a week now.
I recommend installing the very latest version of FSUIPC, first (registered version not required).
I can say this. The Acceleration EH-101 finally flies right, IMHO, and for the first time since FSX-A release, I actually like flying this helicopter.
The 206 behaves like I have read about.

I really like this addon.
It doesn't make flying a helicopter any harder in FSX, but better.
Seem more stable. More realistic and accurate.
Shows you your bad habits. Makes you a better sim pilot.

Like I said, one thing HTR will not allow is bad habits or heavy hands.
IMHO, you will need to learn to properly transition to and from hovers, to land and take off accordingly, for example.
Heavy landings mean damaged skids and struts.
Quick decents to landing will be rewarded easily with Vortex Ring State and the horror associated with rolling over on your back and plummeting towards the earth out of control in the default Bell 206B.

Now, some folks have reported having issues with it on their systems. To me, it's understandable.
I have experienced where the 206 goes into Vortex Ring State 100%, and then back out in about the snap of your fingers.
Keep an open mind.

Please remember, this is Mr. Naar's first development project, and as with new software, it may have some bugs associated with it.
He is aware of these issues and committed to correcting and supporting HTR, as well as developing new config files.

Thank you Fred for such a wonderful thing you have brought to the rotorcraft sim community.

[empeck]

Most of my spare time I fly Ka-50 in DCS. I found Ka-50 much easier to fly than 206/R-22/EH-101 with HTR. Maybe it's because Ka-50 is a coaxial helicopter, and it's much more stable than traditional choppers? Of course Black Shark has systems that stabilize flight, that may be another reason.

I believe HTR is doing things right, feeling of flight is very good, but isn't the ground effect too strong? I can slow down to almost hovering (in Bell 206) on higher altitudes, but not right above ground.

Anyway, it's great addon.

[SkippyBing]

Haven't had a chance to try the HTR add-on as I don't have a suitable controller with me, however Empeck you're probably right about finding it harder than in Black Shark as FSX isn't modelling the auto-stab that a lot of helicopters have.
The only helicopter I've flown in real life without a stabilisation system is the R-22 and it's a lot harder to get used to than the turbine types that I've also flown with one.
I'd imagine once the teething bugs have been worked out it shouldn't be too hard to add parameters for a stab system to HTR.

[Hanimichal]

I tried it
then with this realism and gamer joystick it is impossible to fly

maybe other setting but i discard

I prefer my arcade fly stile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YqGBoyFCZs

[Dain Arns]

Haven't had a chance to try the HTR add-on as I don't have a suitable controller with me, however Empeck you're probably right about finding it harder than in Black Shark as FSX isn't modelling the auto-stab that a lot of helicopters have.
The only helicopter I've flown in real life without a stabilisation system is the R-22 and it's a lot harder to get used to than the turbine types that I've also flown with one.
I'd imagine once the teething bugs have been worked out it shouldn't be too hard to add parameters for a stab system to HTR.

HTR has the parameters for Stabilizers.
The 206B finally has stabilizers.
Makes a big difference.

[Dain Arns]

Most of my spare time I fly Ka-50 in DCS. I found Ka-50 much easier to fly than 206/R-22/EH-101 with HTR. Maybe it's because Ka-50 is a coaxial helicopter, and it's much more stable than traditional choppers? Of course Black Shark has systems that stabilize flight, that may be another reason.

I believe HTR is doing things right, feeling of flight is very good, but isn't the ground effect too strong? I can slow down to almost hovering (in Bell 206) on higher altitudes, but not right above ground.

Anyway, it's great addon.

Empeck. Please don't take this response the wrong way.
But DCS and FSX are apples and oranges.

As I said in my lengthy treatise posted above.
I've known about HTR for a long time this week.
I debated about announcing it here, this week, but I chose not to announce it.

HTR is just not for the casual rotorhead FS sim pilot. It's for the dedicated ones. Us crazies.

Yes, it gives FSX helicopters the help they really have needed.
They handle like they should now.
But a word of warning to all.
it's not going to make it easier to learn to fly one.
Fred has also included a manual for helicopter flying with HTR as well.

Remember. It's all in the hover...

Like the man said. If you want to play Carnegie Hall, you got to practice, practice, practice.

[empeck]

I know these are different products, but I'm a helicopter nut lately, because of Ka-50. Unfortunately there is only one helicopter in DCS, so I have to look for other realistic simulators FSX and HTR seems to be nice alternative if you want realism.

[crazysundog]

Yes, this is a great new program, and I am ever thankful to Fred for making it.

I've also been a rotor head since buying DCS:BlackShark, and a huge Dodosim freak since that addon was released. Finally with HTR, we can do some white knuckle flying in other default and addon birds. I hope that others start to make profiles for some 3rd party helos, as then I may actually buy (and fly) something other than the Dodosim!! [P.S. making a new profile will take a few hours to do properly.] I am going to start working on a Cera Bell 412 profile this weekend.

If I was going to compare DCS to FSX with this mod, I would say that flying the DCS KA-50 with all stab channels turned off is comparable to this mod and the EH101 at 50% difficulty. Yes, this mod has a difficulty slider.....and thank God for that!!