Aerosoft Huey Auto-hover Gauge: Chopper purists; look away now

[Paul K]

If, like me, you'd love to fly helicopters in FSX but every time you attempt to hover you balance for about 5 seconds before over-controlling and skittering away sideways into a hedge, then this is the answer to our prayers.

Yes I know we should make the effort to do it like proper pilots, but some of us just want to fly around and pretend we are good. If you just want help in keeping your helicopter stable in the hover, this gauge provides all the info you need, but also has an Auto Hover function which will keep you rock steady at the selected height. You will still be able to move, yaw etc, but only slowly.

First, go get the gauge here... http://www.flusi.info/tools.html

Scroll down till you see Hover Gauge (FS9) ...don't worry, it works perfectly well in FSX too.

Drop the as532_hover.gau file into your main FSX Gauges folder and make the following alterations to your Huey panel.cfg

[Window Titles]
Window00=Main
Window01=State
Window02=Hover



//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window00]
file=Panel_2D.bmp
size_mm=800, 600
BACKGROUND_COLOR=0,0,0
visible=0
ident=Main

//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window01]
size_mm=722, 733
windowsize_ratio=0.600
position=4
BACKGROUND_COLOR=0,0,0
visible=1
ident=9797

gauge00=UH1_systems!Statem, 0, 0, 722, 733

//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window02]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=202,146
window_size_ratio=1.000
position=0
visible=0
ident=270
window_size= 0.400, 0.400
window_pos= 0.600, 0.600

gauge00=as532_hover!hover, 0,0,201,145,defAlt 10

[Vcockpit01]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=256,256
visible=1
pixel_size=256,256
texture=$Hueypan

gauge00=UH1_systems!Misc, 0, 0, 1, 1
gauge01=UH1_systems!Anim, 0, 0, 1, 1
gauge02=UH1_systems!Xponder1, 0, 4, 135, 50
gauge03=UH1_systems!Xponder2, 0, 63, 135, 50
gauge04=UH1_systems!EVI, 0, 145, 142, 92
gauge05=ASC!MAIN, 0,0, 10, 10, 0
gauge06=HueyFCA!Main, 0, 0, 1, 1

[Default View]
X=0
Y=0
SIZE_X=8192
SIZE_Y=6143

[Color]
Day=255,255,255
Night=255,255,255
Luminous=150,150,101
//Luminous=255,0,0


Press shift+3 and the gauge pops up as shown here:



To engage the auto hover, just click on the cover of the HVR button, then click on it again to activate. The height of the hover can be adjusted with the + and - buttons, and if you are ready to land, match the two pitch ribbon indicators on the left and click on HVR again to disengage it.

Be aware that you have to be travelling at 10 knots or under for the HVR to engage.

The only conflict I have come across in the Huey is that while HVR is engaged, you can only open the pilots door. No matter which combination of Shift+E+ ( number), only the pilot's door will operate. So, if you want to auto-hover with the big sliding doors open, then get them opened before pressing HVR


Here is the Auto Hover in action. The Huey has been hovering there for the last ten minutes. I am not touching the joystick or throttle at all. In fact, I am in the kitchen making a cup of tea.

[papab]

will it work on other helicopters as well?
Rick

[falcon409]

Thanks Paul. . . .I already use the Flusifix utility, guess I never noticed the "auto-hover" though. Using this doesn't bother me in the least, lol. . .I can hover pretty well, but it would just be nice to have this available if I need to make a quick run to the "head" or for another drink, lol. Thanks for the HU!

[Paul K]

will it work on other helicopters as well?
Rick

It works on the default Bell 206, the only other helicopter I've tried it on.

You have to change Window02=Hover and [Window02] from 02 to another number because 02 is already taken, but other than that, it works exactly the same, and I have no doubt you can add it to the rest of the default helicopters too.

[falcon409]

Installed it on the AS Huey just now, along with the Pyro, Tim's OH-6A and the Apache and it works perfectly on all of them.

[krazycolin]

I'd like some hot chocolate while you're in the kitchen please!

[OleBoy]

There's also this auto-pilot http://www.dirkfassbender.de/autopilot.html

[papab]

Paul K,
Got it working
Thanks!

Rick

[Txmmy83]

thank you for that tip
just have to put it into all my helicopters over the next days

PS:
one thing I miss in that already great gauge is that it cannot autoland the helicopter out from Hover that would make it perfect


Best Regards
Tom

[Paul K]

one thing I miss in that already great gauge is that it cannot autoland the helicopter out from Hover that would make it perfect

Tom, get the helicopter as close as possible to where you intend to land it, reduce speed to under 10 knots, and grab auto-hover.

Once auto-hover is engaged use your stick and rudder to move to your landing point, and when you are ready to land, match the two pitch 'ribbon' indicators.Then click on HVR to turn it off and land normally.