ATTN: Helicopter drivers

[Daveroo]

Hi all,'
id like to know what the buttons and switches on the cyclic and collective are?..what are the function of them..a generic layout is fine..

i havent a clue as to what they do..can someone give me a list?

[SeanTK]

It depends on the helicopter as the cyclics and collectives of different models are often laid out differently and have different functions.

A few common traits:
ATC push-to-talk button. Could be the trigger on the cyclic of civilian helicopters, or a button near the top of the cyclic.
Force trim switch...basically same purpose as trim in fixed wing aircraft, except this is usually a button you hold down while moving the cyclic.
Rotor RPM beep switch. Can bump rotor RPM past 100% for takeoff/landing and certain other short-term conditions. Usually on the collective.
There's also usually a hat switch (or two) on the cyclic that could be for anything from moving a weapon reticule to aiming a searchlight/landing light.

Everything else usually depends on the helicopter.

[Daveroo]

thanks...im considering dropping the modification idea to the heli-kit,and using the CH products throttle quads for all the button pushes ,building button "boxes" to mount on the cyclic and collective,i could buy differant button and rocker switches from radio shack or MCM,i just cant find any info on how to wire them together and into the USB cable,if i could find out how to do that id be a step ahead.

[Daveroo]

an additional thought..if i got the buttons and switches together and all the positions laid out..a friend with a 3D printer will make the "boxes" for me.

[JimmyRFR]

The one thing I might suggest (or at least throw my two cents in):

While a hat switch for panning your view around isn't of course something on a real life cyclic, I find it absolutely essential for flying in the VC irregardless of whether it's in a plane or a helicopter. So when you're planning out what buttons you want to put where, keep it in mind that you really might want a hat switch...

Also, since you're looking at going down the path of buying switches and wiring / soldering them in yourself, there's a few people that make usb game boards that make stuff like that trivial. One that I plan on ordering from (haven't yet, although I do have a list of a few hundred dollars of stuff that I'm planning on buying) is http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/ . One or two of these: http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=67&products_id=180 and a bunch of switches, and you're in business.

A bit more expensive than hacking apart a joystick perhaps, but far easier to configure for whatever it is you might want.

[Marvin Carter]

Dave you can go over to Hovercontrol.com and get some good answers to you questions there also!!!