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Flying the AS350B3e by Dreamfoil and Swiss Creations

PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 11:58 am
by Rift Flyer
I've been flying a lot in the Bella Coola scenery with x-plane 11 lately. It is easily the best scenery I've found for helicopter flying. I decided to replay my flight and take a back seat to get another perspective. Here is a video practicing a steep approach into Bella Coola hospital. Standing out on the skids at the end for the departure back out over the trees and power lines was surreal.

https://youtu.be/x73q9hd7qvk

Re: Flying the AS350B3e by Dreamfoil and Swiss Creations

PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 2:04 pm
by Greyman
That scenery does look good and as someone with no apparent helicopter flying skills, I was mightily impressed with yours.

You have now inspired me to give the XP11 default chopper another go.

Re: Flying the AS350B3e by Dreamfoil and Swiss Creations

PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 3:43 pm
by Tony
Yup superb video mate :) But the S76 is a pig to fly.....try the Dreamfoil 427......blooming awesome in VR :)

Re: Flying the AS350B3e by Dreamfoil and Swiss Creations

PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:12 pm
by Rift Flyer
Thanks guys. Greyman start with the FREE Bell 429. It has SAS so is a lot more forgiving than some others. Forget the default helicopter it's really very poor.

https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/f ... al-ranger/

Reduce the SAS effectiveness a bit in the plugin menu as you get better. It's a bit too forgiving at default values. Seems to work ok in VR apart from the payload and winch options and some artifacts with the side window frames.

If you find you like egg beaters then consider moving on to the Dreamfoil Creations Bell 407 (I think that's the one Tony means) or AS350B3+. Both are excellent quality payware helicopters and work well in version 11. The 407 is easier to handle. The as350 lives up to its squirrel name - very unforgiving but a joy to fly once you master it and has a free add on pack from Swiss Creations which allow for great customization and upgrading to the B3e variant in my video.

Re: Flying the AS350B3e by Dreamfoil and Swiss Creations

PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 6:22 pm
by Tony
Yup typo....407 :)

Re: Flying the AS350B3e by Dreamfoil and Swiss Creations

PostPosted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 4:14 pm
by Greyman
Well, it looks like i might have to resort to reading the manual, as i appear to have absolutely no idea what i am supposed to be doing. It took me a while to get my throttles set up and it will take even longer to learn how to land without smashing into the ground, but i really got into trouble when i started pressing the AP buttons. I thought that HOV might be useful, that just appeared to take the collective out of my control and yet didn't stop the helicopter from rolling to the left constantly.

Like i said, i think i need to read up on this and maybe check out some tutorial videos. that might be a job for the weekend though.

It has at least achieved something though, as now i have even more respect for Rift Flyer's flying skills. :)

Re: Flying the AS350B3e by Dreamfoil and Swiss Creations

PostPosted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 4:57 pm
by Rift Flyer
There are plenty of tutorials available Greyman. Check out Helisimmer. https://www.helisimmer.com/category/tutorials/

It's also important to setup your controls correctly. I'm fortunate in that I have full size dedicated helicopter controls which makes things easier. Trying to adapt a short throw spring loaded joystick and spring loaded rudder pedals to work as a helicopter cyclic and anti torque pedals makes things all the more difficult.

Re: Flying the AS350B3e by Dreamfoil and Swiss Creations

PostPosted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 5:46 pm
by Greyman
I have heard good things from helicopter sim pilots about the MFG pedals that I have and my warthog hotas ought to be good for the job, with the ability to split the throttles and have one for the collective and one for the two throttles.

I did watch the first of the tutorial videos, linked on the Xplane.org download page for the Ranger, and that helped. The dev really does appear to have done a very thorough job on this bird.

I'll watch the rest of the videos and the ones you linked if they are different and will probably change that "ease setting". To make my life easier.

Thanks for the help and I will let you know how I get on.

Re: Flying the AS350B3e by Dreamfoil and Swiss Creations

PostPosted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 5:07 pm
by Greyman
I like that, i like it a lot.

I was having a few problems at first, but once i had watched the 2-part video for adult noobs, linked below, that tells you how to trim the chopper on take off, i was amazed how much simpler it was to fly. i still struggle a little with landing, but i'll get that eventually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rW8hW2-QSQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn-saT0rVts

....and this thing is free to download :)

Re: Flying the AS350B3e by Dreamfoil and Swiss Creations

PostPosted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 5:44 pm
by Rift Flyer
Haha. Yep it's a good one alright. I'm amazed it's free. You've discovered the big problem with using a conventional joystick to fly helicopters - the spring! It's especially difficult with the warthog due to the high centering force. Helicopter cyclics have no defined centre position. The Komodo stick I use just stays where I leave it using hydraulic dampers so I don't use any kind of trim. This makes it a lot easier as you don't have to fight any centering force. Many people remove the spring from the warthog when flying helicopters. The alternative is to trim the controls very often. This can make getting from forward flight back to a hover trim setting difficult. You'll get it with practice though.

Glad you're enjoying it. That's the main thing.