What Are You Doing In Real Life II

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Eichhörnchen

I've gathered quite a few helicopters for flying around in FS9 and 10, and I have a plain old 'Thrustmaster' joystick. The trick is to always keep the nose down; that way you avoid slipping backwards then skidding and spinning out of control

Vortex rings are always fun! Especially with the Ka-50 and other twin rotor helos because then one set of rotors tries to be in the same place as the other set and then gravity starts to happen in a big way.

[Von Due]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Well the 'shark' has two counterrotating rotors and thus needs no rear one, so maybe you do not need a collective grip? But you'd need one for the Huey, or other 'conventional' helicopters?

I am fortunate enough to have both a nice stick with separate throttle for collective, and pedals (you might be meaning pedals or twist grip for the job, not collective) and to me the pedals make a world of difference. I have been flying sim aircrafts since the mid 80's but since around the early 00's the helis have become so high fidelity and with so advanced flight models I don't understand how anyone can fly them with keyboard (as some apparently do). Helis are tricky (only 'real' experience here is rc helis but I also take the words of the local Huey pilots here at face value, flying that old lady was like balancing an egg on the tip of a needle that you balanced on top of a broom stick while riding on a unicycle). Anyway, for the DCS helis, and prop planes, I really wouldn't want to be without a proper stick and pedals. Heck, tried that free Mustang that comes with the World, and daaayum that one is a wild one. 1 in 10 landings that doesn't end in me shouting obsceneties at the monitor . Falcon 4.0 was a breeze in comparison and FSX's Cessna is like no landing at all, just sleep till it's down and parked.

EDIT: Also, that pic Oberon linked up there above always crack me up. I guess I really was meant to be a heli pilot but I was too daft to notice hah!

[Oberon]

I've heard that rudder pedals do make a world of difference, I guess it's a bit like going to TrackIR, once you've tried it you can't really go back. I've managed alright with the HOTAS twist rudder but I don't doubt for a second that a proper set of rudder pedals would be the icing on the cake.
HunterICX...I think he doesn't have a HOTAS setup, pretty sure he has something like a Cyborg Evo which has the throttle on the side of the stick and he can manage the Ka50 alright so I wouldn't say that a traditional twist stick and throttle combined joystick would be a barrier to entry, but certainly the more you specialise in equipment the better the experience will be, depending on your own tastes.

And yes, that Mustang can be a handful, especially on take-off. I find the Ka50 to be fairly docile so long as you respect it and don't throw the stick all over the place like a madman, get it trimmed nicely, use autohover when needed and take your time. The Hog...the biggest problem I have with the Hog is Windows for Warthog, trying to get all the elements to line up together in order to lob a Maverick at a target can be a bit of a pain, but once you've learned it (again) it becomes a bit easier. The Froggie is a lot of fun, but since it's an old model it's also a bit 'push key to continue', but she's a rugged bird and will get the job done. I know the other lands have the MiG-21, and they say that it's a tough crate to master but a lot of fun to try, Schroeder has a similar opinion on the Huey due to its more hands on approach.
I'd love to see a Mk I Spitfire for DCS, I wouldn't be able to do that much with it, but the A2A Accusim Spitfire for FSX is a lot of fun to fly, to the point that I was able to go into IL2 Cliffs of Dover and start-up and take off their Spitfires without any instructions because I knew the A2A Mk Is start-up procedure...and I also knew about the bloody coolant, because I tell you...that Spitfire does not like it when it comes to land and go back to bed, no it wants to stay up and play all night, you throttle back, flaps down, gear down and start coming in to land and the Merlin decides to throw all the toys out of the pram and spring a coolant leak. Every. Damn. Time.

All good fun though.

[Von Due]

I absolutely agree that pedals are more icing on the cake, as you put it, than a general necessity and a twist grip, or like the rudder seesaw switch on the x45, will get the job done, even keyboard works for some. So bare minimum? Well, technically a keyboard and mouse but to get the most out of something you paid good money for, I say a stick, programmable or not, for cyclic. That's it really but you will find things a lot easier if you have a collective controller at least. With the Shark's auto pilot hold modes, you can, I would think, get a long way using the keyboard for anti torque pedals, a twist grip makes it a LOT easier and pedals would be the icing. Me however, seems to be the uncrowned king of cross-coupling inputs and I just found that the only way I could avoid unwanted inputs was to invest in those pedals.

[STEED]

Well my Back problem has been nailed down to a damaged sarcastic nerve which is still giving me a bad time five or six weeks on. Went for my first physiotherapy treatment today and got to go back next week, in the mean time was given some exercises to do.

[Jimbuna]

Yep, I exercise the biceps regularly....very good for oneself.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Yep, I exercise the biceps regularly....very good for oneself.

Good for those dog-day afternoons! I certainly got mine exercised yesterday : rented a Huge U-HAUL van, borrowed my boat Captain's hand-truck and ratchet straps, to go to my late aunt-in-laws home currently being cleared and loaded, fastened and transported an entire bedroom set, other furniture and such boxed goodies as my better-half and the estate-executor directed...and had it all unloaded with a second stop at daughter's apartment by 9pm; just in time to watch the finale of the World Series over a bicep enhancing vodka gimlet! Not a bad day's 300+ mile outing for a 65yr. old ex-Bekins/Mayflower 'bedbugger'. Visited the Uncle-in-law in his new senior apartment-still getting squared away and playing pool at 95! The Ibuprofin and another gimlet won't hurt today either-'shades of Steed's back!" as I take our old furniture to the Goodwill and return the van by High Noon!

[Jimbuna]

Been telling Steve on Skype over the past month that the picture on my monitor is getting becoming worse with an increasing amount of jaggies and fuzziness to detail therefore a new graphics card would probably be needed before christmas.

Fixed all that today when I checked the connection in the rear of the monitor and settled it back into position

[Eichhörnchen]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Yep, I exercise the biceps regularly....very good for oneself.

I feel another game of Whac-A-Squirrel coming on

[STEED]

Hey the Express got the weather right today! Nipped out for some light shopping and it was indeed cold out there. Too cold for a walk so I will stick too going up and down my stairs a few times today to get some exercise along with my Back exercises.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by STEED

Hey the Express got the weather right today!

That'll be a first for the Diana Excess. I guess that must mean that the Ice Age/Heatwave/Hurricane/MigrantTornado/End of days that they're always predicting must be next, right?

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Oberon

That'll be a first for the Diana Excess. I guess that must mean that the Ice Age/Heatwave/Hurricane/MigrantTornado/End of days that they're always predicting must be next, right?

Well if Cameron comes back as a mad preacher in a pig's mask then its time to get very worried.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by STEED

Well if Cameron comes back as a mad preacher in a pig's mask then its time to get very worried.

Difference being though, I suspect you will become very excited

[Oberon]

But wait...who is that shadowy figure behind Dave?

[Oberon]

TFW you discover that you might well be very distantly related to Bill Maher and Bill O'Reilly.