Help me with the "Altitude Hold" - button

Ooops nevermind found it.

You are just working against the autopilot

This is the reason I hit LAlt-A as soon as I hit the seat. The autopilot functions are great when you are targeting with the Shkval etc., but for normal flight, take-off and landing, etc., I find it better without the autopilot inputs. It might not equate to the real world, but I figure that without physical feed back through the controls it doesn't equate any way. Autopilot off feels more realistic to me and actually makes it easier to fly in many respects. Learning to fly without them will hone your control skills and as a bonus balanced turns are a doddle compared to fighting the autopilot.

IMHO, Jack :pilotfly:

To my understanding all of this also means that it does matter how we leave the collective after assigning altitude to hold.

Let's say we almost perfectly left the collective on stable altitude before taking off brake lever. Now autopilot has +10% -10% each side to keep the radar altitude.

But let's say we want to maintain 25m radar (low altitude in general) and we left collective on little descent before assigning altitude. Autopilot has +5% -15% which means it will easier descent then raise altitude when needed (it will faster lower altitude when terrain goes low then raise altitude when terrain goes up). In case of expected steep mountain in front of this situation is worse then leaving it little up (let's say +15%, -5%).

Do I get it correct?

It might not equate to the real world, but I figure that without physical feed back through the controls it doesn't equate any way.

Helicopters with hydraulic flight controls don't have any physical feedback in the controls (other than the fake feedback introduced through the use of springs). I have discovered that if you feel (not you in particular, but anybody) that flying with all AP channels disengaged is easier, then you're doing it wrong. This is not an insult, it just takes a while to get everything figured out and get used to using all of the controls as they were intended.

Helicopters with hydraulic flight controls don't have any physical feedback in the controls (other than the fake feedback introduced through the use of springs). I have discovered that if you feel (not you in particular, but anybody) that flying with all AP channels disengaged is easier, then you're doing it wrong. This is not an insult, it just takes a while to get everything figured out and get used to using all of the controls as they were intended.

Sorry, we will have to agree to disagree on this one. I like the feel of flying the machine myself not letting a computer make decisions for me. With AP off it flies like I have come to expect it to fly from my own flying experience (I hasten to add that I have not flown this particular helicopter or any other tandem rotor). You may see it as "all wrong" because you have come to have expectations of the AP system.

Like I said, we will have to agree to disagree on this one :thumbup:

I don't see it as agreeing or disagreeing. I like to fly the aircraft in the game as intended, which is how the real one flies, which is with the AP on. You paid your money and you can fly it however you want, I'm just pointing out that it is less than realistic. Some people go crazy for every bit of realism, and those people need to learn to love the autopilot. If your entertainment value comes more from playing the way that makes you comfortable, then more power to you. There's not really a wrong way, after all. Even crashing every five minutes (which I'm sure some people are doing) is just fine as long as the game is found to be entertaining. ;)

Jack57,

What helicopters have you flown? With the control damping stabilization on, the KA-50 feels exactly like the S-76, the EC-135 and the 365N. As with the 76, stab off is much more difficult to fly and though it does help your control touch, it is not something that we routinely do.

The Collective Trim Switch (Or in KA-50 Collective Brake) resets reference altitude and also when held releases the spring pressure on the collective. This you press in any helo with an autopilot or stabilization system.

Alt-Hold and Heading Hold are separate auto pilot modes and can be selected/deselected as desired.

Rmako

This is not a challenge, just want to make sure that the point about the stab systems is not lost.

Excellent thread. Cleared me up on the issue of the collective break. Thanks to all the posters.

awesome post alphaonesix! well written, informative and helpful.

you have saved our sanity! :D

thanks again

I'd like to thank everyone that posted this interesting discussion in this thread, it really helped med come to terms with the collective brake in a new way. Thanks all! Especially AlphaOneSix for taking your time and making a solid post

Very Informative post, great explanation of the collective brake function.

2)Create SST profile and make throttle axis into directional one;

What do you mean with SST-profile? Is this something special with the saitek x52-joystick?

What do you mean with SST-profile? Is this something special with the saitek x52-joystick?

SST is the programming software that comes with the X52 and most Saitek controllers. It lets you set buttons and axis' on your HOTAS to basically anything you can think of (sorta). If you haven't at least looked at using SST I think your missing out. I usually program my HOTAS and any controller using this type of software and the only thing set in game are axis'.:joystick:

Thanks~! Alpha16. Great Post.

so you think to yourself "Self, we must get up higher where it is nice and cool!" (I think your self has a great idea, by the way)

Myself i think yourself is borderline crazy i hope you are aware :D

good explaination, thankyou.

let me get this straight - when altitude hold is on, and let's say I want to drop 100 feet, I hold the collective brake and bring the collective down, once I get to the new desired altitude, I release the collective brake ?

let me get this straight - when altitude hold is on, and let's say I want to drop 100 feet, I hold the collective brake and bring the collective down, once I get to the new desired altitude, I release the collective brake ?

A 9 year old thread...

But yes, you are correct, with possibly the addition of first stabilizing the altitude before releasing the brake.

An for descending you can simply activate the descend mode [press and hold D], the same switch as route following on the collective.

A 9 year old thread...

But yes, you are correct, with possibly the addition of first stabilizing the altitude before releasing the brake.

An for descending you can simply activate the descend mode [press and hold D], the same switch as route following on the collective.

Thanks (and goes to show how the Ka-50 is so great that after 9 years people still learning and flying it - great ride!)

The info on this is often not clear.

My experience was that if I drop down with the brake on, when I let go it seemed to rise back up (same with descent) . ?

...when I let go...

Do you by this mean leting go of the collective? Or releasing the brake?

If collective, this behavior is somewhat expected, try to maintain the last altitude you feed the computer (by applying the brake, or to be more correct, releasing the brake handle). If you then operate the collective, without releasing the brake, so that your altitude changes with no more than 5m/s (if I remember correctly), the AP will try to get you back to set altitude. If your vertical speed exceeds 5m/s the AP will be unable to do any corrections.

I'm not completely sure about the vertical speed thing, but almost. It might be related somehow to collective displacement, or both.

Applying descend mode [D], the altitude you are at when releasing the switch will be your new set altitude. You might bounce down a bit at release and then back up to this altitude. Descend mode will not work when to close to the ground (can't remember height).

You'll also want to verify that your BARO/RALT altitude hold mode switch is set correctly. In BARO mode, it uses barometric pressure (altitude above sea level), and in RALT mode, it uses the radar altimeter (altitude above the ground) and only works up to 300m. If you find that the heli is rising back up after you release the collective brake, either the helicopter is still trying to stabilize its altitude, or you're using RALT mode and the terrain is rising.

I'm having issues with rudder in the trimming. I will hold the trimmer down, have it very steady and then release, and the ka50- turns back - I will have the rudder pull left, hit the trimmer, and it will go back to the right.

I'm having issues with rudder in the trimming. I will hold the trimmer down, have it very steady and then release, and the ka50- turns back - I will have the rudder pull left, hit the trimmer, and it will go back to the right.

In settings/special/ka50, what trimmer mode do you have set and do you have pedal trim enabled?

After you release the trim button, do you try to center your pedals?

In settings/special/ka50, what trimmer mode do you have set and do you have pedal trim enabled?

The 'Rudder Trimmer' was not checked, after checking it was much better.