Slowing Down

Been flying the Hip for 2 days and main problem is controlling the torque when slowing down for vertical landing. I use Saitek rudder pedals. Default flight startup with engine alrdy running. I flew the Huey and find it easier to control torque it seems. Any advice?

The mi8 does not have a TRQ Guage, so I would need more detail to help. Just a guess, I would try slowing down sooner. When guys go from the Huey to the Mi8 they need to remember that they are probably flying faster than they were before and the MI8 is a lot more mass to slow down. Start your approach sooner and that should help.

Also, watch the engine RPM gauges when slowing down.

Adjust your collective to keep them above ~70%, especially when you're about to drop out of ETL.

If the engines get too low it takes a long time for them to wake back up when you need them, and this can be very bad when transitioning to a hover.

What I meant is I have a hard time trying to keep the nose pointed straight with rudder work when transitioning from fast to slow speed to hover.

I use a Saitek self-centering rudder pedals and do not set the rudder trimmer in the Special Options, as I prefer it that way.

That also means using the Auto-heading channel becomes less useful, especially when I work the rudder to get to desired headings while the auto-heading is ON.

What I meant is I have a hard time trying to keep the nose pointed straight with rudder work when transitioning from fast to slow speed to hover.

 

I use a Saitek self-centering rudder pedals and do not set the rudder trimmer in the Special Options, as I prefer it that way.

 

That also means using the Auto-heading channel becomes less useful, especially when I work the rudder to get to desired headings while the auto-heading is ON.

What I find is that it's a much slower process than in the other helis. I know exactly what you mean and you are correct, it's harder. I just do everything slower in the Mi8. I watch my collective and me descent rate closely and feel the heli turning as I slow it down and adjust my rudder accordingly. It's much harder to do it as quickly as you can in the Huey or Gazelle. As you improve your skill at it, you can feel the turn before it really happens and head it off quicker. I have gotten much better over time and can bring it to a hover much quicker than I use to with little problems. But for a while, you'll have to take it slooooww. The balance seems to come with time. But from what you are telling me, you are doing it too fast for your current skill level at it right now.

I'd say to leave the heading AP off unless you're cruising or hands-off hovering.

The helo will yaw left (IIRC) as speed decreases due to the tail rotor/vertical stabilizer design, then it will yaw right when torque is applied as you transition to a hover. (Watch/listen for the engines throttling up and be prepared to compensate)

After enough practice precise heading control becomes second nature. (though I suppose flying gliders IRL has helped me a bit)

On a side note, I use the same pedals but have removed the center indent and spring, it makes live a lot easier in the Mi-8 as you can simply let the pedals be where they are instead of having to put pressure on them all the time.

Thanks fellows. Been practicing some more and going at it sloooow and I think I'm getting better at it.

As I fly planes too, I prefer to keep the spring in the rudder. But it also means flying with auto-heading ON is no longer a nice option, as it tends to mess with the rudder position setting between the physical and virtual one.

I find I could do without auto-heading in all aspects of flying the Mi-8. Just that on long cruise the ball is uncoordinated to the right by a small amount at high speed, when the physical rudder pedals are centred.

The Heading AP tends to change the physical pedal position when pushed to extremes, which usually occurs when high collective changes are required during landings or take offs. It is simply trying to compensate for the reduction or increase of torque in the airframe as collective is decreased or increased.

I agree that when this happens the required thought process to relate your sprung centred pedals to your offset virtual pedals is a recipe for disaster and the trim reset button must be engaged post haste to re-centre your pedals.

For long range forward flight I trim my stick as an exact mirror of the hover trim. So with the joystick aid on; Cyclic trim to hover is back and right. For forward flight up to 200KM/H trim is forward and left by roughly the same amount. It is the artificial horizon that is the true reference here.

Once level flight is achieved, the Heading AP can be engaged and I find this allows the heading AP the least amount of work to maintain heading.

Generally once trimmed correctly, the heading AP indicator never moves towards the extreme hash marks (unless in high wind), only when the indicator hits the extreme hash marks will it adjust the virtual pedal position.

Best to either disengage the heading AP when changing attitude or engage your real pedals.

Thanks Trooper. I can manually cyclic trim it fly straight and level, but the ball is not centred, unless I apply right pedal constantly throughout that level flight. I know I can hit Heading autopilot to keep at where I am going, but then without right pedal input, it is just not flying coordinated.

Is there a trim for rudder pedals? To clarify, I do not want to use the Rudder Trimmer Mode setting.

Hi Avio,

I also do not use the rudder trimmer mode setting, never have.

I find it far too hard to mentally track the virtual cyclic and rudder trim at the same time.... for me this mental capacity is required for flying.

I fly with the Joystick cheat engaged so at a glance I can see where my virtual cyclic is.

My pedals are free.... where ever I hold them is where they be... virtual and real, no thought required... it makes a massive difference!

Ensure that you are trying to fly in a mission where no wind effect is present. It will simply make life easier if you learn how the engines and rotors create the torque effect and the amount of compensation required through your pedals. You need to know your ideal, a perfect world flight line to gain confidence.

Learn how to fly with no wind and then increase the wind and learn how to hold it, the more you increase the wind the more you gotta fight it... it ain't pretty but it works.

As long as you are not holding too much pedal to chase the ball then engage the Heading AP and release the pedals to neutral... watch the heading AP window, as long as the heading AP is not holding close to the limit hash marks then all is well, I am fine with Heading AP line around halfway between centre and the hash mark max limit.

Fly fly fly !

Practise it, reflect it, tune your input, watch others and watch RL videos of the Hip.

Over time, I have not stopped adopting more and more to the Mi-8.

With every other hour I fly her I get smoother, more thinking ahead ( very important as she hates quick corrections from lazy brains ), knowing more switches by heart, day and night.

When you slow her down, be gentle. The better you know her over time the faster aka stepper in AOA you can slow her down...she just likes to instantly go to VRS if you overdo it and end up 5° AOA and 25 km/h IAS...that cries for VRS...been there...many times when I started the Mi-8.

ALWAYS one eyeball on the VSI and move the collective slowly, give it time and learn how it takes time or you end up oscillating !!!! The worst that can happen.

Bit