Yaw channel help please

The pedal switches that detect the pilot's feet on the pedals. Why did they model this?

Knowing commercial pedals return to center, the feet-on-pedals nonsense makes the yaw cannel of autopilot very unintuitive. I can only rarely get the yaw channel to work, and when it does I don't really understand why.

I am beyond confused.

Can someone explain how to use the yaw channel? Every time I move my feet a millimeter it screws it all up.

First an explanation how (I believe) it works. You may already know all this, but just so we're on the same page. In the real deal there are switches on the pedals. When the switch is pressed (feet are on the pedals), the yaw autopilot disengages. When the switch is released (feet off the pedals), the yaw autopilot is reengaged and will try to maintain the new heading.

In the game there are no switches (since none of the commercial controllers have them anyway). Instead, when the controller Z-axis is at exactly 50%, it is considered as "switches released", otherwise they are "pressed". Note that a 50% Z-axis doesn't necessarily mean the in-game pedals are centered, as they can be trimmed (either by you if you use the "pedal trim" option, or by the autopilot!).

This creates several problems.

If you have the "pedal trim" option disabled, the yaw channel will not work very well. Firstly because you rarely fly with the in-game pedals exactly centered. So once you're established in your cruise and would like the autopilot to take over, you have to center the pedals introducing a slip and then let the yaw channel fight that slip. Not good. Secondly, as I mentioned the yaw autopilot will trim your pedals once it reaches the limit of it's range. And with "pedal trim" disabled, you have no good way to get rid of that trim! I think even the trimmer reset button will not clear that.

Besides that, I found that when reengaging the yaw channel can sometimes revert to the old heading, instead of maintaining the new one. Let's say I'm heading north on autopilot and I make a 90 degrees turn to the left and release my Z-axis. The yaw channel instead of maintaining the new heading of 270, pulls me all the way to the right to get back to 000. I don't know how to reliably trigger this behavior but it made me weary of keeping the yaw channel on when maneuvering.

So with all that in mind, I use the yaw channel only for cruising straight. I have the "pedal trim" option turned on. When I have a long, straight leg to travel, I will turn my aircraft to the required heading, trim it for cruise, release all controls. Then I will turn on the yaw channel (and maybe the alt channel too) and use it to prevent drift and make minute adjustments to the heading. Once I need to maneuver, I will turn the yaw and alt channels off with their buttons.

However, most of the time I will just hand fly the helicopter to wherever I need to be with only the pitch/roll channel engaged.

So, if I was to add "feet switches" to my rudders, I could make this work?

Also, if I push a button as the collective lever whenever I move it. Should the alt channel switch on again?

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So, if I were to add "feet switches" to my rudders, I could make this work?

Yes, as long as you could set it so that when the switches are depressed (i.e. feet on pedals) the yaw channel is off, and when the switches are not depressed (i.e. feet off pedals) the yaw channel turns on again.

Also, if I push a button as the collective lever whenever I move it. Should the alt channel switch on again?

No, when you push the clutch release button on the collective, it turns off the altitude channel (unlike the yaw channel, where the pedal switches just temporarily disable the yaw channel, but the channel itself remains on, as indicated by the light on the autopilot control panel). If desired, the altitude channel must be turned on again manually by pressing the button on the autopilot control panel.

Yes, as long as you could set it so that when the switches are depressed (i.e. feet on pedals) the yaw channel is off, and when the switches are not depressed (i.e. feet off pedals) the yaw channel turns on again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, when you push the clutch release button on the collective, it turns off the altitude channel (unlike the yaw channel, where the pedal switches just temporarily disable the yaw channel, but the channel itself remains on, as indicated by the light on the autopilot control panel). If desired, the altitude channel must be turned on again manually by pressing the button on the autopilot control panel.

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Yes, as long as you could set it so that when the switches are depressed (i.e. feet on pedals) the yaw channel is off, and when the switches are not depressed (i.e. feet off pedals) the yaw channel turns on again.

I'm pretty sure you can't do that at the moment in DCS though. I may be wrong, but I would at least check before I started messing with my pedals ;).

I'm pretty sure you can't do that at the moment in DCS though. I may be wrong, but I would at least check before I started messing with my pedals ;).

Edit: But I believe you're right. I just looked in controls and could not find it unfortunately, I was so sure I had seen them. Maybe they were referred to the real one in the manual?

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Very poor implementation.

Why not just make engaging the yaw channel grab whatever the current heading is, while rendering movement of the USB rudder pedals ineffective for a moment (say 500ms), to allow the user to return their USB rudder pedals to return to center?

I personally think the current implementation of the rudders is the most ridiculous "solution" that could possibly have been devised. The yaw channel is essentially useless except for when you activate it on the ground and in the take-off hover, or when you're set up in level flight.

The yaw channel is essentially useless except for when you activate it on the ground and in the take-off hover, or when you're set up in level flight.

Just like in real life!

But IRL the switches on the pedals work so you can put yaw channel on in any rudder position.

I’ve been working on and flying in these helicopters for a little over 13 years and I’ve never had a pilot take his feet off of the micro switches. I understand that it’s because we’re Americans and taking our feet off of the pedals is just not something we ever do. But in all that time the only useful modes of flight to ever use the yaw channel have been in a hover or n straight and level cruise flight. I’ve done it a couple of times just to show a pilot that it actually works. But that’s about it.

I’ve been working on and flying in these helicopters for a little over 13 years and I’ve never had a pilot take his feet off of the micro switches. I understand that it’s because we’re Americans and taking our feet off of the pedals is just not something we ever do. But in all that time the only useful modes of flight to ever use the yaw channel have been in a hover or n straight and level cruise flight. I’ve done it a couple of times just to show a pilot that it actually works. But that’s about it.

My old man is a helicopter pilot.

Sikorsky S92, and before that S61 and CH-113 Labrador before that (CH-46 Sea Knight).

Depending on the model and the autopilot/SAS systems on board a given model of machine, he's relayed that pilots take their feet off the pedals regularly. Mi-8 doesn't need the pilot to sit in the seat, why wouldn't pilots take their feet off the pedals?

Regardless, why not just make the system work as it should and as it can, but having the system grab whatever the heading is on activation, and then a 500ms period where USB rudder pedals are deactivated so user can return to center?

You should be able to turn the yaw channel on in whatever rudder position you like, not just centered.