Helicopters and rudder pedals: which direction?

[thirith 27]

I've done a quick search for this topic but didn't find anything; if I missed a couple of obvious threads, my apologies.

I just got a set of Saitek Pro Rudder Pedals, and it seems I'm already confused with respect to the different directions: at least in flight simulators (and planes), the pedals seems to work exactly the opposite way of what I'd expect, i.e. I assumed that pushing the right pedal forward and the left pedal back meant turning the aircraft anti-clockwise, so I was confused when IL-2 (and planes in general) did things the other way around.

What's it like with helicopters? Should I look at the rudders as something that turns on an axis, i.e. right forward and left back turns my helicopter anti-clockwise, or do helicopter pedals work so that pushing the right pedal forward means turning to the right and left forward means turning left?

Your help would be much appreciated. :-)

[forteh 11]

I'm the same as you and consider the pedals to act like handlebars on a bike, right forwards to turn left. All flight sims I've played are animated the other way (so I guess that I am wrong), however I just cannot get my head around turning the wrong way and prefer to have it bound so right forward turns left :)

Now the anti torque pedals in arma are animated they behave in the same manner as other flight sims.

[das attorney 858]

Think of it like a servo arm linked to rudder in a radio controlled plane. The arm would rotate anti-clockwise to push/pull (depending on which side the linkage is on rudder) the rudder to the right.

In planes with a mechanical linkage (WW1, WW2 and most modern small planes), you push the right pedal and the linkage moves forward too, pulling the rudder toward it and turning the plane to the right (vice versa for the left pedal).

I presume when helicopters were invented, they kept the directions for consistency.

Edited November 21, 2014 by Das Attorney

[mobile_medic 43]

push left pedal, the nose will go left. push right pedal, the nose will go right.

[thirith 27]

Thanks, Mobile_Medic, forteh and Das Attorney. I also currently think of the rudders as acting like handlebars, but I'd rather learn to do it right since it confuses me if the games I play animate my feet the wrong way around. Since I'm only just starting on sims (IL-2, but I'm also hoping to become better at handling Arma's helicopters), I guess I can still learn it the right way around.

[mobile_medic 43]

Advanced Flight Model makes flying helicopters pretty good now in arma, if you are using a decent joystick or hotas setup. But, there are still throttle/collective (controls config calls it throttle) issues if using a keyboard/mouse with the AFM that make it untenable, imo. And, I've never liked the default flight model of helis in arma going back to arma 2, as they don't feel like helicopters at all to me.

If you really want to learn and have a rewarding (though, difficult learning curve if on full sim) experience flying helicopters, I would recommend trying out the blackshark or huey from DCS.

[das attorney 858]

IL-2

Best-sim-ever (imo) :)

If you haven't got it already, download the HSFX pack: http://www.242sqn.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=30

You can have seperate installs, so it won't mess up your main game folder if you want to install it.

Also, make sure you get the up to date IL-2 (more recent than the default Steam branch). Lot's of new goodies in there.

There's some info here: http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=31667

Not sure if you're aware of them, so thought I'd mention in case you didn't know.

[thirith 27]

Yup, I've got the HSFX pack. I'm enjoying IL2 but am also having problems with the learning curve. Even though I've been playing games since 1982, I find the lack of user-friendliness an issue. Where to start, what to do, which campaign, missions or planes to choose... Without the "Straight from the Farm" missions I'd be totally lost.