Helicopter CONTROL? please help

[Megahurt 0]

As a former flashpoint fanatic, nothing was more fun than flying choppers. The flashpoint heos were so controllable i could hit anything anywhere and land with ease. The rudder control was amazing and i loved it.

Arma helos on the other hand, fly like a fixed wing plane and i cant get a hold of the darn thing. I am a licenced pilot in real life (fixed wing) and i love Arma, but i keep going back to flashpoint to fly.

Does anyone else have this problem? Are there any fixes for this? Will it be fixed?

Am i the only one that is mad about this?

[ManDay 0]

many people had this problem when first coming in touch with the way arma simulates helicopters. some said its rather realisitic, some said it isnt. however, you will get used to it if you just get yourself to play with it for a while.

its not like a fixed wing ac. you just cannot rotate the chopper if you are moving forward. kinda exaggerated indeed, but we gotta live with it

[mattxr 9]

i think thats fixed in the next version using the rudder when moving forward.

[ManDay 0]

"Fixed in the next version"? Are we talking about the same thing here? Rudder has been restricted like that since <1.05, hasn't it?

what i wanted to add then is that its easier for me to control the chopper with joystick where it has been easier to control it with mouse in flashpoint back then. maybe this helps

[mattxr 9]

Well it just says this..

Quote[/b] ]Improved airplane turn dynamics simulation (including improved rudder simulation)

Who knows what its going to be like but i dont find any problems with it to begin with lol..

Flashpoint Air Simulation was soo bad... it was totally unrealistic as a pilot turning was way over done but was there because people didn't often use a gunner... have you ever seen a chopper turn the way the OFP choppers did.. because i haven't

[Mr_Tea 0]

Maybe the OFP-choppers where not realistic, but at least the player was able to fly them like an real pilot would handle the real thing.

[ManDay 0]

Maybe the OFP-choppers where not realistic, but at least the player was able to fly them like an real pilot would handle the real thing.

That's indeed a very good point!

(Yet I have to say that I'm all okay with the way ArmA does it since I'm using a joystick)

[Master gamawa 0]

So let me get this straight.

Helicopters CAN or CANNOT turn left and right without tilting the whole craft sideways in reality?

I mean the way it turns when you autohover...

I remember in ofp I used my mouse to turn left-right while being horizontal and my strafe buttons to roll left and right for dodging/avoiding enemy fire purposes etc.

I don't know if "roll" is the right term here but I think you understand what I mean.

What changed?

I am rather used to using my helicopter like a plane but I have no idea if this is closer to reality than the Ofp version.

[ManDay 0]

Combat helicopters are designed streamlined and thus cannot ante up enough power at the tail-rotor to turn the body if in a forward motion.

[Master gamawa 0]

So the only way to turn left and right is to move at very slow speeds or when you autohover?

Like it already is in Arma?

[mattxr 9]

So the only way to turn left and right is to move at very slow speeds or when you autohover?

Like it already is in Arma?

Yes Correct. So whats all the jibba jabber above...i don't no lol.

[Prydain 1]

So the only way to turn left and right is to move at very slow speeds or when you autohover?

Like it already is in Arma?

You do know that you can tilt the helicopter and it will move in the direction of tilt? The rudder should be used at low speeds and because the flight physics are so poor in ArmA, we don't need to think about crosswind and alike features that pilots in real life have to regard.

Why people can't just use a very basic method of control is astounding. Why is the rudder, a tiny control surface being regarded as the only proper way to turn?

[Megahurt 0]

Well, i liked flying OFP choppers. My friend has just reinstalled OFP after getting a new pc to play Arma. He's strictly a chopper guy.

I know theres the realism factor and all that, but with an OFP chopper i could come into an LZ and spray the bushes all around me with machine gun fire, and turn around to zap a tank i just overflew with great accuracy.

With Arma by the time i see a target im past it and turning around takes me in such a wide circle ive lost it. If i hit autohover to slow down and use the rudder im ussually toast by the time i can turn.

Isn't there some way to put the flightcontrol.cfg or whatever its called, from flashpoint into Arma?

The chopper flying was fun and fabulous in OFP, and dismally disappointing for me in Arma. I actually hate flying in Arma.

Realism is great and all that, but fun is great too.

There must be some thinkers out there that alter the flight model to fly like OFP. Can anybody help?

[NoRailgunner 0]

Better improve ArmA planes and helicopters instead of going back to "car driving" OFP standard aircrafts. And of course AI should "know" better what kind of differences between all vehicles exists.

[max power 21]

I find flying in ArmA much more rewarding. I think that part of the problem is that the flight model is different from your experience and your expectations.

[john_mcclane 0]

I think the main gripe about helicopters in ArmA comes from those that use a keyboard to fly. That was the only way I flew in OFP, and it worked very nicely. In ArmA, you really need a joystick or gamepad to enjoy flying. I personally prefer using an Xbox controller, which works excellent.

[MehMan 0]

While the OFP flight model was more simpler I find the ArmA one better. I fly with a keyboard and mouse and it gives me greater satisfaction when I nail the bastards. I plan my route I scout for enemies and I prepare an approach. I don't count on always having a second go at the target, only one quick strafe and bam, we're outta here.

[Yoshama 0]

i enjoy doing barrel rolls and loops in arma.

i noteced sometims if you are strafing a target and you want to hit something left of your crosshair you turn right to roll it in, it is not a problem for me but i assume this is what gets people sometimes.

i save strafing for infantry and convoyes, if i am attacking tanks or shilkas/aa i hide low behind trees and cover (like training said to) and pop up quickly to take em out.

[OniKiy 0]

I prefer the flight mechanics in ArmA as they're more realistic than most games. The realistic method when fighting in a helo as mentioned in another post and in the tutorials is to take it slow and low. Use cover to help you get near and pick out targets and then only pop out from cover to put holes in things (preferably not your helo ofc ).

However you could mess around in the Editor and push them to their limits and find an alternative way to fly them.

[Megahurt 0]

Sorry about the whining

It is what it is, we are where we are.

Ive decided to start intense chopper flight training on Arma and i would appreciate your best tips please.

[max power 21]

Sorry about the whining

It is what it is, we are where we are.

Ive decided to start intense chopper flight training on Arma and i would appreciate your best tips please.

slowing down takes about as much time (or more) as accellerating, so if you spent quite a while getting up to 250km/h, you're going to have to plan ahead on how you're going to reduce your speed by thinking in terms of where you want to stop and where you have to start slowing down rather than when you want to stop.

[RN Malboeuf 12]

Helicopter's flight parameters

sorry, copied another link first

Maybe you can try to edit model to get better flight model ? though it's just a chance, search for suma answers - air simulation is completely different  in Arma.

[max power 21]

What exactly is the ricky zone, and why does it sit overtop the bis forums in your link?

[mattxr 9]

I know theres the realism factor and all that, but with an OFP chopper i could come into an LZ and spray the bushes all around me with machine gun fire, and turn around to zap a tank i just overflew with great accuracy.

With Arma by the time i see a target im past it and turning around takes me in such a wide circle ive lost it. If i hit autohover to slow down and use the rudder im ussually toast by the time i can turn.

Well in real life.. you just wouldn't fly up into a LZ, if an attack you would creap up slowly on the area with full control of the rudder for turning.. which can be done, then lift yourself above the trees spray the bushes and kill the tank etc.. its real simple to do in arma..

[7 0]

a great way to slow down really fast without gaining altitude is to set the throttle to 50% and roll the chopper about 45-75 degrees and just pull back on the stick til youve done a 180. youll slow down real fast + no altitude gain.