What sort of physics do you want for the heli's?

[Capitaine Haddock]

Removing the automatic raise and lower over terain -leaving that down to the player would be better,

The auto raise/lower is already turned off automaticaly when you use a Joystick

Nah, it's still auto NAP. ***Unless that was added in the very latest patch.

Edit: the collective or rotor rpm is just a little less terrain automated with joystick, not completely as it should be

It's completely off, honest. Are you using the joystick just for the cyclic, or also for the collective? That might be it... I use a separatte throttle stick and it works for me. Full control goodness

[Capitaine Haddock]

Ejecting from most helicopters just isn't an option at all... they don't have an option to bail. It's auto-rotate or nothing.

True. And that will help people to use the Helis in a more realistic way. None of that "fly over enemy base and jump" business.

Did you know that auto-rotations are also implemented in OFP? They are hard to master, but they do work. I'm not sure most people is aware of the complexities of the current helicopter physics when using a joystick... You'll miss all this if you just fly with the mouse.

[bn880]

Well terrain following is not comlpetely off with a joystick. I do have a seperate throttle as well, last I tried there was a hell of a lot of terrain following... I don't know what version of the OFP exe you got.

Yes autorotation is in OFP, but it's not necessairly accurate either. Actually it is quite bad without a joystick especially (not sure with one) as when you control the collective it automatically stalls the blades as that is connected to the engine RPM somehow, it's like you can't feather the rotor.

[bn880]

Ejecting from most helicopters just isn't an option at all... they don't have an option to bail. It's auto-rotate or nothing.

True. And that will help people to use the Helis in a more realistic way. None of that "fly over enemy base and jump" business.

Did you know that auto-rotations are also implemented in OFP? They are hard to master, but they do work. I'm not sure most people is aware of the complexities of the current helicopter physics when using a joystick... You'll miss all this if you just fly with the mouse.

True on ejection, however this is fairly easily fixed in mods or addons. Check WGL for example.

[krise madsen]

Ah, the helo controls thread! I guess this is the place for my question: In most computer games, helicopters seem to be flying with their nose pointing downwards (during forward flight) to a greater or lesser degree. Is that realistic?

I know that real-life helicopters can pitch their nose down for quicker acceleration, but do they do that (albeit to a lesser degree) during conventional forward flight? I've never flown in a helicopter myself, but from TV pictures they seem to fly pretty much straight ahead.

Expert advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Hekezu]

This kind of physics!
http://www.alexisparkinn.com/photoga....nt.mpeg

[jammydodger]

ohhh they were lucky there

[Journeyman]

In most computer games, helicopters seem to be flying with their nose pointing downwards (during forward flight) to a greater or lesser degree. Is that realistic?

I know that real-life helicopters can pitch their nose down for quicker acceleration, but do they do that (albeit to a lesser degree) during conventional forward flight? I've never flown in a helicopter myself, but from TV pictures they seem to fly pretty much straight ahead.

Expert advice would be greatly appreciated.

If a chopper did not put its nose down it could not fly forwards, it would simply hover. In order for it to move in any direction it would have to tilt its rotors into the direction it wanted to go. The main rotors don't just supply the lift but also the directional force. This can only be aceived by tilting. The faster you want to go the more tilt you would need.

I'm sure there are plenty of 'tech heads' in here who will give you the same blurb by using words like 'cyclic controls' and 'collective lift', but it all boils down to the same thing in the end - no tilt no move!

Btw, that video clip was a bit scarry! Bet the pilot had a wet moment as he chopped his tube in half!

[Jinef]

Well, to whatever degree 'terrain following' is simulated on keyboard vs controller, the simple fact is that ground effect is
way too strong in OFP.

The 'attitude' of the helicopter is how the airframe is positioned in the air, with forward tilt or backwards tilt etc.

The direction of the helicopter's movement is controlled by the movement of the entire rotor disc. This is done with the cyclic, which usually controls hydraulics.

When in the hover the helicopter can move in any direction without the attitude of the helicopter changing. Meaning that the helicopter is straight and level but the rotor is tilted forward. As the rotors tilt forward and the speed is increased the airflow causes the attitude of the airframe to lower.

Is this the tech-head stuff you wanted?

Summary: Wait and see what BIS sticks in ArmA and then start the wishlists for OFP2.

[Journeyman]

Well, to whatever degree 'terrain following' is simulated on keyboard vs controller, the simple fact is that ground effect is
way too strong in OFP.

Ground effect is where the chopper would experience increased lift close to the ground as it came to rest on it's own air cushion! If you hover steady and slowly decrease the collective untill you start to decend slowly, you should continue to decend slowly untill about 10feet or so from the ground after which you would come to rest on your air cushion and hover untill you ruduced some more collective.

This does not happen in OFP so I would have to assume that there is NO ground effect in OFP not too much. ***

Regarding the terrain following feature, I find that it is only pressent when I use the keyboard controlls. The minute I touch my Cyborge 3D Gold joystic the feature switches off and I have to make sure that I increase collective manually as I approach elevated terrain or else - Wham! ***