Hello folks,
Have you flown the Cabri G2 in real life and here in sim? What’s your experience of the sim version like?
I was learning to fly in the Cabri a few years ago, and I remember it always needing a bit of ‘back and left’ cyclic on take off, but the sim version always seems to ‘lean back’ and needs a nudge of the cyclic forward. I wonder if my IRL experience was just different because we were mostly always two-up (instructor onboard; although saying that, I did a couple of solo hovers and still don’t remember it needing forward cyclic to get off the ground).
What’s your experience? Do you feel like the sim Cabri is close to real, or off?
Cheers!
I’ve just seen your response to my Hadrian’s Wall query and so here I am as requested. I see the Cabri G2 as the sports car of the sky. A lovely little creature, safe and with plenty of zing. Ours always needs a bit of R pedal and forward cyclic on lifting. I’m sure that’s common to all G2s because of the anticlockwise main rotor and balance, I don’t think the absence of the instructor would make much of a difference. I never expected a licence because I knew I couldn’t afford to use it with only half a dozen hourly flights pa. But I could now fly solo (if only that were legal)! I got to that stage very much due to the help of the simulated G2 on P3D which was an excellent model that did nearly everything correctly. I don’t find the MSFS Asobo model quite as good but I would say MSFS beats P3D. I’m hoping for the lottery win too, good luck.
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Thanks for the response @LankyCape030052 ! The one I was flying years back must’ve been odd with the “back and left” cyclic then. Good to know your IRL experience is like the sim 
I don’t have experience in the G2, but I can tell you it matters in the R22. When my instructor got out for my first solo, he made a point to tell me that the weight & balance will be different and to anticipate and adjust for the shift in weight. It did pick up further back on the the right skid without his weight in the other seat.
It makes a bigger difference on smaller aircraft. I’m not sure about the G2, maybe it’s weight distribution is closer to a neutral CG, but if the CG shifts, it will absolutely make a difference to the cyclic inputs on such a small machine. Full fuel and 2 occupants is at the top end of the max weight for the G2, removing one passenger is almost 1/3 of the payload.
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The Cabri is a similarly small craft as the R22, and yes, I remember positively exploding off the ground for my first solo 
-85kg in the other seat incredibly changed things.
I suspect there was something odd about that particular heli and its “back and left” cycling on take off. The sim version clearly needs the cycling pushing a little forward, and I was just keen to find out about other IRL Cabri pilots’ experience.
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