Helicopter (Bell) is almost impossible to control

Where exactly is this autotrim button in the Bell?

I have the same problem on xbox series s. I turned on easy flying. even in the discovery mode only using controls of regular xbox.

After another day of trying all the tips and fixes, I’m almost convinced that there must be some kind of bug that is affecting me with the helicopter flight model.

I mean, I can fly all the DCS choppers just fine at highest realism, so I know how to fly a simulated heli.

But the Bell in this game is just impossible for me to fly.

Here’s one example of what happens:

I’ll apply slight collective and left rudder and gently lift off. I will then slightly lower the collective after going up about 10 feet. The heli will at this point be pulling so hard right that even holding maximum left rudder will not stop it from rotating right. I then start spinning right at a ridiculous rate. The only way I can get it to stop is to lower the collective to 0, then crash into the ground.

The heli almost always ends up spinning right with no ability to counter it with left rudder or even collective adjustments no matter what.

If I immediately push forward on the cyclic I can sometimes get forward momentum going and fly a bit. However, the heli is still constantly pulling right and I need to keep about 50% rudder at all times. I can fly forward doing this for a pretty long time. However, if I slow down to try to hover, the helicopter always goes into an uncontrollable right spin no matter where the collective is.

I’ve tested both my rudder and collective axis, and they seem to be perfectly fine. I can fly fixed wing aircraft with zero issues using the same axis.

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No, my heli doesn’t wobble like that. It just pulls so hard right that I can’t counter it with rudder or adjusting the collective.

I also tried the “trick” of setting the flight model to legacy, loading up a flight, then quitting it and setting the flight model back to modern and flying again.

Doing that didn’t solve my issue.

I find it completely impossible to do anything in a heli unless I turn on the assists.

Also, I notice a lot of people saying to apply left rudder before takeoff…is this a regional thing? I’m in the UK and I find that without any rudder input, it spins left (anticlockwise) by itself, so (without assists turned on) I have to apply basically full right rudder at the start and hold probably 75% right rudder if I do manage to get into the air, just to stop it spinning…If i ever wanted to actually turn right, it would be easier to just turn left 270 degrees?

I’m on PC, and have now tried using xbox controller, t16000m stick+pedals, t16000m stick with zaxis+no pedals, and my normal logi yoke system+pedals+throttles…all behave the same, so I’m guess it’s not a controller issue? must be a user issue.

I guess it’s just very very hard to fly heli’s.

I’ve watched a few tutorial videos on youtube, going from cold start, setting everything up etc…and it just feels, as a total beginner to helis, that I’m doing all the right things, apply same power as in the videos, etc etc…but the heli just goes crazy as soon as it leaves even 1m off the ground.

One thing that I think isn’t helping is that on the discovery flight in new york, you start on a small pad surrounded by water, so as soon as you leave the ground, if you can’t control it you end up in the sea…but whenever I try and just start at a parking spot in other airports, there’s always other aircraft, buildings, etc in the way…so again, if you lose control, it’s game over very early.

Can anyone recommend a good starting airport where they give you plenty of room, nothing around you, so that you can practice just taking off slightly, hovering and trying to get control?

Hello,

Also, I notice a lot of people saying to apply left rudder before takeoff…is this a regional thing?

Really sry, this is very hard answer again and again same as hundred times before. Without to understand physics you can not do flight as you expect. Why you don’t tell us your heli type? Due rotor spin direction you need apply counter control. Now you hope understand that you’re lost with infos about do control mechanisms and you are doing wrong steps…

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Just using whatever is the one that loads up with the new york discovery flight…I think it said like G2?

As I said, I am new to heli’s, so you’re correct that I probably don’t understand everything that’s involved. I understand that different helicopters will require different rudder applied to counter the rotar…

what I was wondering is if WITHIN MSFS, this actually varies for the same heli but in different regions?

I was wondering, only because I’ve seen tutorials on youtube with people flying the same heli, same flight, but they seem to be needing to counter the rotar in the opposite direction to what I’m having to use…their heli is naturally spinning in the opposite direction…so I was just wondering if MSFS is programmed differently in different regions? (most stuff on youtube seems to be from USA)

Hello,

really hard to say, if they use opposite maybe they want rotate at lift off to expected direction, who knows…

Different regions play here no role, all is depended to rotor spinning direction. This isn’t like in reality because you need then have some pre flight briefing, teach/practice yourself with documentation of exact type you want fly. Ok back to sim, first important after sit for first time and start engine :slight_smile: is look at blades what direction they moves :slight_smile: then it can be easy to understand, hope.

French Helicoper blades rotate in opposite direction than the eg. the Bell ones

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thank you.

No problem :wink:

simple rule, if blades are rotating from my point of view inside cockpit to left, also left rudder need to be applied, due opposite reaction of heli’s body rotation against rotor.

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I have noticed the trim button increases once clicked and continues to do so until another click to stop. Is this a bug or intended? I can still fly it no problem but maybe it is making it more difficult for some people. To be clear it’s on the flight stick and if you click it then it increases or decreases and stops upon another click.

Yes indeed. Rotation of blades is different in european helicopter designs and in american helicopter designs. A big mistake for standatization but a fact as well. You need to know the helicopter type as pedals usage depends on that.

The perfect example are the ones included in game. They are different: bell needs left pedal while Cabri needs right pedal.

Cheers

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Please Asobo don’t tone down the helicopter flying characteristic just because some people are struggling. It is hard afterall IRL. If needed make an optional arcade version but please keep the realistic flight model you all have worked so hard to develop. Thx.

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Absolutely, if it was easy we wouldn’t enjoy it. People will get the hang of it I believe it just takes a little time.

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I would say there already is an easy mode and a hard mode. Easy mode you just turn the assists ON.

I’m one of the one’s struggling with it, but even I agree, they shouldn’t tone it down just because I can’t do it.

I do feel like this is something I’m not going to get the hang of though. Must just be beyond my skills. With planes, you do at least have time to react and see how your actions are affecting the craft…with heli’s it just seems to me like it starts up totally out of control, when I try to correct, it either does nothing, or suddenly sends things going wildly in the other direction, it’s like anything I do has no impact, so I keep trying and then suddenly it all affects things at once…dunno…hard to explain…but as I said, it’s not a sim problem, it’s a ME problem…and with the assists turned on, it’s much easier…

So that’s the main thing I’d say…for anyone who is a complete beginner…ignore all the advice online which always the first thing they tell you is “make sure the assists are off”…just keep them on at least until you can take off, fly and then land properly.

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Are you sure you don’t have conflicing control bindings or something?

Nothing wild should be happening if your inputs are steady.

I do have multiple controllers attached…i.e. my flight yoke, throttles, panels, etc etc…but they are all kept still/not used while I’m using the stick. Just to be sure, I have also tried switching them all off, but I still find it to behave exactly the same way.

So my guess would be simply that all the videos I’ve seen on youtube are by people who already have skills and understanding of how to fly them, so they’re already applying exactly the correct counter measures…

I have read other people mention that, in real life too, the controls of heli’s are very sensitive, so you do need to be quite precise, and even slightly off can send things wildly off?

It is quite tricky to fly but I don’t experience what you are describing. It does sound like a control binding issue or sensitivity perhaps. If my inputs are controlled and I’m careful it amounts to quite a steady flight all be it quite difficult.

that’s another thing I thought maybe, controller sensitivity…as the controls seemed to do very little until the extremities, then they went crazy…so I also tried playing with that, but didn’t seem to make much difference : S