Helicopter rotor washout / Intense dust effect, snow effect kills FPS during takeoff and landing (-15 FPS)

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  • One for iteration (msfs-2020 or msfs-2024): 2024
  • One for platform (ms-store, steam, xbox, or xcloud): ms-store
  • One for aircraft (start typing in your aircraft name in the tag section and pick correct option): Helicopter

ISSUE DESCRIPTION

Description of the issue:

Helicopter rotor downwash / dust effect, snow effect kills FPS during takeoff and landing (-30 FPS)

In dusty, snowy environments, the dust and snow effect is so strong that the FPS drops drastically, the simulator becomes unplayable. The phenomenon is present during takeoff and landing.

Another problem is that the dust and snow effect does not disappear after landing. The effect should only be present if the pitch angle of the helicopter’s rotor blades changes during takeoff. At a pitch angle of 0 degrees, there is no dust and snow effect.

The current dust and snow effect should be reduced by half. Another problem is that the dust effect also applies in areas where there is no dust. There is also a dust effect on the grassy meadows, which is incorrect.

Please use a slider to eliminate the effect, or to reduce or increase it. It is currently unplayable.

I have attached a picture and video!

If applicable, which aircraft is experiencing this issue:

Helicopter

[PC Only] Did you remove all your community mods/add-ons? If yes, are you still experiencing the issue?

Yes / Error is continuous

FREQUENCY OF ISSUE

How often does this occur for you (Example: Just once, every time on sim load, intermittently)?

takeoff and landing

REPRODUCTION STEPS

takeoff and landing

YOUR SETTINGS

If the issue still occurs with no mods and add-ons, please continue to report your issue. If not, please move this post to the User Support Hub.

What peripherals are you using, if relevant:

[PC Only] Are you using Developer Mode or have you made any changes to it?

[PC, MSFS 2020 Only] Are you using DX11 or DX12?

DX12

[PC Only] What GPU (Graphics Card) do you use?

RTX 3080TI

[PC Only] What other relevant PC specs can you share?

  • Asus Prime Z690-P D4
  • Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6GHz (s1700)
  • Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 CPU
  • EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 ULTRA
  • Corsair 32GB /3600 Vengeance RGB PRO Black DDR4 RAM KIT (2x16GB)
  • Samsung 1TB 980 Pro M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
  • Seasonic 850W Focus GX 80+ Gold

MEDIA

[END OF FIRST USER REPORT]


:loudspeaker: For anyone who wants to contribute on this issue, Click on the button below to use this template:

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:

4 Likes

Dear @DementedCorn327 ,

You helped me solve several problems, which I thank you for. I am turning to you and asking for help because you are in contact with the developers and can help.

I have created this bug ticket. Please forward it to the development team.

  1. The dust and snow effect that occurs when helicopters land and take off kills the FPS. I have attached a video. It causes a 10-20 FPS drop.

  2. Another problem is that the dust and snow effect does not disappear after landing. The effect should only be present if the pitch angle of the helicopter’s rotor blades changes during takeoff. At a pitch angle of 0 degrees, there is no dust and snow effect.

  3. The current dust and snow effect should be reduced by half. Another problem is that the dust effect also applies in areas where there is no dust. There is also a dust effect on the grassy meadows, which is incorrect.

  4. It would be nice if the development team would allow the dust and snow effect to be turned off.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Hi @hhelikopter4891 ,
The mods are not in contact with the devs but be assured they are reviewing the bug reports so they’ll see the additional comments/videos you’ve added.

Regarding that point:

I would recommend you to create a wish since it is an enhancement request and not a bug.

1 Like

I don’t think I have seen any impact on fps on my side. At least not noticeable. I’m running between 40 and 50 FPS with DLSS ON and Frame Gen OFF. Losing 15+ fps I would have noticed.

1 Like

Facts I’m talking about. Look at the FPS counter. Here’s my video:

And if you take a C172 and take-off from the grass? I have lower fps close to the ground due to all the details being rendered. I don’t see any effect of rotor wash on my fps.

48 fps over the runway:

44 fps hovering over grass:


If I now move back over the runway I get 45-46 fps so it is maybe 1 or 2 fps different for me.

I had the same happen the other day, but it is far worse on the R66, which kicks up way too much dust and as it does so drops 10FPS for me. The other helis I’ve not noticed it so bad on. Having said that I didn’t go measure the FPS dips with dust with the other helis in the sim, they just don’t have such an exaggerated dust effect as the R66.

1 Like

46 fps over the runway:

About 39 fps over the grass:

It is a bit more on the R66 indeed, I experience a 7 fps drop.

2 Likes

@DementedCorn327 I can’t turn off the Helicopter rotor downwash / dust effect, snow effect in developer mode?

Good question !, but I don’t know, I never go to the dev mode. For sure the community will be able to answer that.

1 Like

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?

Yes
Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:

This is even worse on Xbox Series S. Add an option to turn the effect of.
If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:

1 Like

Thank you for the bug report.

We have created an internal ticket to see if our team already has this logged, and if not they will attempt to reproduce the issue and create a new bug report. This item is now marked as feedback-logged. If there is an existing bug report or one is created, we will move this thread to bug-logged

2 Likes

Just wanted to confirm that I have this issue as well, especially with the R66. First of all FPS go down (maybe because I don’t have much headroom with a Ryzen 3700 and RTX2070 Super), and second downwash effect probably should not be shown with collective down.

[MODERATOR EDIT: Do not ping team members.] I would like to ask you for help, where can I send you a private message?

RL helicopter pilot here.

If you sit in an area for long enough, the loose dust/snow/grass gets blown away.

Sometimes you tactically come into an area, hover high to blow the loose stuff away so you can see or to clear out debris on purpose.

If the ground has any moisture at all, you are not going to get constant dust either.

The game tracks where the wheels/skids drag on the ground, so it leaves an inprint in the dirt. It should be able to do the same thing for if you hover over an area long enough, that area should not have anything loose anymore and not cause dust constantly.

When you are down and collective is full down, the rotor blades are neutral, they are being held out via centrifugal force, not blowing air down until you raise collective again, dust should also stop then.

6 Likes

Please take consideration from this real pilot reply below.

MalicVR9202

8h

RL helicopter pilot here.

If you sit in an area for long enough, the loose dust/snow/grass gets blown away.

Sometimes you tactically come into an area, hover high to blow the loose stuff away so you can see or to clear out debris on purpose.

If the ground has any moisture at all, you are not going to get constant dust either.

The game tracks where the wheels/skids drag on the ground, so it leaves an inprint in the dirt. It should be able to do the same thing for if you hover over an area long enough, that area should not have anything loose anymore and not cause dust constantly.

When you are down and collective is full down, the rotor blades are neutral, they are being held out via centrifugal force, not blowing air down until you raise collective again, dust should also stop then.

3 Likes

Replying to myself, since the latest sim patch the dust effect is still annoying, but seemingly not as dense as before and less stressful on FPS. But might also just be different ground I landed on, have not done a detailed analysis.

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?

Yes

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:

The performance hit exists in the R66 (XBOX). But that’s not even what is important. I fly helicopters. This phenomenon just does not exist regularly except in a few places on our planet. I do get occasional blades of fresh-cut grass, snow and, yes, dust. But just the tiniest amounts. And even then, they go away after hovering over the spot for a few seconds. As for snow, unless it is a deep, fluffy powder, it too dissipates after a short time.

1 Like

Sim update 1 beta has anyone seen the dust effect? Robinson R 66 helicopter dust effect and snow effect reduced, have they been fixed? It is currently unplayable because a terrible dust-snow effect occurs near the ground.