Although we have several articles published on the matter, a lot of you still ask about helicopters in Microsoft’s new sim. As such, I’ve decided to make a small video with all the information we have right now. That should put you up to speed!
I hope you enjoy it! Find it here: Microsoft's plans for helicopters in Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS2020) - YouTube
Music was shockingly loud.
Couldn’t you have just wrote about it here? at least summarized it. I am too lazy to open another browser window.
Yeah, I need to beware of the intro sound level in the future.
Fun fact: I wrote several articles about it and folks asked me to do a video recap of all of them. So, I did just that!
You really can’t please everyone!
I guess not, guess I didnt see them…
Incipient vortex ring
This has been bad in the sim world for a while, the dodosim guys had the best physics model for rotors but never got their p3d-64 port finished. This is hard and I fear helis will be way off in the future.
I learned on a R22 and I can tell you, the MS version flew nothing like it.
Hoping a large collaboration is on the cards for xmas !
We need separate throttle/collective.
+1, helicopters have 3 axis controls in addition to the throttle. Your average joystick isn’t going to cut it…
Agreed, and we cannot have a situation where MS models the controls to suit those that can’t/won’t purchase the requisite hardware to realistically operate rotary wing as it was in FSX. Give us an “Easy Mode” and a “Realistic Mode” at least. If you want to fly a helicopter the way it is done IRL, get your wallet out and purchase the necessary peripherals.
I don’t see why you cannot map the collective to the throttle input. It’s not like you need to adjust throttle once the engine/s are up to speed. Throttle in helis should be like mixture/pitch on a prop; scroll wheel control from the VC.
This implementation would allow for autorotations as well, since 0 throttle input on a joystick/HOTAS would just be blades at flat pitch.
Simpler helicopters have the pilot manually adjust the engine power to keep the rotor speed constant. For example, if the nominal RPM is 450 and the pilot raises the collective, the rotor speed will gradually decrease, so the pilot will have to open the throttle a bit to allow the engine to produce more power (thus maintaining rotor speed).
FADEC equipped rotorcraft typically have this function of increasing engine power controlled by the FADEC, so all the pilot has to do is select ground idle or flight idle (and the FADEC will adjust engine power to maintain a constant rotor RPM). I’m pretty sure this luxury doesn’t exist on a two-seater Robinson.
R22 has an optional governor, but I’ve yet to see one without it. Every other ‘big boy’ helicopter is going to have a governor of some sort. It’s not unreasonable for the sim to emulate a governor for any helicopter it incorporates. I sure as heck don’t want to fly a heli where I have to control N2 directly; there’s already too much going on.
EPs? Yeah, gonna need it, and I’d hope massive collective pulls droop the rotor a bit, but for the sake of MSFS, full throttle after start and leave it alone.
They are listed on the video description 
I can’t wait for helis in this sim love them.Flew the bell 206 irl with a friend.One on my profile 
Hi Sérgio Costa, I am very glad that you are finally dealing with helicopters and representing the community. It was a great idea to make the video! I need more videos from you because it is much more effective! Congratulations! My request would be for the video to have text that will be translated into the native language of that community member. Unfortunately, I don’t speak English well and I don’t understand the video. There are so many requests to have a caption!
Thanks for the post Sergio.
So free and paid for content.
Acceleration pack sort of thing we got for fsx.
I would like to ask you; piston and turbine will be available?
Second question; the company behind Dodosim still around and if so.Are they involved?
See a Bell model 47 whirlybird if you like fairly regular around EGND near my home.
Would love to hear that at least an early helo would be under consideration.
Thanks
Regards Dean.
I have been dealing with helicopters and representing the community for 4 years (almost 5 now). There’s a reason why Microsoft mentioned me on 2 videos already. Perhaps you have missed what I have been doing but people kind of know me for being the “helicopter guy”.
Try enabling subtitles on the video. It should translate to your language of choice.
I am assuming both piston and turbine engines will be available, yes. I haven’t had any confirmation from Microsoft or Asobo on that but it seems logical that they do both types of engines.
Dodosim is a bit of an elusive team. I have been trying to reach out to them for some time and I managed to have a reply from them once. Back then, they told me they were working with some professional clients.
But there are other amazing developers out there, some of which are coming from X-Plane, for example. And, if Microsoft does their thing right – like we all hope they will – perhaps we won’t need developers to “hack” their own solutions.