I am having fun with the Cowansim 500.
Still practicing practicing with Flyinsde 206.
2 Likes
The Cowan 500 does one thing I LOVE. The skids bend when they have weight on them!
Practicing practicing is so important to get to the point of actually practicing 
(ā¦sorry m8!) 
2 Likes
Can you add my mini and R66 to the list
The R66 has now overtaken the mini as my favourite now Iāve got some practice in
2 Likes
The R66 is very good. Really like Cowanās Robbies.
1 Like
Seen a lot of good feedback about the R22 & R44 and was very tempted but wanted something a bit bigger & faster in order to complete my set like china dolls- beginner (mini), intermediate (R66), advanced (H160).
Having spent a bit more time in all 3 the R66 has quickly become my favourite.
Btw Iām becoming a bit obsessed with these videos, may have to recreate now I have my own Robinson 
2 Likes
The R66 is the most stable helicopter in sim so far that still feels accurate instead of oversimplified. It just feels like the R66 itself is quite a stable bird.
2 Likes
No apologies, it is just so true!
Some days are better than others, today was not one of those days 
Isnāt it so!
The only thing Iāve found that fights that desire to fly the Fenix every time I turn the sim on! It just feels so realistic.
Iāve spent many hours with it over the weekend, I use Flight Control Replay to check afterwards how I got on. Itās hard to know from in the cockpit how realistic the motion is but when I replay it outside it looks 100% real. That is not true of all of the other helicopters, some of which seem not to move quite right.
Itās not easy to fly, but it is very flyable with a few hours practice, even with the challenge of a flat screen! Itās the first MSFS heli that properly reminds me of the heli introductory lesson I did a couple of decades ago.
I donāt think Iāve voted on this thread before, so if not hereās my first.
- R22 perfect trainer, amazing flight model, very responsive and so manoeuvrable.
- H145 with action pack. Fantastic recreation of this, all the toys, excellent depth, heaps of fun.
Then alsoā¦
- Cabri, itās a good trainer and free. More stable, a great place to start.
- KA10, the most stable and crazy good value. Just something different, makes a fun toy.
I have a few other helis, but this is a list of my recommendations, not a list of what Iāve bought so Iāll stop there.
2 Likes
How is the S300 CBI from Nemeth? Iāve been eyeing it for a while.
Avoid it! Itās flight model is erratic to say the least!
1 Like
Just for my own records really, I have added a few votes to the top post as follow:
^^ I assume that WAS a vote? 
^^ Yes 
True, but you have now.
@WellREDBarron I could not figure out if any of your mentions constitute a vote? Did you want to put a list together yet if not?
1 Like
Itās the most Jekyll and Hyde heli in the sim. A significant chunk of users canāt use it as the controls become highly unpredictable. It sometimes works and when it does it is enjoyable once airbourne. It is the only heli Iāve come across that is this unpredictable. I went back into it recently and it was hopeless so gave up on it again. Sensitivities need setting way down to even hope to control it. Some people have had a better experience though, but you have been warned.
@Baracus250 The trouble with this poll now is that there have been a good few more helis release in the sim. Too bad we canāt revote or modify votes or even re-do it. The Chinook is nice, but was the new kid on the block when this poll was done s ended up at #1. Iād definitely rank my helis differently now.
1 Like
You can though. Iād just remove and replace (same as on Top 10) but yeah itās not a reset every month deal here and I doubt people are coming back to do that so I see your point.
Donāt get enough action here to do a Monthly thing though.
2 Likes
Here is a quick list in NO particular order.
Ch47D Chinook - Geeat fun. Excellent package of extra goodies. Amazing detailed model and cockpit. Autopilot. Not a great flight model but what it does right and how it is used makes up for it.
V-22 Osprey - Similar to the Chinook, but the flight model once in plane mode uses the MSFS model instead of Miltechās own, and it flys quite well. Fast. Autopilot.
Alouette - I quite like this helicopter. Taogās did good work and since I canāt yet to get the Huey on Xbox I picked this up. Excellent model. A lot of fun bits you can add or subtract. Decent flight model. Feels suffficiently large and powerful. But I am not blown away or anything. Like Cowansim, it feels quite rooted in the MSFS flight model.
Bell 47G - I remember seeing these flying around when I was younger. The distinctive sound. Quite slow and satisfyingly so. Views for days. One of the best helicopters for views. A classic. Simple. Sounds so good. Fly inside makes their own flight model and it is quite spectacular in motion, but it is not great when landing, taxiing, and hovering. And the FI landing model is not good. You donāt properly have weight and stick to the ground. No real way to articulate with the skids. And the landing sounds are odd. A repetitive tire screech. Once heard you will not unhear.
Bell 206B - Much like the 47G, but faster, and it just feels a little more polished. Really, the FI flight model is fantastic. This is easily my favorite helicopter in sim. But it is so flawed like the 47 when landing. Hover and taxi are also just a little odd, but landing is definitely off. So, like I love this helicopter. But it does have a really large flaw.
R22: Really close to my favorite in sim. The flight model is fantastic within the limits of the MSFS flight model. The 206 does flying and failures brilliantly, the R22 does hover, landing, and taxi brilliantly. And it isnāt easy! It just has proper weight and doesnāt sound so odd and screechy upon landing when compared to the FI models.
R66 - The most stable helicopter I own. And yet it feels convincing and real in the hand. Cowan nailed both of their Robbieās. Really really good. Within the limits of Cowan birds. I just prefer the R22 because it is so quirky and the R66 is almost predictable.
Cowan M500 - Magnum PI! This helicopter does something well. It has skids that flex when weight is on them and they tighten when the helicopter lifts. Great when in outside camera. Every helicopter should do this. Otherwise this is good but I am not in love. Gotta be hands on when flying this and it can do remarkable things. It just somehow doesnāt feel as convincing or real as the Robbies, although when watching it fly, it sure does fly like a 500!
Mini 500: Got Friends nailed this one. Complex, complete, and priced right. What a weird, overpowered craft! And you can get in trouble with rotor vortex or stall. I just donāt fly it much. Take it for granted or something. And if just isnāt a practical helicopter. More like an experimental death trap. But a fun one!
Astro One: Just so I donāt have to pick an Asobo helicopter. No offense Cabriā¦ you are ok.
4 Likes
I got caught in VRS in the R22 today while sightseeing in Brighton (England, not Adelaide*). A quick application of the Vuichard Recovery saved me, I lost 61ft and fully recovered just 10ft clear of the ground. I also missed the trees laterally by about 15ft because I was trying to land in an area next to a building. I know these numbers because my flight was recorded and I was able to replay it.
(*) Brighton and Hove are adjacent suburbs in Adelaide, on the sea front. Brighton has a jetty which is a decent size but nothing compared to the original Brighton. Adelaideās Brighton does have beautiful sandy beaches that extend for miles either side and considerably nicer than England Brightonās pebble beaches. When the early migrants came to Australia they were spectacularly unimaginative with their place names. You will find Brighton on the coast in SA, VIC, NSW and QLD.
3 Likes
I thought only America reused our town names! But yes I wish we could have your beaches here (and the weather to be able to use them!) 
2 Likes
Australia like other commonwealth countries has tons and tons of English naming. Towns, suburbs and street names everywhere.
2 Likes
My top 10 at the moment (the ones I fly regularly):
-
Cowansim R22 ā¦ there is just something about this helicopter that always puts a smile on my face, and a few hours with it make jumping to and flying other helis much easier.
-
Toagās UH-1H Huey - just outrageous fun - great sounds and feels about the right sort of weight compared to other birds. Flies nice but will go south on you if you push the envelope.
-
Cowansim M500E - a sports car and great visibility when coming in to land. Sounds are great, and while twitchy (responsive might be a better word), it can be tamed.
-
Got friends Mini500 - great for scenery inspection and exploring, but probably semi-replaced by the R22. Love the noise cancelling headphones built in.
-
Cowansim H125 - a great stable platform, powerful, looks great and easy to fly.
-
Westland Scout / Wasp - great fun for the low admission price. Model detail is brilliant. Could see this moving up the list.
-
Cowansim B222 UT - twin engine, nice for longer trips, nicely modelled.
-
Miltech Chinook. Use to be higher, but maybe too stable (which I know is partly due to design), but good to throw around on the odd occasion.
-
Asobo 407 with the SimFocus mod. Havenāt flown much because of time but gives a deeper experience than the standard 407.
-
Airland R44 Raven - worth a mention for the price (free) and it is fun to fly.
4 Likes