Hours put on the sim before real flight?

[tdsounds]

Hi, I'm new and want to get into this hobby. Man this reflex simualtor flying is hella difficult! Keeping basic hovering in one spot is a challenge! Just wanted to see how many hours did everyone put on before they actually flew their helis. I don't even own one yet! Only have the sim and a futaba 7chp! LOL! Hell I know I'm not flying till I can get basic hovering and flight down on the sim.

[davidolev]

Are you using the hover training mode, or just working on controlling the hover with both sticks? One of the harder things to remember for me was not to over-correct, which is really easy to do. A little input can go a long way. Another thing that helped me was to add negative expo (-15 to -20) to the cyclic. This will make the cyclic less sensitive around center stick. I know I was on the sim a lot more than 10 hours before I finished building my heli.

[kgfly]

Welcome tdsounds.

You have made a wise choice starting with your Tx and sim first. I began with FMS, then went to my TRex, then got ClearView and recently acquired Reflex/XTR.

Hovering in FMS is too easy, but was useful to develop basic orientation skills. ClearView is quite realistic and I spent a lot of time practicing low level (1m to 2m) hovering in ClearView. It helped a lot with the real TRex.

I find the piecemeal hovering training in Reflex harder than just practicing in normal sim mode. I find it useful to use the Reflex scenery rather than any of the photofields as this has a nice helipad for reference. I aim to keep the heli within the boundaries of the helipad and consider it a "crash" if I go outside those boundaries.

You might also take a look at RADDs school of heli flight, it provides a detailed training program for when you get your real heli. I know people who have had success with RADD's method. http://www.dream-models.com/eco/flying-index.html

Happy flying.

[tdsounds]

thanks guys for the input. I'm trying out the scenery with the helipad and boy it is a real challenge hovering within the boundaries of the pad. I find that my stick moves are very sensitive. Just a tiny bit a cyclic makes the heli move. I might try that negative expo thingymajing. But its fun and hopefully, I'll be able to hover soon. Still haven't decided on what heli to get yet. I'm leaning toward a trex 450 or a raptor. Thanks again, and I'm back to training!

[kgfly]

To start with you can do three things to make the control a bit easier.

1) Add expo to the cyclic controls (something in the range 10-20%)
2) Use dual-rates on the cyclic controls to reduce the rate of change (use about 65%)
3) Use the time-warp feature in Reflex to slow down time a bit to give you more time to respond. As you get better, speed up time again.

It's all practice. I never though I would learn to hover, now I can tail-in, not perfectly, but fairly well and in wind. I am working on nose-in. Used to crash (on the sim) in about 10s. Now I am up to maybe 30s. Be persistent and patient and enjoy each small step forward.

[Rick Rotorhead]

The Time Warp kgfly mentions is called 'Time Expansion Factor' and you will find it under 'simulation parameters' general. Its great. I find TEF 0.8 speeds thing up to a realistic response level. 0.6 is hairy, like watching the real 3D pros. A TEF of 1.5 or 2 is real slo mo, graceful and relaxing, but don't get used to it cos it will slow your reactions too. Also, bigger heavier helis are easier to fly, try the Century Gasser, thats just too easy - on the sim anyways.

[kgfly]

Rick,

I find TEF 0.8 speeds thing up to a realistic response level

Just curious as to why this might be necessary. What are your PC and graphics card specs? What frame rate is XTR reporting when the sim is running ?

I found on my laptop, even though the frame rate seemed OK, the sim was not reacting realistically and the CPU was maxed out. I reduced the size of the panoramas which allowed the frame rate to go way up and the sim became much more realistic. Clearly the physics engine was being starved of cycles due to the graphics which was getting priority. Just wondering.

[ralfvandorsselaer]

My 2 cents: I would not start in helis without the sim.

My personal experience:

- flying planks since 1982
- started with helis in 2005 (I needed a change)

1. April 2005: bought Reflex XTR - used my Graupner MC-10 for practice
2. Started practicing on the sim for 1 to 2 hours *every* day
3. After two months mastered hovering in all orientations, forward flight, bringing it in from forward flight, landing, etc. Basic flying skills. Sim only.
4. End of may 2005: ordered Logo 10
5. August 2005: build completed
6. Two setup flights in my garden with training uc
7. Two flights on club flying field with training uc
8. Took off training uc on the 3rd club flight
9. Never looked back

I keep practicing about one hour every day.

Rgds,
Ralf

[WayneBrown]

I knew how to fly when I got a sim, or even SAW a sim. I use it to try new stuff and to work on orientation.
A sim is a tool, used to achieve a level of confidence, and to try new things with. It is not meant to replace real life flying, nor should it.
Get a feel for what does what, and get your chopper and head to the field.

[sparky]

On the reflex, I am now hovering in all four points and doing free flight, and some basic 3D. But what is this hovering mode you guys are talking about and how do you get into it? also what Time expansion factor is the most realistic as I have only flown an indoor use only e-heli S4 and will have a T600 with all the fixens waiting on me when i get home in 2.5 weeks.
Yes, I agree to using the XTR screen. Like it better than the panoramic. to me, there are more targets to practice landings at distances in the XTR field. plus trying to stay on that predetermind FF path is helping me to do a level FF and turns.
And its easier to see the orintation of the bird too.