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[Skinny]

Absolutely amazing mod! Really awesome! So much fun to fly this and it may also open op some perspectives for movie makers.

Anyway since I havent seen any video's of this yet; so I just frapsed a tour of my ceylon map in the sikorsky. My flying skills suck (but I landed!) but the chopper is awesome!

Sikorsky HRS-3 Helicopter mod for IL-2

[congo]

A quick review for heli-newbie (well, I'm myself a newbie, too and honestly, it's also the first time I "fly" a helicopter. So if you experts know something else, feel free to correct.)

First impression: The Sikorsky looks clumsy, heavy and somewhat unstable. Just compare it with the legendary UH-1, it's way more elegant. And before you try: there's no prop pitch setting and no trim. Tried to open the side door but failed to close it It's really amusing to see how the blades react to your stick. Tried to activate the floats, remembered that there's no way back, but the floats don't seem to cause much drag. In this case of the heli the throttle is not actually a throttle but a collective stick for increasing and decreasing rotor blade angle.

Take off: take off is quite smooth, just start the engine and push the throttle to about 50% and you're airbone. Very much like the Lerche, that bird climbs quite fast. Just a note: the torque is significant. I've always thought that the torque in a helicopter should be minimal. Fact is, I rotated an almost full circle because I could bring the bird under control. Curiously, the helicopter seems to fly backward and aside after the take off. Don't look like the movies I saw. Perhaps it's a game limitation, or just I've done something wrong. No idea

Landing: Tried to land it in the "Lerche's way": stop at about 500ft, slowly reduce the power and watch the altitude carefully. Wreaked the landing gears twice, perhaps this bird doesn't have strong legs as the lerche. Landing on water is somewhat easier. The floats work nicely.

Handling: the first try was terrible, this bird shaked a lot, rotated a lot and when you go too fast, that's the end: engine overheat, engine inoperable, pilot killed, misson failed

Conclusion after a few "reflies": fly a fixed wing aircraft and fly a helicopter is completely different. Helicopter (well, at least this bird) doesn't like speed and acceleration, it loves smoothnees. A few "lessons":
- Don't try to push the throttle way to high up, the optimal range is about from 40% to 60%, with about 10% tolerance. At about 50%, the helicopter will stay in the air.
- Don't fly too fast, watch the speedometer closely (that's the reason why it's located in the place which is easiest to see). No idea which unit (my guess: MPH x 10), but don't go above 10. Optimal speed shoud be between 4 and 6.
- Use rudder to counter the torque. Don't bother "step on the ball" (well, it didn't work with me).
- If you want to speed up, push the stick foward. To slow down, pull the stick.
- If you want to go high up, increase the throttle. To descend, decrease the throttle.
(Well, that's the most confusing part. After 7 years of "flying", I always use throttle to control speed and stick to control altitude)
After learning all of those tricks, flying is now way easier and very enjoying. Fly low and slow between the factories, make a U-turn in just a few seconds, flying and landing backward, that you are virtually "catched up" by your ground dust (well, I guess it's another game limitation),... there are something that only helicopter can do.

Damage test: I always dreaming about a helicopter campaign like of the US air cavalry in Vietnam. So I did some damage test. 20mm or above should be the end to any helicopter, but I really hoped that bird can substain some small fire. 3 tests were made: with 7,62mm (from SdKzf whatever, I forgot the number , from DShK AA and .50AA and from Flak 38). Results: the Sikorsky can eat about 20 hits from 7,62 caliber, just 4 hits from 12,7 caliber and only 2 hits from 20mm caliber. The outcome was always the same: mid-air explosion. Pilot doesn't seem to have much protection. One hit from a 7,62mm machine gun and you're heavily wounded.

A few bugs I found:
- A side door bug: I can't close it.
- From outside view, in normal and gunsight view, if you rotate to see the helicopter from behind, you can see through the tail.
- Rotor blade: if you look up from the cockpit, you'll notice a space between the blades and the ceiling of the cockpit.
- Torque: don't know if it's a bug or not, but I must use much rudder to counter the torque.
- [IMPORTANT]: fly against a 12,7mm machine gun nest. Right after its tracers flying toward you, the aircraft disappear in the outside view. In the cockpit view, the rotor blades disapper too.
- Mid-air explosion: IMHO, it would be more logical if you receive more engine failed, fuel tank leaked, pilot wounded than sudden death. And 4 12,7mm rounds to down a helicopter, I've never expected that the Sikorsky is so vulnerable. BTW, the damage modell seems to be quite primitive: no bending blades when they strike the ground, no cockpit damage (at least I've never seen it. Too few tests I guess), no parts that can be shot off, no control loss, no FM punishment when damaged (again, never seen)...
- Load-out: not really a bug, but may you please consider adding more loadout like cargo that can be drop to besieged troops.

Last but not least, thanks a lot for your magnificient work.
tude)
After learning all of those tricks, flying is now way easier and very enjoying. Fly low and slow between the factories, make a U-turn in just a few seconds, flying and landing backward, that you are virtually "catched up" by your ground dust (well, I guess it's another game limitation),... there are something that only helicopter can do.

 

  About the only statement I disagree with is that in fixed wing you use throttle to control airspeed and stick for altitude. In fact it is the other way around even in fixed wing aircraft. The stick controls airspeed and the throttle controls altitude. A good example is when you are flying just above the stall speed of the aircraft if you pull back on the stick the airspeed drops the aircraft will not gain altitude until you open the throttle. This becomes most apparent during landing as just pulling back on the stick will not lengthen your glide all it does is slow you down. Same for the flare.

[Flakiten]

Bay door and Nose cone disappears at odd angles. Check LODs.

I have the same bug, but is not a LODs problem. I think that is something related to the alpha channel and mat file configuration. It only appens when you use custom skins. If you use default skin everyting goes ok.

S!

[F22-Raptor-2006]

Rgr, i'll have a look at the alpha channels on the default skin then. Maybe there is something odd I dunno.

[NS~mati140]

Ok, I found how to make AI level flight and even turn! You just need to set up all waypoints with at least 100 kph speed (I didn't tested higher speeds yet), and at least 50 m altitude. And they can't be too close to each another. It also takes off but strangely, after it takes off it makes a full loop wihtout moving before it goes to next waypoint. I also found some way to make it land! I'm currently working on it. I also noticed that when AI flies, the aircraft isn't shaking. I also found out that on the skinny's video it almost don't shake too - for me it shakes incredibly all the time. Maybe it is a bug?

[F22-Raptor-2006]

It isn't so much a bug it's your hover stability system. Without it this aircraft will not fly so don't ask for it to be taken off XD To not bump you must be smooth with inputs and power inputs which depends on both you and the joystick. Also going over around 100kmh starts causing bumps, under that it's nice and smooth. If you want to I can teach you or try and help you fly it in hyperlobby or something...

[WhoDatNotSayin]

I'm beginning to get the hang of this beast. One useful tip I've found is that if you land with the sun behind and to your left, you can see your shadow in 'head out the window' view, allowing you to judge your rate of descent etc much more easily. Very useful for autorotating landings...

[sluggs]

Ahh very good tip bro, thanks and good job.

[LuseKofte]

Absolutely amazing mod! Really awesome! So much fun to fly this and it may also open op some perspectives for movie makers.

Anyway since I havent seen any video's of this yet; so I just frapsed a tour of my ceylon map in the sikorsky. My flying skills suck (but I landed!) but the chopper is awesome!

nice video thx for it do you have that map uploaded I liked it with missions if possible

[slipper]

Absolutley stunning mod flak! superb effort many thanks.

However installing this mod has bought to light a problem with my install, wondering if anyone can help please.

pressing the 'seat raised' button has no effect for me in this mod. I have redesignated the button but still no luck. i thought i would try one of the standard planes with this function so i tried the corsair, wildcat and zero and the seat raised does not work for these either. The weird thing is though, i then installed the Bf-109T mod which has a raised seat function, and this works as it is supposed to! any ideas?

Also the 'side door' opening button has no affect either

Any help appreciated as to what may be causing a conflict.

cheers all

slipper

p.s the 'deploy floats' linked to the arrestor hook works fine

[Avala]

One question skin-wise, if I may 

Is this the same helicopter as Westland WS-55-2 Whirlwind HAS7?

I'm thinking oh this:  (sorry if images are bigger)









????????? - Westland S55

[F22-Raptor-2006]

Yes it is the same.