QuickStart: RC Flight Simulators

Transcription

1 QuickStart: RC Flight Simulators Instructions on how to install and use a flight simulator. Installing and Using a Flight Simulator Installing the Simulator Configure Your Simulator/Transmitter Settings Select Your Model/Landscape Practicing Flying on a Simulator Practicing Flying on Your RC Helicopter Installing and Using a Flight Simulator Some people may balk at the idea of using a helicopter simulator instead of a real helicopter to learn to fly, but the truth is RC helicopters make great simulator candidates. Moreover, due to recent technological advances, modern simulator software is able to provide users with a startling realistic experience. Both experienced users and novice pilots alike can go out and practice any maneuver with a helicopter be it nose-in or barrel rolls. Using either the supplied RC transmitter and USB cable, or a dedicated simulator, we strongly recommend using a simulator to anyone who already flies or is just starting with RC helicopters. Most RC helicopter enthusiasts will tell you that the hardest part of flying helicopters is developing the conditioned response helicopter flight requires, such as the ability to make the appropriate movements quickly and correctly without hesitation, as your helicopter heads straight into trouble. A simulator will not only improve your performance in real life, but will provide a risk-free environment where you can become familiar with the unique characteristics of RC flight. Although it may seem like an expensive purchase, a good simulator will pay for itself, by saving you money in replacement parts. Esky 4 Channel Airplane Dynam 4 Channel Airplane Dynam 6 Channel Airplane Installing a Flight Simulator Step 1. Insert the supplied simulator software disc into your disc drive. If you don't have the CD, the simulator software can be obtained free of charge here ( Step 2. You will be prompted to select a language preference. Upon making a selection, choose "next". Step 3. Select the installation directory. Most users use the default settings. Upon making a selection, 1 of 5 1/21/08 1:20 AM

2 choose "next". Step 4. Click the checkbox below the license agreement. Click on "next" to install the product. Step 5. You have successfully installed FMS. Click "finish" to launch the product. Step 6. Configure your simulator/ transmitter settings. To adjust the remote settings, select "Controls" from the top navigation menu. Then select "Joystick Controls" in the submenu that opens up. Select "Joystick Interface" from the interface menu. Click on the "Mapping/Calibration" icon in order to adjust your remote settings. On the "Mapping/Calibration" window, you should edit your transmitter settings. Feel free to change the inverted and channel control options. You can check which channel is which by moving the joysticks, with the response being visually indicated. Put the throttle trims at the lowest position and put the others at the neutral position. Revolve the sticks in full circles with several turn. Set the stick at the neutral position. Click next then finish. Configure Your Simulator/Transmitter Settings Step 1. Before you begin, you will need to adjust the transmitter settings. To do this, you will need to a select the "Analog Control" menu item. This can be found under the "Controls" tab, located on the main interface. Step 2. To adjust the remote settings, select "Control" from the top navigation menu. Then select "Joystick Control" in the submenu that opens up. Select "Joystick Interface" from the interface menu. Click on the "Mapping/Calibration" icon in order to adjust your remote settings. Step 3.. On the "Mapping/Calibration" window, you should edit your transmitter settings. Feel free to change the inverted and channel control options. You can check which channel is which by moving the joysticks, with the response visually indicated. When finished click on "Calibrate". Calibrating the joysticks response will require three steps. See Images below for more information. a) Center both of the "Sticks". b) Turn both sticks in a circular motion to map their entire range c) Adjust the throttle trim to its lowest position and adjust the other trims to a neutral position. 2 of 5 1/21/08 1:20 AM

3 Select Your Model/Landscape One of the great things about the simulator is its ability to adjust many of the in-game aspects including the flight model, scenery, and in-game weather variables. Practicing Flying on a Simulator In order to help you maximize your RC flight simulator experience, we have put together the following tips to help you make the most of your flight simulator time. Tip 1. The simulator is not a game, first and foremost. It is a flight simulator. When you crash in real life, you cause serious damage and possible ruination to your helicopter. You will crash in the simulator. Everyone does. Do not get in the habit of watching aimlessly as your helicopter hurtles towards the ground. Instead, fight gravity until the very end. Try to recover with as much vigor as if your brand new helicopter were on the line. The purpose of the simulator is t o build habits " so build good ones. Tip 2. Don't let the helicopter hit you and don't let it get too far away. Although, the helicopter can't technically "hit you" in the simulator, it can in real life. Furthermore, although it is only "practice," try to keep the helicopter near. Don't let it get away. Tip 3. In addition to practicing how to land, see if you can make the helicopter land in a precise location. Tip 4. In addition to making the helicopter land in any location, see if you can make the helicopter land pointing in a particular direction. Tip 5. In order to test your ability to fly under pressure, move all the sticks wildly until you lose control of the helicopter, then try to regain control and level the helicopter. 3 of 5 1/21/08 1:20 AM

4 Tip 6. Practice flying in and out, left to right, and back and forth. Tip 7. Experiment even if you don't feel like you're ready to perform advanced moves, like rolls and loops. Tip 8. Practice flying around backwards very slowly. This is not as easy as it sounds. We recommend that you get comfortable flying on a simulator before you attempt to fly your RC helicopter. In the long run, you will become a better pilot in enhance your ability to take control in the event of an emergency. Practicing Flying on Your RC Helicopter Practice hovering in the range 6 inches to one foot above the ground. While flying at this range, be prepared for gusts of winds, which can surge your helicopter upwards. Be calm. Don't overreact and slam the helicopter into the ground; slowly lower the throttle and bring it down. Be prepared for the wind to stop and the helicopter to drop quickly. Again, do not overreact and send the helicopter to the sky. Simple take it easy and control the throttle. Practice hovering at 3 feet. Get a feel for the throttle response. Try to get a feel for the throttle by giving it small taps. The goal of this exercise is to get used to the throttle response, so you can learn not to overcompensate. This is harder than is sounds, as most pilots have a tendency to move the stick all the way up or down if they get into trouble. Instead, develop a feel for the throttle and master it. Take the helicopter for a walk. Start by standing behind your helicopter. From a safe distance, practice "walking" the helicopter. Go from the ground, to a hover, and back to the ground again. Practice turning the helicopter left and right. Again, try to get a feel for the rudder / aileron. Practice a little side to side slow flying. Practice doing left / right turns in front of you while flying back and forth. Almost like a figure 8, but always keeping the tail in a little. Basically, just fly the helicopter sideways to the left and right while in front of you. Then, start adding rudder so instead of flying sideways back and forth, the nose leads the turn a little. The helicopter will never turn with JUST the rudder or JUST the cyclic (6 channel feature). You need to use both at the same time. Practice turning the helicopter towards you a little more. Practice doing small, very slow, circles. This is difficult. Flying left to right is easier than flying in and out. Start doing this. Don't fly with the sun near the horizon. It gets hard to see the altitude. Practice hovering a little bit higher, say feet. Don't force it back down. Lower the collective a little bit at a time. If it starts to sink rapidly, raise the collective slowly at first and slowly raise it faster as it stops falling. Start lowering it again and do a slow, controlled descent. If you descend too quickly, you will enter your own down wash and the helicopter will pull itself into the ground and need considerable collective to compensate. This is a bad condition. Practice doing slightly bigger circuits while keeping the speed down. You're ready to take the training gear off. They're slowing you down and you're probably developing bad habits by using them for visual cues. Take the training gear off. Now, start all over again. It will be much more responsive now and much more difficult to see. However, it will fly much, much better. 4 of 5 1/21/08 1:20 AM

5 Practice subtle 180 stalls and figure eights. Practice going faster and slowing down. Practice transitioning from fast forward flight to landing. Most individuals have a lot of trouble getting the helicopter anywhere near themselves by the time the helicopter reaches a hovering state. Practice in a little more wind... wind really makes your helicopter jump around, be on top of it! Practice controlled flight. Try to make the helicopter go exactly where you want it to. Take more authority of the sticks. Practice "baby-autos," where you hit the throttle hold at 3 or 4 feet to send the engine to idle. The helicopter will drop suddenly, but don't over react and pop it up into the sky or you'll use up all your momentum and it will really drop like a rock. It would be better just to let it land itself if you're unsure about how much collective to use. Start with a little and work your way up. Try to use up all the blade speed while touching down at the last second. Practice doing nose in landing approaches and hovering at many different aspects. Practice "fake-autos" where you don't use the throttle hold at all. Just bring it in as fast as possible with the collective as low as possible, to simulate an emergency descent. Stop the helicopter at 8 feet up in a hover and do it again. Practice the "baby-autos" from 6 feet. NO MORE than that. You should have enough rpm in a hover to softly touch down from a 6ft power loss. Practice aborting autos, where you hit the throttle hold up high and "glide" on in. Be sure to abort at about 10 feet by unflicking the throttle hold. You're ready to try a whole auto. Autorotating in 10 to 20 mph wind is the easiest because forward speed makes the blades lift better. Start your auto and reach 15mph of forward speed. Hit the hold switch and keep the nose down 15 degrees, while setting the collective so that the blades have -2 or -3 degrees in them. If you have too much negative, you'll actually loose rotor speed. Bring it in with as little cyclic and collective change as possible. As you get to 15 feet, gradually pull back on the elevator to slow down your forward speed. As you start to drop from your decrease in forward speed, gradually feed in collective like you did from your 6ft baby auto and you know the rest. Note: It is better to land with too much forward speed than to land on the tail, the helicopter will harmlessly slide with extra forward speed. Copyright The Xenon Project, LLC. Any duplication, copying, or use without prior written consent is illegal. 5 of 5 1/21/08 1:20 AM