> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:flightgear-users- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dan Lyke > Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005 7:56 PM > To: FlightGear user discussions > Subject: [Flightgear-users] Helicopters in Flight Gear > > > This message should probably only be written after I've spent some > extensive time digging through the source code, and it should probably > go to the flightgear-dev of flightgear-flightmodel, but I've got a > whole bunch of conflicting and not terribly well thought out questions > running through my head, and I'm looking for the next steps (which may > include X-Plane or MSFS, although I'd love to find a way to channel > some energy back into this project). > > I've built myself some helicopter controls[1] and have been trying to > fly the Bo105 with some success. I've been in a real helicopter once, > for a tourist flight from the back seat, so I'm trying to figure out > what should be happening from written descriptions. > > The first thing I'd like to find are some less capable > helicopters. I've only really played heavily with the Bo105, but the > power to weight ratio seems to let me fill all the seats with full > sized passengers, take on a full load of fuel, and hover from good ol' > Runway 29 on KSFO up to a few thousand feet AGL... > > I've only started to look at some of the issues of helicopter > simulation, and I haven't been anywhere near the stick on a real one, > but much of the reading I'm doing talks about the challenge of getting > out of ground effect (admittedly some of those tales have been about > overloaded takeoffs from Vietnam LZs in Huey model Ds[2]), and I'd like > to experience the challenge of short field take-offs and landings with > something that can't hover out of ground effect. > > So, is anyone working on new helicopters? If I'm willing to ignore the > visuals, is there an easy place to start to plug in numbers like > airfoil curves, rotor sizes, engine power, and information about fixed > surfaces, or is that sort of thing better done by someone who knows > what should happen? > > Does anyone know if the ground effect effects currently in place are > moderately realistic? > > > Since I'm taking on helicopters, I'm also interested in low level > scenery. Is the San Francisco Bay Area the only place that's fleshed > out? Is there a current simple guide for how to build models and > scenery like that for an area, perhaps with some sample buildings or > aircraft for Blender so that I could use them to get my units and axes > right? How about helping the simulator with collision detection and > level of detail or visibility frustums? > > > Aaaand, are there general guidelines for aircraft and scenery > construction? Ideas on poly counts and such? If I sat down with > Blender and the drawings from the Bell website[3] and turned out a 206 > to put an airframe on the flight model that's currently in FlightGear > is there anything I should know? (And I suppose I should probably see > what Bell's model licensing terms are...). > > Thanks for any encouragement or leads! > > Dan > > [1] http://www.flutterby.com/archives/comments/8207.html > [2] http://www.vietnammoments.com/ > [3] > http://www.bellhelicopter.textron.com/en/aircraft/commercial/prodSpecs206B > -3.cfm > > > _______________________________________________ > Flightgear-users mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.flightgear.org/mailman/listinfo/flightgear-users > 2f585eeea02e2c79d7b1d8c4963bae2d >
Dan- Helicopter simulation in FlightGear, or any other 'simple' simulation program, is difficult. The problem stems from the fact that in trimmed flight at various conditions (airspeed, altitude, weight, center of gravity), the control positions are different for each condition. With a joystick that is spring-centered, there would be only one condition where the controls would be centered. I've already come up with an aero model for the JSBSim Flight Dynamics Model. What I'll be doing might be considered the YASim version of an aero model, but this technique has proven to work in an environment such as FlightGear, only on a real simulator for the Army. I worked previously on this issue with the new version of JSBSim, back when it was in alpha and beta testing. I ran into a problem that necessitated that I wait for them to finish development, and now that it appears to be stable, I'll be digging back into this issue, especially since I have people with money asking me about it too. I can't commit to any schedule for completion, but there are enough people pressing for it now that I need to get off my butt and just do it. Keep your eyes open for an announcement in the coming weeks. Bill Galbraith _______________________________________________ Flightgear-users mailing list [email protected] http://mail.flightgear.org/mailman/listinfo/flightgear-users 2f585eeea02e2c79d7b1d8c4963bae2d
