Orbx by helicopter

[John Heaton]

I know I placed a thread on the MSFS discussion page with this title - but I think in the interest

of all our simmers - other General participants on this forum might just be interested in what is going 

on in the freeware aircraft scene - namely a helicopter that MS/Asobo said unlikely to be on this sim before 22

I have never been a helicopter aficionado - but this one has me going flat out.

Now - I can fly an aircraft of sorts to an airport any where  --- and then chopper my way around the local scenery

 

Stand by - Orbx Cityscapes

 

THIS is Simulation writ large !!!

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by John Heaton

[John Heaton]

On 4/23/2021 at 12:56 AM, John Heaton said:

 

 

Here we have another chance for vertical flight in one of the beloved Mash helicopters

and this time a payware,

I can just hear the theme music as I Chuka Chuka some where in the backblocks of Orbx L.A  TEarth

 

Edited April 27, 2021 by John Heaton

[Guest Ells]

I'm loving the H135 at the moment and can't wait for the Bell. Just don't tell Sergio I'm flying helicopters...shhhh

[bvdboomen]

While I am excited with all the heli news, I'm a bit concerned about Asobo not bothering implementing a native helicopter flight model in the engine anymore as more helicopters will likely follow. I do hope those external flight models remain working well in future MSFS releases as they seem to be tweaks (or hacks?) to a fixed wing flight model. That's the FSX way if I am not mistaken.

[HypePerformanceGroup]

6 hours ago, bvdboomen said:

While I am excited with all the heli news, I'm a bit concerned about Asobo not bothering implementing a native helicopter flight model in the engine anymore as more helicopters will likely follow. I do hope those external flight models remain working well in future MSFS releases as they seem to be tweaks (or hacks?) to a fixed wing flight model. That's the FSX way if I am not mistaken.

 

Let me clear up some confusion. Our flight model isn't a tweak or a hack on top of the fixed wing flight model.

 

There is very little concern that Asobo will break our H135 with a future update because the flight model is being injected into the sim, we are not on the contrary taking the sim and hacking on top of it as is widely believed.

 

The concerns regarding Asobo's eventual native helicopter flight model should be minimal for users, the only thing developers of helicopters will have to decide at that time is if they want to use the flight model developed by Asobo or if they will continue to inject their own flight models.

 

Note, with our H135 there is no need for an external application so this should be a painless experience for the users - you guys only need to decide what aircraft's flight models you prefer most.

 

Sorry for the novel - one last note, this isn't entirely unique to helicopters - there's a few payware aircraft I own that also inject their own flight models into the sim, you guys just don't notice (that's a good thing).

[bvdboomen]

Thank you for your clarification Steve.

[John Heaton]

It seems like yesterday since this freeware helicopter first appeared and I used this heading on both

general and MSFS forums.

 

Since then - this bloke has taught many of us - who are strictly fixed wing aficionados - that

there is another life in flying and that is Vertical Flight

 

The one problem with this chopper - is for people like me who only have a middy PC - and one needs 

a top drawer one for this software - but I still enjoy flying it outside the high res. Orbx areas - and I have 

already requested that they make a version for the new X Box Sim

 

After 222,000+ downloads  - media Hype have come up with their latest offering - version 1.1

and it is real beauty - and Rotor Sim Pilot has taken us on another gobsmacking flight in it

 

 Please enjoy the journey

 

 

Newest Edition Version 1.1 | Test Flight & Review | MSFS2020 | H135 | Airbus Helicopter | Alps | SU4 - YouTube

[Dan809]

Hype are also working on a payware H145, the big brother to the H135, that early access may be out sometime this month (August). That they're continuing to update the H135 as complete freeware is fantastic.

 

Also the Flysimware Bell 47 is fantastic. 

 

Now if only you could land on the helipads at all the Brisbane hospitals in the Orbx Brisbane Landmarks pack... 

[John Heaton]

1 hour ago, Dan809 said:

Hype are also working on a payware H145, the big brother to the H135, that early access may be out sometime this month (August). That they're continuing to update the H135 as complete freeware is fantastic.

 

Also the Flysimware Bell 47 is fantastic. 

 

Now if only you could land on the helipads at all the Brisbane hospitals in the Orbx Brisbane Landmarks pack... 

Rotor Sim Pilot - I mentioned earlier - and a few friends are developing 2 more freeware choppers for 2020 - H124 +R44 which will be released 

early September

 

[Dan809]

1 hour ago, John Heaton said:

Rotor Sim Pilot - I mentioned earlier - and a few friends are developing 2 more freeware choppers for 2020 - H124 +R44 which will be released 

early September

 

Forgot about those! Just watched this update on YouTube myself! 

[Matt McGee]

16 hours ago, Dan809 said:

Now if only you could land on the helipads at all the Brisbane hospitals in the Orbx Brisbane Landmarks pack... 

I really appreciate it when helipads are hardened!

There are several helipads and an Indian Navy heliport included in Landmarks Mumbai.

I'd like to see a Landmarks Honolulu for MSFS.  Orbx's P3D version includes a bunch of helipads.

 

[Dan809]

1 hour ago, Matt McGee said:

I really appreciate it when helipads are hardened!

There are several helipads and an Indian Navy heliport included in Landmarks Mumbai.

I'd like to see a Landmarks Honolulu for MSFS.  Orbx's P3D version includes a bunch of helipads.

 

Tokyo is fantastic for heli ops - Tokyo Heliport (RJTI) situated near Tokyo Disney is available as freeware scenery (but for some reason given the ICAO code RJTP  *Edit* turns out RJTI is being used for another airport - seriously, what the heck Asobo?), and dozens of buildings in Tokyo have helipads, and the ones I've tried (such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building) are landable.  I remember the first time I went to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building's observation deck - I could see a dozen or more helipads on neighbouring buildings in the Shinjuku area.

 

Even though they're generally not used, a lot of skyscrapers were built with helipads under advice because anything taller than 45 metres can't be reached by fire department ladders. From the 1990s, it just became standard practice not only in Tokyo but all over Japan. I noticed this just about everywhere I went in Japan - even some residential buildings less than 20 storeys have them in cities all over the country.

 

(*Further Edit on ICAO codes*  It seems Asobo are randomly assigning ICAO codes to airports that don't have them: https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/some-airports-have-wrong-icao-code/187079)

Edited August 7, 2021 by Dan809
Clarified Tokyo Heliport ICAO codes further

[Dan809]

On 8/8/2021 at 8:11 AM, Matt McGee said:

I really appreciate it when helipads are hardened!

There are several helipads and an Indian Navy heliport included in Landmarks Mumbai.

I'd like to see a Landmarks Honolulu for MSFS.  Orbx's P3D version includes a bunch of helipads.

 

 

Is it difficult to harden the surfaces? Tried to land my H135 inside Suncorp Stadium the other day (got wind Alfie Langer had done his ACL running out onto the field as a trainer during the game one time too many so we had to pick him up).

 

Turns out something was cooking in The Cauldron:

 

 

[Matt McGee]

8 hours ago, Dan809 said:

Is it difficult to harden the surfaces?

I'm not sure how hard it is.  (No pun intended!)

The developer has to get the dimensions and elevations of the hardened area right so they match the visuals, or else aircraft can look slightly floating or sunken after landing.

I'm not positive, but there may be a performance penalty with each additional hardened area since the sim has to account for them all.

Perhaps someone with more development knowledge will chime in.

[John Heaton]

23 hours ago, Dan809 said:

 

Is it difficult to harden the surfaces? Tried to land my H135 inside Suncorp Stadium the other day (got wind Alfie Langer had done his ACL running out onto the field as a trainer during the game one time too many so we had to pick him up).

 

Turns out something was cooking in The Cauldron:

 

 

was that the time of the great Brisbane flood when the stadium flooded

[John Heaton]

Just wait until you get your hands on this one

 

 

[Dan809]

 

1 hour ago, John Heaton said:

Just wait until you get your hands on this one

 

 

I am so looking forward to that. I have my preorder already.

 

My only question is in relation to the main rotor blade animations. Is the trailing edge of the rotor blade being higher than the leading edge the result of cyclic? 

 

1 hour ago, John Heaton said:

was that the time of the great Brisbane flood when the stadium flooded

Funnily enough, my old man suggested the same thing when I showed him the picture

Edited August 16, 2021 by Dan809

[Dan809]

On 8/16/2021 at 4:49 PM, John Heaton said:

Just wait until you get your hands on this one

 

 

So have you got your hands on it yet?

 

I have. And even in beta, it's already mightily impressive.