Enemy Engaged Comanche vs. Hokum
My first impressions, year 2000
The Comanche cockpit truly qualifies as a "glass" cockpit, with it's large Multi Function Displays (MFD). The pilot and co-pilot have excellent all round visibility - in fact there is so much cockpit glass I sometimes had the feeling of being in a flying terrarium!
Admittedly, a very exotic and deadly terrarium!
Flying Singer is ready for action!Ka-52 Hokum
As I approached the Ka-52 hokum for the first time I new something special lay ahead. For a start the full-wing canopies were open and there were two bodies in the cockpit.
Virtually leaping into the pilot's seat, (or leaping cirtually) I was excited to see not one,but two multi function displays. This would make navigation a little easier than it had been during my short but eventful (code for tragic!) tour of duty in the Mi-28N Havoc cockpit.
I handed my digital camera to the Navigator and he took this snap from the right hand seat. He was a most co-operative chap, unflustered in combat as it turned out and most efficient on the instruments too!
As I moved the joystick and rudders it was a buzz to see that my body was functioning well today, all the appropriate limbs were working as advertised!
M-48 Chapparal: Mobile Air Defense
I just had to check out the M48 Chapparal again to see if it had improved since Enemy Engaged - Apache vs Havoc.
Well, it's pretty much the same and that makes it worth another snapshot in my opinion.
Check out the Sidewinders - It must get awfully loud and hot when they press the launch button!
Yaklovev Yak-41 (Russian S/VTOL Fighter)
Any sim which features the Yak-41 can't be too bad!
This Russian S/VTOL just never had a fair go, with the Soviet Carriers being mothballed just as it was nearing readiness for deployment. However, MiGMan thanks Razorworks for giving us all the chance get to hang around the airfield and watch these striking planes do their thing.
A striking aircraft, the Yak-41 was probably the only aircraft ever with a flight envelope which ranged from hovering at zero airspeed to supersonic flight.
Landing your helicopter
The most basic landing tachnique in a helicopter involves slowing from forward flight by "flaring" - descending to a hover and then landing straight down from about 20 feet.
This diagram shows you the positions of the JOYSTICK in GREEN and the COLLECTIVE in RED. This assumes that you have a throttle control and you have set the sim options to operate it helo-style - i.e. max power in the back or up position and idle forward or down.