Cowan Simulation MD 500E Helicopter Training Flight out of Southport Airport, Queensland - MSFS 2020

#cowansimulation #500e #microsoftflightsimulator
Dreamsofwings Discord / discord
We are back in the rotary club with this, the brand new MD 500E for Microsoft Flight Simulator from Cowan Simulation. It is a huge amount of fun and sits nicely alongside my H145 HEMS and SAR flying to give another taste of helicopter fun. Fast and nimble it's a tricky helicopter (for me anyway!) to fly smoothly and on this, my third training flight, I thought I would take you along for the ride.
Our setting is the beautiful east coast of Australia, here at Southport in Queensland. We take a quick flight up the coast and get in a bit of landing practice.
Southport Airport from Orbx orbxdirect.com
MD 500E from Cowan Simulation cowansim.com
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[@Dreamsofwings]

Note: An update was released a couple of hours before this video went live that has patched some things and also cured the issue that caused the first start attempt to fail

[@jerrodcorey25]

0:15 I thought that was actual video footage of the area that you would then compare with in-game footage. AMAZING REALISM MSFS & ORBX

[@Dreamsofwings]

Crazy how good this sim can look isn’t it!!

[@Skyrat12]

When you said "baddies" helicopters, I immediately thought of the super bad guy pilot in Firebirds flying the "scorpion".

[@Dreamsofwings]

Lol yes!! I had forgotten that movie!

[@a53-platty78]

That sudden drop when you slow down is the loss of effective transitional lift (where the rotor provides extra lift from motion over about 30 Knots, because the front is always moving into un-disturbed air) & you need to increase collective to counter it. Also there is a trim hat on the cyclic so you can fly with the stick centred. This is a fun little helicopter that I've flown lots in XP11. The scenery upgrade will likely see me buying all of Cowan's helos again for MSFS...

[@Dreamsofwings]

Yes I haven’t started using trim yet in the 500E but, like with fixed wing, I know it’s going to make life easier lol

[@sparksgaminglive]

Malcolm McDowell `s character in blue thunder used a black Hughes 500 with machine guns on the sides. Great film. Catch you later!

[@Dreamsofwings]

You are absolutely bang on there Sparky! Loved that film. Need to rewatch! Cheers mate.

[@StringerCourier]

Fun video. When it reaches 12%, all you need do is turn throttle until idle ring pops, then roll it back to the stop. Cuts down on the hot starts. Also, you really have to stay on top of the collective when entering ground effect. This helo is so rambunctious you have to take complete control the moment you lift off. Love it, though. Especially in VR.

[@Dreamsofwings]

Many thanks, Yes thats what I did. There was a bug in this version which has now been fixed on an update released yesterday. On this version if you moved the fuel valve it messed with fuel flow, even if fuel valve open. Testing updated version today and it’s spot on.

[@andyholmes9485]

Great content. Many thanks 😊

[@Dreamsofwings]

Many thanks!

[@jlopez006]

As one noob to another, great job mate! Would love to see more of the rotor wing flights, especially the 500. Love getting close to the ground with these little birds. Subscribed!

[@Dreamsofwings]

Hey many thanks! The 500 and my inability to fly her with any finesse will be appearing again very soon lol

[@jlopez006]

@@Dreamsofwings I actually enjoy that more, there are a lot of experienced sim pilots that make it look sooo easy, then there are people like us that end up looking like weather vanes in an elevator, ok maybe that's just me lol! I think what I enjoy most was your honesty, I found it super refreshing, even with your accent lol! Keep representing 🤙

[@Dreamsofwings]

@@jlopez006 many thanks! 🤣

[@Flightsim-Gaming]

I'm slowly becoming more interested in wanting to fly helicopters in the sim 👍 nice job

[@Dreamsofwings]

Many thanks! It isn’t something I’ve really done in previous sims but love it in this one with the 500E and the H145

[@CaptainBuzzBee]

I recommend the Fly Inside 206 if you want a simulation of rotary wing aviation. The Cowan models don't seem to model retreating blade stall and Vortex Ring state. 2 very important things you need to avoid when flying whirly birds.

[@Dreamsofwings]

@@CaptainBuzzBee yes I keep being told about the 206. Problem is, and I know I am unusual in this respect, I am not a fan of the 206 design. I have faith that Cowansim will update it. Have you got the 500E?

[@alheeley]

Good to see what looks like a much more immersive and responsive Helo in msfs. I put a lot of hours into the Huey in DCS which I love, but not been grabbed by the msfs helos yet - must give this a try. Flying a helo is for me like trying to balance a marble on top of a football ;)

[@Dreamsofwings]

they have just released an update in the last couple of hours to sort a few things but it's a sprightly wee thing. Great fun. I haven't a huge amount of experience of helos in the sim and my time on the DCS Huey can be counted in minutes rather than hours but for what it's worth, this is a fun fly.

[@antebellum45]

Same here; have many many hours in the DCS Huey, and the HPG H-135 (flew Dick Smith's 82/83 'round the world fight) and bundles of hours in HPG H-145. Thanks to your video now look forward to flying this MD500E, and also checking out that area / scenery!👍🏻👍🏻

[@Dreamsofwings]

Ah great, hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

[@marcelkeet963]

Nice flying buddy. Exercise the hover a bit more before taking to the sky. Getting used to the pedals and hover may be extremely difficult, but it is great fun and mastering it will help with landing and taxiing.

[@Dreamsofwings]

Cheers, yes it’s a great form of meditation!

[@ceegnz]

I wasn't sure about that flying from the left seat either but according to the MD and real pilot websites the 500 is available set up for left or right seat control, most of them seem to be left seat. Partly because it puts the collective on the side so you can put a bench seat in the middle, but mainly because the helicopter flies left side low so when you're lifting things it's a LOT easier to see what's going on underneath from the left side than the right.

[@Dreamsofwings]

Ah that’s interesting, I did wonder about that!

[@flyingpedal]

Very good review and nice flight. I flew this machine young in north of Quebec as passenger in suveryor land mission. Just hear her sound remember a lot of exciting moments. You convainc me thanks. Likes and suscribed.

[@Dreamsofwings]

Ah many thanks! Must have been wonderful flying in the real thing!

[@flyingpedal]

@@Dreamsofwings I cant wait to flight it in VR 😁😁

[@billbaggins1688]

Had been flying the free heli in MSFS and thought I was getting pretty ok with it. Bought this and ditching it in the ocean with alarming frequency. I am appreciating the difficulty, and looking forward to some gratification when I can finally master this baby. And yeah love the Magnum reference!

[@Dreamsofwings]

It’s a great challenge and so much fun to fly!

[@billbaggins1688]

@@Dreamsofwings Upgraded my flight stick from a Logitech 3d pro to a VKB with a thrustmaster throttle for the collective, and am flying and landing pretty well now!

[@Dreamsofwings]

@@billbaggins1688 fantastic! Definitely helps doesn’t it.

[@Zatracenec]

Very nice video.

[@Dreamsofwings]

Many thanks!

[@Zatracenec]

@@DreamsofwingsI need to correct myself. I took time to play with the curves settings and I deleted all axis and assigned it again, lowered the reactivity and it starts to shape up really well. It still has some strange behaviour, but it´s 80% better. Please, can You tell me, how is the difference in flight model with MD500 and let´s say the original Bell407? Thank You.

[@Dreamsofwings]

I did wonder as I felt I had a much better experience. I have only flown the default 407 once and can’t really compare except that I cam;t have enjoyed or as much as I haven’t flown it since. Also since making this video Cowan have improved the 500E flight model.

[@Zatracenec]

@@Dreamsofwings ok, thank You very much. Can’t wait to try it. You say, You just train, but it was really well done flight.

[@ceegnz]

Starting this was a bit 50/50 for me too, then I found this from the man himself on the forum : The red fuel valve is not supposed to be touched unless there is an emergency requiring cutting fuel ... sounds like there is a bug flip-flopping values around randomly ... It is pushed in by default so ... Just don’t touch it for now and no issue. For starting cold and dark on the ramp when first loaded up. Turn on battery, turn on key, click start, open the throttle when N1 is at 12%. N1 is the small gauge not the big RPM gauge. It will start 100% of the time without issue. Every time. Trust me I started this over 3000 times while developing it and it started every time. And also this : The ground dust effect and the exhaust effect are toggled on and off via the two black buttons above the interior light switches.

[@Dreamsofwings]

yes thats fixed in the update I mention in the pinned comment. I had touched the fuel valve to check it was in the right position and this introduced the bug. With the new patch it is all fixed now and you can do a checklist startup, as I was doing, and get a good start wether you have cycled the fuel valve or not.

[@CaptainBuzzBee]

I still find the Fly Inside Bell 206 to be a more engrossing to fly. The Cowan models are nice, but there is no failure modelling, no retreating blade stall, and as far as I can tell, no Vortex Ring State.

[@BarryFlo58]

I've got a few hours logged on the 300,500 and 600 notar and if you think the 500 is twitchy then try a 600 notar, especially at slow speed .The huge fins help it at speed but takes some getting used to at lower speeds. My friend was one of the first from the UK to do the flight training on the 600 N and he did so at the factory in the US.

[@Dreamsofwings]

Ah fantastic! I can imagine it behaves quite differently

[@helicopterovirtual-msfs6254]

Fantástico

[@Dreamsofwings]

Many thanks!

[@pluginmeerkat]

I haven't yet flown a helicopter in the sim, but like you I have an affinity for this type. Maybe going to try it out at some point. Since you are using a Virpil base and mentioned the very fine adjustments you need to do to fly this aircraft: if you haven't done so already you might want to try out an extension between the base and the stick. It is quite incredible how much more control one gets by this simple means. I suspect your heavier stick might limit how finely you can adjust the spring tension (I'm using the Virpil Alpha instead of the Warthog stick) but I'd wager there's still a lot to be gained.

[@Dreamsofwings]

Yes that’s really why I made the point about not having anything special. At the moment my desk mount can’t go low enough to take a stick extension so might look at that down the line as I will need to buy more than just the extension for it to work in my setup. 👍🏻

[@pluginmeerkat]

@@Dreamsofwings Yes that is true, there's a lot that goes into building your own "cockpit" around a desk. Now I have one of those clamp-on brackets for the Virpil base that'll allow me to fly center-stick and get the stick almost low enough down to be perfect. Before I had a very cheap and dirty, but quite well-working solution: I put the stick on a chair or side table that I bought second hand and that had exactly the height I needed. I bought a second one for my throttle. (Trickier with the Bravo though.) And then I moved the chair I'm sitting on a bit further back from the desk so that I could place the stick and throttle on either side of me on those side tables, rather than placing them on the desk itself. It can be fun to experiment a bit with the setup without spending much, but admittedly that all creates bulk and clutter around the desk.

[@bernardanderson3758]

I’ve flown in a MD 500 and a Bell 206 and hovering to a stop isn’t very easily done and it’s all in the wrist and forearm movements

[@Dreamsofwings]

I am certainly seeing how a springless stick could help.

[@ZacYates]

How do you get the intercom effect for the in-cockpit audio? It’s terrific!

[@volkerjansen3901]

The Cowansim 500E might might be the most fun to fly helicopter in MSFS at the moment. The turbine simulation is limited by the current MSFS implementation, but otherwise it looks and flies incredibly well! I recently upgraded from the Bravo throttle quadrant to a Virpil collective, and while it certainly increases immersion, I wouldn't say it is really necessary.

[@Dreamsofwings]

ah that's interesting to know, thanks Volker.

[@olivergrau4660]

Hi @Volker Jansen, is your Virpil Collective (and especially) Throttle supported by the 500E? Does it work like in the Cabri or the FlyInside Bell 206?

[@Dreamsofwings]

@@olivergrau4660 Hi I don’t have a Virpil collective. I am using a lever on the Bravo for that so can’t comment on that and the throttle. As you probably saw from the video I am using a mouse for the throttle.

[@olivergrau4660]

@@Dreamsofwings Yeah, I know ;-) Question was for Volker. Thanks for the answer.

[@Dreamsofwings]

@@olivergrau4660 ah sorry, just answering comments and didn’t see that connection! :)

[@jayteeaitch]

G'day Rob - welcome to my world - if you had turned right after TO you would have passed over my house 4K from the field Now do another visit over the habited part of the Gold Coast and follow the beach and high rise

[@Dreamsofwings]

I hope you saw the bit where I dedicated the video to you! I’ve been waiting to use this for something after you recommended it.

[@jayteeaitch]

@@Dreamsofwings - Yep! around 17 min - Nice of you to give me a jersey - hope you saw the Avro Vulcan announcement on Just flight - just waiting now to see you do a Duxford pass in one BTW - you missed the Kangaroos at the end of the TO runway😀😀

[@Dreamsofwings]

@@jayteeaitch yes looking forward to the Vulcan! Ah I did look down at those and nearly said ‘ooh look at the cows’. Thank god I kept my gob shut.

[@oldmang9962]

Loved this flight, how many hours in the Helicopters have you to get to where you are, Im just starting out and its not easy is it ?

[@Dreamsofwings]

Thank you sir! Had about an hour and a half on this one at this point. I've not really touched the default. This 500E is very lively though isn't it!!

[@yams900]

I really enjoyed watching this video ! It looks so real ! I’ve been flying Bell 47 for FS2020 but want to fly something else for a change. Is this the best chopper for FS2020 ? I like an advanced aircraft, something that takes me a while to learn. Regards from Brisbane :)

[@Dreamsofwings]

Ah thanks so much! As for the best, opinions are divided. Some on my Discord love the new Alloutte. My favourite is the H145 + Action pack because of all the things you can do and the system depth is good. I also love this 500E, especially since the recent update.

[@yams900]

@@Dreamsofwings Chose MD 500E :) No information provided regarding chopper control settings. I saw TheSimHanger had a tutorial, I'll follow that, hopefully works :)

[@Dreamsofwings]

@@yams900 ah great stuff! Have fun!

[@danstlaurent9907]

I've heard real life rotorwi g pilots refer to the machine as a Airplane😊

[@Dreamsofwings]

Ah good to know! 👍🏻

[@hrbeta]

Could you please tell us about your VR headset and program’s settings? Good performance and resolution. Thanks.

[@Dreamsofwings]

Many thanks. Not using VR in this one. This is actually using a head tracker (hence why resolution etc is good.). This is the setup I have Grass Monkey Simulations 240hz Monkey King Puck Unboxing - Setup Review - Head Tracking kzbin.info/www/bejne/fprLqXqDlqyjpqM

[@ellonysman]

Hi I'm still struggling to set up my 500e. Can you show your settings/sensitivities? I love it❤😅

[@Dreamsofwings]

Hey there! I can’t recall what I had at the time, I don’t think I had anything set up. I prefer linear with as little deadzone as possible.

[@MrSunlander]

any lesson on setting trim and controls? what works for the asobo 407 doesn't work with this

[@Dreamsofwings]

I’ve not really flown the default helicopters but I set up cyclic trim on a joystick hat switch and have used that successfully with the 500e

[@MrSunlander]

@@Dreamsofwings After contacting you, I went to SHFS' page and he showed me how to do that. Flew better after that. I'm so much better with the H145, but I've had over a year to do that. Practice makes perfect. Thanks for your perspectives. Cheers!

[@germanescobar7900]

Hello! do you have any vrm file for vpilot to see this heli when connected on VATSIM?

[@Dreamsofwings]

Hi sorry I don’t use Vatsim

[@thomas_ger4098]

Like your videos. One question: How do you create the effect in the video that you are talking via intercom? Is this a special mod, something in OBS?

[@Dreamsofwings]

Many thanks! That effect is created afterwards by editing the voice audio.

[@thomas_ger4098]

@@Dreamsofwings ah makes sense. Sounds really good!

[@Dreamsofwings]

@@thomas_ger4098 many thanks! I hope it adds to the immersion 🍻

[@thomas_ger4098]

@@Dreamsofwings definitely it does

[@thomas_ger4098]

I found a way to change the voice already during the recording/streaming. You can do this in OBS via Filters. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3ebp4SwoN1gqdk

[@aviationnj8918]

Rip to 4 people who died in a helicopter crash in the gold coast 1month ago

[@Dreamsofwings]

oh no, how awful. Had not heard about that.

[@aviationnj8918]

Helicopter collision

[@Dreamsofwings]

@@aviationnj8918 ah yes of course! For some reason had it in my head that was in the US. Terrible accident.

[@perpetualomega]

RIP to the 150,000 that died yesterday, and the 150,000 today etc etc.

[@garymarch4711]

I flew on a Bk117 as a medic. A night that I wasnt on board, My heli N911BK flew its last flight. All 3 on board were killed in a weather related crash. My Pilot with nearly 8000 hours flying Helis was likely disoriented. If there's anything I ever learned about real life Heli flying is that they're just not meant to fly. It takes a lot of "voodoo" (Engineering and working mechanicals) and skill to fly them. A crash is very often fatal.

[@buikhan]

How do you get that headset sound when the engine started?

[@Dreamsofwings]

In the edit afterwards, adding effects

[@buikhan]

@@Dreamsofwings wish it was an addon for msfs for realism. I am a pilot and that sound brought back lots of memories.

[@Dreamsofwings]

@@buikhan it would be great having that as an addon wouldn’t it! Much easier than editing afterwards!

[@HarryJc]

Pc specs?

[@philoshaughnessy906]

Aeroplane. At least you don't call them airplanes. That's just unforgivable.

[@Dreamsofwings]

🤣🤣🤣

[@cuttheloop]

We invented it... we get to name it ;)