DCS Mi-8: Trim Tutorial

[@_ochilov_4190]

Thank you so much for this video ! I would never understand the three trim options without you

[@MontgomeryGarcia88]

Hohoho Ochi fancy seeing you here, its me Borco

[@ricbish]

Thanks for this video! I fly with a twist axis Virpil joystick while laying down. I can’t sit for very long due to metal rods & screws in my spine & it’s too painful. So I have to use a twist for the rudders. I had no idea this option for rudder trim was even available! Definitely makes it much easier now instead of having to keep a twist while flying! Thanks for making this! Life saver!

[@kceffect]

My god I'm glad I found this video, I hated the Wobbliness of default, after watching your video and switching my KA50, 24P, Huey and Mi8 to Central Position OMG!!!

[@daniellauck9565]

Thanks. This video collection never gets old. Well done.

[@rimereit]

Your tutorials are the best. Thank you!🙏

[@bowsewr7074]

Been flying DCS since 2012. Never knew about the trimming modes and nuances. Mind blown. Great videos! Subbed and recommended to all the guys in my flying circle!

[@vsTerminus]

Thanks! The trim options were added around 2015 I think?? But like I said in the video, DCS does a wonderful job of not explaining what they are or how they differ lol. I made this video as much for myself as for the community.

[@HANI849]

Where have you been all my life Thank you

[@LOy2be]

regarding center trim in Mi-8, always use this way - first push CT and then make a movement with cyclic, otherwise, she will kicking, also important to switch Autopilot On, when collective is min on 3 degrees

[@scottetheridge2845]

Damm you default mode just realized why I crash every takeoff in the mi8 thanks mate

[@veteran35th]

I don't have lots of time in the Huey, but quite a bit in the Shark. I got used to Flight Director and landings were basically done by holding the trim button (which 'paused' FD). When coming in to land (in the Hip), it is unclear to me what should be done regarding trimming and/or trim reset. For example if you were turning before lining up for you final to land at a FARP. Great vids btw. Just got the Hip 2 days ago and trying to perfect my ability to NOT get into VRS. Oh yeah, Search & Rescue server is a great place to get better AND meet more decent heli pilots!

[@vsTerminus]

Most of the time if you are planning out your approaches and giving yourself enough room to slow down you shouldn't really need to be adjusting pitch that much. You can trim during the approach as often as you like and if you're flying a glideslope like you would in a plane it should work nicely. Trimming on approach also has the benefit of when you land you'll already be trimmed for a hover, so you don't have to reset and re-do your trim before you take off (unless you want to). Normally I don't reset trim at all unless I'm on the ground and stable. But I also tend to fly with the Controls Indicator (Right Shift + Enter) visible so I can see where I am trimmed at a glance. I find that really helpful. Trim Reset is risky in the air, I would avoid it unless you feel like you really need it. (eg your trim is all out of whack)

[@angrypandaification]

Your videos on the Hip are the absolute best videos I've seen for most DCS content/turtorials... Keep up the great work, I'm excited for more... there will be more right?! Also, the Unleash the Archers sticker \m/

[@vsTerminus]

Yes definitely. I'm having a hard time finding time to record lately, but yes, there will be more.

[@nyobic]

Great Tutorial, well explained! Seems like I have to do some test flights :)

[@aaronwhite1786]

I'll have to try this setting with the Ka-50. I took it up again yesterday after months of not flying it...and sliding behind a hill to pop up attack was not smooth at all. I clearly lost what little skill I had with the Ka-50 before.

[@HarryMcW]

Same applies to Ka-50 I guess. I was wondering when I hit the trim button why the helo freaked out (did not immediately center the stick). Thanks!

[@rudelchw]

Glad to be subscribed to your channel ... great Tutorial :)

[@ErikScott128]

Good explanation, better than any I've heard. There are a few nuts like myself that use a traditional joystick with springs but use the 3rd trimming option (FFB or no springs). I've found I hate the transient that you get when trimming in the "default" mode and I hate the loss of control with the "central trimming" mode. Additionally, no longer having access to the entire control space and no longer having a kinesthetic feel for where the stick is bothers me. So instead, I just opt to fight the spring force the entire time. If you do use the 3rd option in a stick that stays where you leave it, you may still have to hit the trimmer. In the Ka-50, for instance, hitting the trimmer sets the autopilot's reference attitude and heading, and the autopilot will attempt to maintain that with low-authority commands. Unfortunately, there really isn't a good option for flying helicopter sims with traditional hardware. Commercial force-feedback sticks are scarce and pretty crappy. Best I've seen commercially available is the Komodo simulations cyclic unit. It's very expensive and only provides hydraulic damping; no force trim. I haven't tried it, but I've heard decent things.

[@jimmydesouza4375]

Bit of a late reply but you can get second hand FFB stick cheap and they're easy to repair and mod. For example on the Sidewinder FFB you can just take the grip off, stick another joystick grip on it (like a Virpil), take the board out of the virpil base and then run the wires for the grip out through the base of the FFB and just have the two seperate USB devices on the system. Personally got a 940 that I stuck a thrustmaster TWCS on to the left grip of the throttle (which had no functions on it) to overcome the 940's primary limitation of very few functions on the throttle.

[@craigmoran893]

Very well explained champ.

[@Talkinnerdy1]

Just , Thank you!

[@coltius]

Thank you! I didn't really realize what the other mode did and the doubling was driving me nuts but something I was just learning to deal with. Being able to see your physical stick helped make it clear. I know you have a bindings video but do you have a video going over all of the Mi-8 bindings on your physical stick?

[@SamCooper373]

The default trim mode, the idea is that you release the stick after trimming, why trim and then hold the input?

[@Pokri-eg9ud]

Hey man, great job with these tutorials, the very best indeed, could you please cover the other aspects of the special tab on DCS menu. I just discovered the last cuple of things two days ago and have no clue what are those for. Again, outstanding work here, hope to see a weapons part for this bird and counting on you for the upcoming Hind tutorials.

[@vsTerminus]

I've started recording footage for the gunsight tutorial, so weapons are coming. I'll also be covering other parts of the special menu in the future. I'm looking forward to the Hind, I just hope it releases more like the Tomcat and less like the Viper :P

[@oakfallen6663]

Nice Unleash the Archers sticker

[@ralphbooger4756]

if you have no spring, using return stick to center, cant you just use the reset trim command to override having to actually return stick to center to regain control?

[@bopeeee]

How do you put the trim indicators in the top left and top right corners?

[@shannonnezul4903]

The default is the KA-50 style, trim is always accompanied by a "bump" not sure if you can change it.

[@gregpruitt1647]

I would have liked you to address resetting trim. When does one reset trim? What happens when you reset trim and the craft wobbles into the neutral position? Is there a better way to use trim reset?

[@vsTerminus]

That's good feedback, thank you. Mostly my advice would be to only reset while on the ground unless you absolutely have to. When you reset in the air you need to be quick to recover from whatever pitch and roll it immediately throws at you. I would suggest just constantly using the trimmer button throughout the flight, making lots of small adjustments as you go.

[@paulhenty]

Thanks, these tutorials are excellent. Are you planning to cover the weapons systems?

[@vsTerminus]

Yes I plan to cover weapons too!

[@tinuzz88]

@@vsTerminus I cant seem to find you weapons tutorial. Is it still in the works? I have been loving the quality and depth of your other tutorials.

[@Preest80]

Excellent video!!

[@ratsac]

Doesn't the default trim setting trim it when you RELEASE the trim button? So you can press it, gently move the stick to centre position and THEN release the trim button.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

aah, if this is the behaviour, that would explain why I had no trouble with the default… hit trim switch, centre stick, release trim switch. that and my joystick is probably configured oversensitive so it's never a long journey to the centrepoint from wherever I have the stick

[@jimmydesouza4375]

I bought a second hand G940 force feedback stick specifically to fly choppers (though it is nice for all aircraft actually). Flying them with a normal joystick is just awful. Looking in to building my own FFB joystick now to overcome some of the 940's limitations.

[@jonwood8648]

how would a very tight dry clutch setting where it justs stays and doesnt return to center? would that work well with the 3rd trim option?

[@vsTerminus]

It works great for regular flight but makes it really hard to make small precise movements around the center so hovering gets really hard. I tried and ended up going back to just using very soft springs.

[@vasilisroukis1108]

you should have a lot more subs.. but i guess how many are in love with elikopters... ha ha.. and i was a denier of a elikopter... now.. im like hooked.. addicted...

[@CasualTrainspotter]

Thank you!

[@therealsilens]

Good stuff! This will definitely help me take the Mi-8 a little more than before. Curious though, does this apply to the Ka-50 as well? I see it has the same settings though I believe it's trim/autopilot works differently?

[@vsTerminus]

The options should work the same way, but the Ka-50 trim does more than just change the centering point of the cyclic, it interacts with the autopilot too. Unfortunately I don't fly the Ka-50 often so I can't really tell you more than that. It's on my list of things to learn eventually.

[@rafaelaldana1503]

nice video thanks

[@mustaphahn8722]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍