Dodosim Bell 206 released!!!

According to the manual, no. This one uses the normally assigned helicopter controls, but you can also assign a few more buttons (and one rotary control for throttle) for better functionality.

I don't have it yet... But will be getting it eventually!
 
No changes are needed and it has a self installer this time too.

We never expected much demand for home users so the first one was left the way we installed it on custom rigs. Now we know better and we have a programmer who is very good at hiding the complexity and making things simple and user freindly.

We do recomend setting full realism and using our realism settings to suit your skill level, it does make it easier whereas he default raealism setting is not well suited to helicopters
 
Ive got a few thousand hours in real helis so I think I can figure it out.
Ok,so where is the headset? Aah who needs it. Dont need to read the stinkin manual either.
Yeah wing slingers are 1/2 deaf and hard headed.
 
I just gotta say, after putting a few hours into her, I feel like I have just started to dig into the complexity of helicopters.

This is an OUTSTANDING product. There is no equal in the chopper world.

Thanks for all your hard work Dodosim team. Keep it up. You're filling a huge gap with these creations.:applause:
 
Dam fine work. Flew rangers on many a gas pipeline patrols. Some flight effects imo are exxagerated at the highest settings but I suppose as a training tool they need to be. I use a Saitek X-52 and the heli feels good overall but again imo more like a more agile H500. After a few flights I am running at realism 3 and 4 with the game realism one notch from full. Also added some rudder deadzone. The 500s tail is twitchy but the 206 is pretty firm. Fooling with the joystick settings in itself opens up alot of interpretation but its all good. Now painters we need some good skins.
Good job guys.
 
Ok Im bored already. Had a total OS meltdown and did a total reinstall and have most my sceneries back. St Barts,Saba,TNCM,Lukla,been there done that.I had Manhatten on FS9 and even on my new I7 system, I am afraid its going to be a slide show. Besides I bore with the 3 or 4 helipads. I am bored with Helgoland,Dillingham and Hawaii,MonacoX,PNG bushpilot. Any ideas on a much needed boost in my heli flying? I am now able to run Acceleration and have yet to try the sling. Any challenges,areas or scenery ideas to keep my flying skills sharp with the Dodo welcomed.
 
JIMJAM said:
Ok Im bored already. Had a total OS meltdown and did a total reinstall and have most my sceneries back. St Barts,Saba,TNCM,Lukla,been there done that.I had Manhatten on FS9 and even on my new I7 system, I am afraid its going to be a slide show. Besides I bore with the 3 or 4 helipads. I am bored with Helgoland,Dillingham and Hawaii,MonacoX,PNG bushpilot. Any ideas on a much needed boost in my heli flying? I am now able to run Acceleration and have yet to try the sling. Any challenges,areas or scenery ideas to keep my flying skills sharp with the Dodo welcomed.
Click to expand...

How about a bit of oil rig flying http://www.fs-odg.com/
 
JIMJAM said:
Ok Im bored already. Had a total OS meltdown and did a total reinstall and have most my sceneries back. St Barts,Saba,TNCM,Lukla,been there done that.I had Manhatten on FS9 and even on my new I7 system, I am afraid its going to be a slide show. Besides I bore with the 3 or 4 helipads. I am bored with Helgoland,Dillingham and Hawaii,MonacoX,PNG bushpilot. Any ideas on a much needed boost in my heli flying? I am now able to run Acceleration and have yet to try the sling. Any challenges,areas or scenery ideas to keep my flying skills sharp with the Dodo welcomed.
Click to expand...

Yeah - flying perfect all the time gets boring :sleep: :sleep::sleep:
 
My idea of perfect is you dont kill someone,destroy or damage something and the check clears.
All Dodo needs to do is figure out how to add some wobble during spool up/down. Now that would add some realism.
I did try 2x to land on the cruise ship at TNCM/Flytampa. I do believe my Saitec X-52's rudder/stick twist pot is worn out. I just cannot get the tail to settle down. During calibration, even the slightest touch and the red bar bounces side to side. Helis are hell on sticks. Its lasted 2 heavy handed years and more than a few drops so Ive got my moneys worth.
 
Since you asked, Jimjam, I'm going to have to request your full resume to try the higher altitudes with the 206. The product is on short final now at islandsim.com

Of course this is a shameless plug.:icon_lol:

Graham
 
I like your scenery as I am a bushpilot at heart but hearing the sounds of chickens and goats over my turbine engine is freakin hillarious! First thing I did was cruise the sound folder and get rid of it all. But the advert is right in saying its desolate. Makes Alaska seems like downtown LA. I am looking forward to the additional strips and together with instant scenery, might have a base of operations.
 
Hi,
I have a question for people who have purchased this model. Would you consider it worth buying for someone who would like to learn to fly FS helicopter (I always find them ‘unnatural’ to fly, and can never land them exactly where I intend)
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So basically is it a good buy for the novice/incompetent helicopter pilot or will I end-up frustrated by it?
<o:p> </o:p>
Regards,
Ian
 
Its like having your joystick attached to a plate with ball in the center and you are trying to keep it there. Bottom line is that YOU make the heli do what YOU want it to. It takes practice. A good joystick and throttle are a must. I suggest the Saitek X-52 which is a good value. First fly the FSX helis at mid realism and skip the highest all together as it is really not that difficult. If so in real life there would be crashes everyday.The Dodo is not like the early Nemeth Russian helis that required a PHD and a 300 page checklist to get it started The DODO you can simply hit control e and the buttons,switches will light up,click it and the next one.... till you are running. You have a rotary dial, the heater, where you can adjust the realism. At its lowest, you have a steady platform and can practice on hand eye coordination. Bump it up and real world flight dynamics start to be added. Its very satisfying to complete a flight and switching to planes makes them seem rather tame. Same with the FSX helis. I can sling them around and drop them on most anything,any place where as the DODO keeps me honest. Ive gotten cocky and busted my ass more than once. . Its very flexible to allow newbies to transition to advanced without a steep learning curve. So Yes, I would say the Dodo is a great way to get into helis. Back in 1985 when I began heli training in a Hughes 300 it was ,gulp, $130 a hour. To give some reference a nice IFR 172 fueled was $35 a hour. So $50 for a nice heli sim is not bad. I have no idea what the R22 trainers go for today but the 206 I flew had a operating cost of $500 a hour.
 
Given that a lot of the unnatural feel comes from FSX itself, you have a much better chance of enjoying the Dodosim, having said that, you have to be on the ball especially at the slow end of flight. Most important is to keep FSX max realism settings for your controls, anything less just means you have no chance in properly reacting to changing conditions. Add to that that you can select 5 levels of simulation right from the cockpit via a rotary switch while in flight and it'll give a lot of enjoyment. Setting a light but constant wind also helps give some degree of aerodynamic stability too.
 
IanHenry said:
Hi,
I have a question for people who have purchased this model. Would you consider it worth buying for someone who would like to learn to fly FS helicopter (I always find them ‘unnatural’ to fly, and can never land them exactly where I intend)
<o:p></o:p>
So basically is it a good buy for the novice/incompetent helicopter pilot or will I end-up frustrated by it?
<o:p></o:p>
Regards,
Ian
Click to expand...

I think it would be an excellent purchase for someone who wanted to learn how to fly choppers in FS. It is by far the best one in my hangar. The soundset and flight model are unmatched.
 
It has different difficulty settings for less experienced pilots.

I actually find it the easiest to fly of all my FS helicopters. I think that most are either unnaturally stable or over twitchy. A real helicopter should have sensitive but smooth controls, the dodo 206 seems to do this, it works on light pressure on the stick, most seem to need large inputs to get it to do something which then over corrects it the other way and ends up spiralling out of control. The dodo doesn't seem as willing to run away with itself but still just enough instability to keep you on your toes. Talking to real pilots I get the impression that helis in real life are not necessarily much more difficult, just very different.
This could also be that you know you have to fly the dodo properly since it will go into VRS when you descend into your downwash etc. others you know you can get away with it.

The trim feature is also good in the dodo where you have a spring joystick (I've got an X52), others need constant pitch roll and yaw inputs which make your hands tired after a couple of mins, with the dodo I've been comfortably doing flights around an hour.

I've found I've barely flown anything else since I got the dodo, even the real air duke or careando c152 which I've been addicted to lately.
 
The most common problem is you cannot feel movement in "this" sim. You rely on just your vision and so you need to widen it to allow yourself as much visual input as possible. I zoom out to 50 or 60 and look down so I can see the pedals. Dont grip the stick but anchor your elbow and open hand and move the stick. I use my pinky and thumb to control pitch. You should never have a death grip or if you catch yourself squeezing it,stop and relax. Overcontrolling is mistake number one. Dont stare at one spot but take in the whole screen. Remeber you are flying the disc not the helicopter. Start by short hovers and gradually making longer ones. Start landing in a general area and gradually making the touch down spot smaller and smaller. Before you know it you will be landing on smaller helipads,oil rigs and ships. Thats what makes helis so enjoyable to me is the challenge and rewards it brings. Ive grown pretty rusty so tonight I am going to try and get in a few landings on a hospital pad surrounded by buildings.
 
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