I have the Saitek X-65 stick, and the Pro rudder pedals so I can't speak as to your setup. So it is basically like the H-60's I work on minus the collective stick. I found the X-65 with it's touch sensitive technology makes hovering/flying helicopters much closer to the real thing. As with my old joystick the dead zones and all that were set to loose to allow me to hover with any effectiveness. I bet it is really hard and unnatural feeling trying to fly with a yoke. I tried flying the tube liners with a yoke once and didn't like it so went back to the unrealistic fighter style cyclic stick. I think the HTR brings a great deal of realism to the bird, and I enjoy flying with it. Before I refused to fly helicopters in FSX because they behaved oddly, but the HTR brings it more up to par. Not perfect mind you, but considering these guys have put it out freely in the community (they only ask for donations) I give them a big thumbs up for the time and effort. I just wish someone could nail down a rotor brake system that works with turboshaft engines.
As for the lack of aircrew, and pilot movement it comes down to poly's. I am unsure if you are an original UH-1 customer but on the initial release it really bogged down peoples systems. Plus at the time we were still learning a lot about limits within the simulator, but we reduced the polys & texture resolutions quite a bit to make it easier on the frame rates. I would have to say my biggest gripe with FSX heli's in general is the lack of a dynamic rotor animation system. I imagine such a system would destroy frame rates as you'd have to simulate all the swash movement, blades pitching, and the rotor disc changing attitude while in flight. I would also like to see coning rotor discs when taking off or in a hover for birds with dynamic rotor heads. Hopefully that new helicopter simulator that is supposed to be coming out has such features, as I am keeping my fingers crossed.
),
