Tuning the Virtavia CH-53 family

Sbob

Sbob

SOH-CM-2026
Virtavia offers the CH-53 in two flavors, the Sea Stallion (USMC and USN) and the Pavelow III (USAF).

CH-53 1.jpg
USMC/USN

CH-53 2.jpg
USAF

These are BIG but fun helo's for FS9. They can dead-lift some very heavy loads while also performing some special OPS.

For the most part, the FD is accurate (IMO) and stable. The only drawback is the landing gear. Straight out-of-the-box, the -53 has a bad case of Pogo Stick Gear (aka The Yips) and I wanted tune this out. :wiggle: This is almost always due to the Compressibility Ratio for each gear leg in the [Gear and Scrape] section. You land a little too hard and the gear shoots the plane up like it was attached to cannons where FS9 kind of loses the entire plot and the bad fun begins. :dizzy:
There's also a smaller problem if you're running higher resolutions and a larger screen, I also wanted to add some "tire sink" when the throttle is at Idle on the ground.

Otherwise, I didn't want to go overboard on the tuning. A bad landing is still a bad landing, if you cut the throttles at 1,000 feet AGL and try to "slam hover" this thing to the ground, there should be some consequences. :wavey: I'm also starting to think the tire diameters are off. The tire size (especially the mains) seem to be too tall. This is a small issue and I haven't played with it yet.

Anyway, you'll want to open your Aircraft.cfg file. These numbers work for both versions, Stallion and Pavelow.
Move down to the Gear and Scrape section and replace it with the following:

static_pitch = -4.0
static_cg_height = 7.75
max_number_of_points = 12

//----------0---1-----2----3-----4----5--6----7---8----9----10-11-12-13-14--15
point.0 = 1, 20.3, 0.0, -7.37, 3500, 0, 1.15, 75, 0.90, 1.75, 0.5, 3, 3, 2, 53, 100 ; nose wheel
point.1 = 1, -7.1, -6.5, -9.15, 3500, 1, 1.8, 0, 0.90, 1.75, 0.4, 3, 3, 3, 53, 100 ; left wheel
point.2 = 1, -7.1, 6.5, -9.15, 3500, 2, 1.8, 0, 0.90, 1.75, 0.4, 3, 3, 3, 53, 100 ; right wheel

point.3 = 4, 22.0, 0.0, -4.05, 4500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.85, 1.5, 0.6, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ; nose float
point.4 = 4, -8.0, -8.8, -6.50, 4500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.85, 1.5, 0.6, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ; left float
point.5 = 4, -8.0, 8.8, -6.50, 4500, 0, 0.0, 65, 0.85, 1.5, 0.6, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ; right float

point.6 = 2, 19.5, 0.0, -4.85, 4500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 5, 0, 0 ; scrape nose fuse
point.7 = 2, -14.7, 0.0, -7.21, 4500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 6, 0, 0 ; scrape aft fuse
point.8 = 2, -39.4, 0.0, -3.24, 4500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 9, 0, 0 ; scrape boom
point.9 = 2, 0.0, -8.8, -6.50, 4500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0 ; scrape left pylon
point.10 = 2, 0.0, 8.8, -6.50, 4500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0 ; scrape right pylon
point.11 = 5, 0.0, 0.0, 0.00, 0, 0, 0.0, 0., 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0 ; Water rudder

gear_system_type=0

The important numbers are in column 10, 0.5, 0.4, and 0.4. This should add more "cushion" when you touch down. Note that you CAN still screw up a landing, its just a little more stable and forgiving. Note, also, that the Virtavia CH-53 is designed to land on water. This is handy if you wind up in a Pogo. Get control back using the throttle then RAISE the landing gear. Come in for a landing with the gear UP and slowly touch down. The footprint for a water landing is wider. Once you're on the ground and stable, add enough power to get into a low hover then lower the gear and land.

:wiggle:

Quick update- I did confirm that the wheel diameters in column 6 are off (too tall), especially for the main gear. Knock them down by about 0.2 (in this case, change 1.8 to 1.6). Then, adjust the gear length in column 3 to get a little "tire sink".
 
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While I'm at it, I cleaned up the tires and wheels on the Virtavia/Alphasim SH-3 Sea King family.
This [contact points] edit will sink the tires slightly on the ground and make taxi/hover tire contact look better on higher rez screens. :wiggle:
Again, the wheel diameter of the mains was a little too tall which made the wheels "float" during taxi.

Just copy then paste the following into your aircraft.cfg file:

[contact_points]
static_pitch = -2.0
static_cg_height = 6.35
max_number_of_points = 10

point.0 = 1, -20.9, 0.0, -7.3, 2500, 0, 0.75, 50, 0.49, 1.5, 0.8, 0, 0, 0, 0, 140 //tail wheel
point.1 = 1, 3.4, -6.9, -6.8, 2500, 1, 1.1, 0, 0.59, 1.5, 0.7, 3, 3, 2, 60,140 //main
point.2 = 1, 3.4, 6.9, -6.8, 2500, 2, 1.1, 0, 0.59, 1.5, 0.7, 3, 3, 3, 60,140 //main

point.3 = 4, -27.0, 0.0, -5.1, 2500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.85, 2.5, 0.65, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
point.4 = 4, 3.9, -8.8, -3.7, 2500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.85, 2.5, 0.65, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
point.5 = 4, 3.9, 8.8, -3.7, 2500, 0, 0.0, 65, 0.85, 2.5, 0.65, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

point.6 = 2, 0.0, -34.0, 10, 500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 5, 0, 0
point.7 = 2, 0.0, 34.0, 10, 500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 6, 0, 0
point.8 = 2, -53.9, 0.0, 4.0, 500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 9, 0, 0
point.9 = 2, 20.3, 0.0, -2.0, 1600, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0
gear_system_type=0

SH-3.jpg
 
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As it turns out, there are some slight differences in the [contact points] for Virtavia's Sikorsky (US) and Westland (UK) Sea Kings. :dizzy:

For the Westland Sea Kings, use the following lines under [contact points] :

point.0 = 1, -20.9, 0.0, -6.65, 2500, 0, 0.55, 50, 0.49, 1.5, 0.8, 0, 0, 0, 0, 140
point.1 = 1, 3.4, -6.9, -6.9, 2500, 1, 1.1, 0, 0.59, 1.5, 0.7, 3, 3, 2, 60,140
point.2 = 1, 3.4, 6.9, -6.9, 2500, 2, 1.1, 0, 0.59, 1.5, 0.7, 3, 3, 3, 60,140

:wiggle:
 
Last, but not least is the Virtavia Merlin.

merlin.jpg

This chopper was the toughest to tame.
All of the screenshots in this thread used a ramp where I knew it was set at ground level.
Its now a LOT more forgiving when you land it normally. I did some image searches and the olio's look pretty close to real.

Just copy/paste the [contact points] data below:

[contact_points]

//--------0-----1------2-----3-----4---5---6-----7---8------9---10----11-12-13-14--15

point.0 = 1, 18.2, 0.0, -8.25, 2500, 0, 0.85, 50, 0.39, 0.60, 0.5, 3, 3, 2, 0, 140
point.1 = 1, -5.3, -6.8, -8.00, 2500, 1, 1.2, 0, 0.69, 0.60, 0.5, 3, 3, 3, 60,140
point.2 = 1, -5.3, 6.8, -8.00, 2500, 2, 1.2, 0, 0.69, 0.60, 0.5, 3, 3, 3, 60,140

point.3 = 2, -8.3, -8.0, -5.80, 2500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.00, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 5, 0, 0
point.4 = 2, -8.3, 8.0, -5.80, 2500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.00, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 6, 0, 0
point.5 = 2, -36.0, 0.0, 1.00, 2500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.00, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 9, 0, 0
point.6 = 2, 17.0, 0.0, -5.80, 2500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.00, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0
point.7 = 2, -36.0, 0.0, 3.00, 2500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.00, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 9, 0, 0
point.8 = 2, 0.0, 0.0, 8.00, 2500, 0, 0.0, 0, 0.00, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 9, 0, 0

gear_system_type=0
static_pitch = 1
static_cg_height = 7.75
max_number_of_points = 9

These numbers are close and they work. I think the wheel diameters are still a little too tall, but not by much. :wiggle:

I'm also including an edit for the [views] section. This will align the 2D and VC views nicely:

[Views]
//eyepoint=16.5, 1.95, 0.92
eyepoint=16.5, 1.95, 0.32
 
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