Helicopter Gunship DEX News

This update adds the following...

1. Adjusted the weapons available to AH-56A so that it can carry bombs and Sidearms.

2. Updated the gunner seat in the AH-56A so that it now rotates with the targeting pod - this was a "feature" in the original Cheyenne and so it is replicated here. When sitting in the gunner seat you will still see the seat rotate but your camera view will not to prevent any disorientation.

In the AH-56D the gunner seat does not rotate and the gunner cockpit loses the periscope aiming system as it is replaced by the nose targeting pod.

3. Updated the accuracy of both the 30mm and 7.62mm gun turrets. They will be slightly less accurate at distance.

4. Updated the damage value for the 7.62mm round as it was a bit too high and would shred lightly armoured vehicles a bit too quickly.

5. A.I. wingmen should be able to fly the Cheyenne and make use of the pusher prop. They still cannot fire on the move though so will always hover when using the TOW missiles etc.

This update adds the following...

1. Fixed a bug with the Cheyenne's load out screen which would prevent it from being removed causing it to overlay other helicopter loadout screens.

2. Fixed a few other errors being reported by the loadout screen for all helicopters.

3. Rebalanced the Cheyenne's engine power so that the MTOW is more realistic. As always, the MTOW is the maximum weight where the helicopter can hover outside of ground effect.

4. Added the AH-64D Cheyenne which is a modernised version. It loses the nose turret in favour of a Targeting Pod from the Viper as it was a perfect fit. It gains 2 extra hard points under the belly and a slightly improved engine. It can also carry a much wider array of weapons.

The MTOW is slightly higher but it is still very easy to exceed. In these case's try a Short Rolling Take Off by setting PROP to 50% and then full collective! ːsteamhappyː

5. Tweaked the pusher prop so it will produce more power at low speeds allowing you to accelerate much faster shortening the transition time between hover and forward flight.

This update adds the following...

1. Enabled the player bubble system for CAS support aircraft allowing them to continue their mission even when outside the bubble!

2. Special forces infantry should also be able to complete their mission when outside the bubble.

3. Updated Sidearm logic so that it will no longer try to home in on non-radar emitting targets.

4. Updated Sidearm vision cone so that it is now about 45 degrees instead of 80! This should prevent the missile from sometimes going after targets it has no chance of turning to hit in time.

5. Fixed a bug in the wingman "Move To" commands which would cause the waypoint to time out making the wingman land on the ground (or crash!).

AH-56A Cheyenne

The Cheyenne is now flyable!

The AH-56 is a prototype helicopter built in the late 1960s. It never made it into production but several flying prototypes were built. The version in HG:DEX is as close as I can understand how it might have flown. As there are limited resources about its actual capabilities I've just done a best guess and let the physics do the rest!

The big difference with the Cheyenne is that it is compound helicopter that utilises a "pusher" prop to accelerate it to higher speeds than most other helicopters. The complexity of this system means there are some differences in how it flies compared to "normal" helicopters.

THE PUSHER PROP & TORQUE SPLITTING

The first thing to look at is the "PROP" value on the HUD. This value shows how much torque is being diverted to the pusher prop. This value is raised or lowered by using the "Thrust Vectoring" axis just like in the Harrier and always starts at 0%.

At 0% no torque is being diverted to the prop and all torque will be sent to the main rotors. The prop will produce no forwards thrust.

At 100% all available torque is being sent to the pusher prop and the main rotors will produce minimal lift. It is worth noting that -100% is also a valid value in which case the prop will produce thrust in the opposite direction which was a feature of the original prototype!

The collective in the Cheyenne works just like a normal helicopter except it also determines the maximum amount of torque being produced by the engine - this interaction does take a little getting used to.

FLYING THE CHEYENNE AS A NORMAL HELICOPTER

It is quite possible to fly the Cheyenne just like a normal helicopter. Simply leave the PROP set at 0%. The downside to this is the spining pusher prop will generate a fair bit of drag making the Cheyenne slow.

USING THE PUSHER PROP

To use the Cheyenne to the best of its abilities you'll need to master the pusher prop. The first thing to practise is transitioning into forward flight using the prop rather than dipping the nose as you would normally do. Apply 10-15% power to the PROP and make sure you keep the collective set high. The more torque you send to the prop the less you have going to the main rotors which, at low speeds, can cause you to lose altitude.

As you accelerate the main wings will start to produce more lift and you'll be able to divert more power to the prop. Always keep the collective set high as you want maximum power being produced by the engine.

At around 120kts the wings will be producing enough lift that you can divert 70-80% torque to the prop. This should be enough to accelerate you to above 200kts but always watch out for a drop in lift!

You can then control your speed by using the collective to reduce overall engine power. This will allow you to cruise, accelerate and slow down easily without having to change the PROP value.

However, never go below 120kts with a high PROP torque value, if you want to slow down lower than this then reduce PROP torque NOT collective power!

WARNING

Watch out when making very tight turns with a high PROP value. The sudden reduction in speed can cause the Cheyenne to stall and without enough power to the main rotor to recover.

WEAPONS

The Cheyenne is one of the most heavily armed helicopters. It has 2 turreted weapons and 4 hardpoints.

The nose turret carries a 7.62mm minigun with over 11,000 rounds (yes! really!) while the belly turret has a 30mm canon and over 3,000 rounds. The 30mm canon is extremely accurate and is based on reports of weapons testing where it would repeatedly hit targets with the 1st round!

The inner pylons can carry either 3 x TOW missiles or a Hydra rocket pod each.

The outer pylons can carry either 1 Hydra rocket pod or 3 x Hydra rocket pods each. The triple mounts cannot gimbal so you'll need to choose ammo over accuracy!

FLIGHT MODELS

If you are using the beginner or intermediate flight models then you will find the Cheyenne slows down quite quickly when turning. This is caused by the "Rotor Disc Brake Force Multiplier" and can be an issue when turning tightly and using a high PROP value which can cause a sudden stall.

ːsteamsunnyː

This is a small update adding the following....

1. There is now a "Zoom View" control in the "View Controls" area. This allows you to zoom in using either a key command or joystick axis. This control is "positive" only i.e. it only works in the positive direction of the axis which makes it suitable for binding to a joypad trigger. It should also work on joystick sliders or dials too and is TrackIR compatible.

2. MFDs can now be moved closer together by using the sliders in the "Game Settings" menu. I've added some aspect ratio guide positions as well.

3. Updated the flight vector line on the HUD so that it will rescale itself when you hit above 10m/s (roghly 20kts). This helps to declutter the HUD.

The "HERO" model for the Chinook is now complete and includes a fully modelled cockpit and rear cargo area.

The Chinook will also be the first helicopter to use the advanced engine system which will model engine torque and rotor RPM and allow for effects such as retreating blade stall, VRS etc.

The new engine system will also split engine sounds such as turbine, main rotor, tail rotor etc into separate channels which will change the way the helicopter sounds when viewed from different angles/distances.

But for now, here are some renders...