In case you don't follow the dev blog I'm happy to formally announce that Combat-Helo will be using Fred Naar's Helicopter Total Realism (HTR) physics module for the advanced flight-model.

The data driven flight model uses advanced blade-theory derived from works such as Wayne Johnson's Helicopter Theory and others. The model can process different helicopter configurations, standard, tandem, co-axial and it's flexible allowing for constant adjustments to CoG, payload shifting and stabiliser airflows.

HTR is currently available as an external module for FSX and interfaces via FSUIPC. Details in the forums at Hovercontrol.

Great news!!

This bit of software has huge potential in FSX, but outside of the limitations of FSX this will be amazing!!

Better crack on with the Cockpit!!

Rich

Interesting.. reading through his forum now.

Great news! I love newest iteration of HTR in FSX. Combat-Helo is going to be good

There's quite a lot we can do, visualising the flight model, plotting performance graphs based on current configuration. I'm quite keen on adding a graph for debugging so we can compare the model with published data.

Quite excited by it myself. I left the current FM in a not very complete state while I pressed on with all the necessary game bits, cockpit logic, MPDs etc.

How would you simulate battle damage components?
I presume you will have a way of triggering the HTR failure mode (didn't see a 'pilot incapacitated' mode)?

What about the weight/drag difference when stores are fired/jettisoned?
Although I'm not sure if that would make a perceptible difference in the sim.

On a slightly related note, I saw on TV [it must be true ] that when some of the old wooden battleships fired a full broadside, they would loose about 1/2 ton weight in shot fired!

ps: has anyone tried aerobatics with the HTR?

Well, out stores class updates the payload weight for each pylon. And we calculate the weight of the fore and aft tanks, these things change the CoG which should be reflected in the model.

There's quite a difference in weight with a fully loaded Apache, the performance changes will be quite noticeable especially near critical density altitudes.

Failure modes will be built into the sim rather than executed an external program (such as is done by HTR with FSX). The way the helicopter states are accessible via the network means pretty much everything that can be controlled in the helo can be done remotely including flipping switches and failures.

that's great to hear!

Sounds like it's going to be a fun one to fly.

Regarding engine performance, are you modeling the US and/or British Apache?

American, both inside and out.

Cheers

S~ Flex,
I apologize if what I'm asking is a repeated question, but reading about the complex flight model, and looking at the terrific graphics work being done makes me wonder what it will take to drive this thing. Is Combat-Helo coded for 64bit? Will it require a multi-core processor for best performance? Will it require a minimum of a 512mb GPU? DX-10?
thank you,
Flyby out
ps glad to see you back at it again. I recall images from your early efforts at the Apache Longbow long ago. I was drooling then (as now).