AH-54 Cheyenne Operations

[Sgt Habu]

The AH-54 is a beast; tricky beast, perhaps, but definitely a beast. Whatever is in those two-thousand, 30 mm XM-140 rounds rapidly chews-up bimpies (bimpy - BMP) and spits-out the soldiers within.

As for flying it...
The pusher-prop takes torque from the main rotor, so you will drop as you feed it in, gradually. If flying near the maximum take-off weight, then I suggest staying within ground-effect while gradually increasing the pusher-prop thrust until you are fast-enough to sustain flight outside ground-effect. Do not expect to exit ground-effect if you exceed maximum take-off weight! The pusher-prop also generates a nose-down pitching moment; I had to apply .006 nose-up trim to sustain pitch attitude at 100% push.

As the AH-54D is fictional, I suggest adding the ability to launch AGM-122s from wingtip-rails (which aren't currently fitted) or from the outermost pylons like the AH-64 can do. That said, I can seeing this beast being my go-to attack helicopter .

Oh, and don't drop bombs (yes, bombs :-) from low, helicopter-like altitude; your nose gunner will not appreciate the experience!

[Jimmy Arcade]

Originally posted by Sgt Habu:

The AH-54 is a beast; tricky beast, perhaps, but definitely a beast. Whatever is in those two-thousand, 30 mm XM-140 rounds rapidly chews-up bimpies (bimpy - BMP) and spits-out the soldiers within.

As for flying it...
The pusher-prop takes torque from the main rotor, so you will drop as you feed it in, gradually. If flying near the maximum take-off weight, then I suggest staying within ground-effect while gradually increasing the pusher-prop thrust until you are fast-enough to sustain flight outside ground-effect. Do not expect to exit ground-effect if you exceed maximum take-off weight! The pusher-prop also generates a nose-down pitching moment; I had to apply .006 nose-up trim to sustain pitch attitude at 100% push.

As the AH-54D is fictional, I suggest adding the ability to launch AGM-122s from wingtip-rails (which aren't currently fitted) or from the outermost pylons like the AH-64 can do. That said, I can seeing this beast being my go-to attack helicopter .

Oh, and don't drop bombs (yes, bombs :-) from low, helicopter-like altitude; your nose gunner will not appreciate the experience!

The 30mm canon fires the same round as the Apache - it's just way more accurate so more rounds land on target rather than doing splash damage.

I will be making a slight modification to that accuracy, but it was really accurate in real life.

I think with 6 hardpoints that is probably enough, but I will allow all hardpoints to carry AGM-144 as that does seem sensible.

Bombs definitely shouldn't be used under 500m!

The Cheyenne is pretty amazing seeing as it is late 1960 technology and was way ahead of its time, but it does have some problems such as the keeping the target pod on target can be tricky in the A due to its location. This isn't a problem on the D and had the Cheyenne entered full production I would guess the pod position would have been the 1st change.

I'm just testing the A.I. to get them Cheyenne certified and then you can experience the joy of seeing them fly in formation with you! Only draw back is the A.I. will always want to hover before using their guided weapons which is something I will fix on my return.

[Sorcerer117]

AH-54 Cheyenne is a flyable helicopter already?

[Jimmy Arcade]

Originally posted by Sorcerer117:

AH-54 Cheyenne is a flyable helicopter already?

Yes, in the current public beta

[♀⛤WitchyWoman⛤♀]

Originally posted by Jimmy Arcade:

Originally posted by Sorcerer117:

AH-54 Cheyenne is a flyable helicopter already?

Yes, in the current public beta

I need to try that NOW. absolutely idolized that helicopter as a kid. Even built a model of it.

[Stinger]

Originally posted by Sgt Habu:

As for flying it...
The pusher-prop takes torque from the main rotor, so you will drop as you feed it in, gradually. If flying near the maximum take-off weight, then I suggest staying within ground-effect while gradually increasing the pusher-prop thrust until you are fast-enough to sustain flight outside ground-effect. Do not expect to exit ground-effect if you exceed maximum take-off weight! The pusher-prop also generates a nose-down pitching moment; I had to apply .006 nose-up trim to sustain pitch attitude at 100% push.

Yes definately get moving just collective and nose down. I then set at about 5% as a little boost and once at about 90 start dialing in more. Didn't do any fast attack runs so mainly just to cover distance and get the feel on it keeping around 50% max.

[Rockwelder]

You can reverse the prop -100% in a dive to slow an attack run or a steep angle.

You can even pull a move no other helicopter can, you can literally hang in the air with your tail prop holding you from dropping..gotta finesse the prop, but you can simply hover with your nose pointed straight down, even lift upwards slowly. Total top down kill shots.

[Stinger]

WAs also using as a brake to go into a hover. The Chyenne likes to climb nose up trying to brake.

[Jimmy Arcade]

Originally posted by Rockwelder:

You can reverse the prop -100% in a dive to slow an attack run or a steep angle.

You can even pull a move no other helicopter can, you can literally hang in the air with your tail prop holding you from dropping..gotta finesse the prop, but you can simply hover with your nose pointed straight down, even lift upwards slowly. Total top down kill shots.

Ha ha - I never tried that. I don't think that is particularly realistic so I may have to prevent that from happening (some how)

Originally posted by Stinger:

WAs also using as a brake to go into a hover. The Chyenne likes to climb nose up trying to brake.

It does, it those big wings! As soon as you nose up it wants to climb like an aircraft so you need to reverse thrust. Again, this was a real thing in the actual helicopter although I'm not sure as to how much reverse thrust you could actually apply - probably a lot less than full power

[Stinger]

Originally posted by Jimmy Arcade:

It does, it those big wings! As soon as you nose up it wants to climb like an aircraft so you need to reverse thrust. Again, this was a real thing in the actual helicopter although I'm not sure as to how much reverse thrust you could actually apply - probably a lot less than full power

Yep and took Sgt's tip on adding a little up trim as you go fast forward. Made easier to fly a little.

Was trying to use the prop to move forward and backwards while in hover hold but it seemed to want to "rock" it more than move forward and ended up just using the stick to nose down as in the other models.

[Jimmy Arcade]

Originally posted by Stinger:

Was trying to use the prop to move forward and backwards while in hover hold but it seemed to want to "rock" it more than move forward and ended up just using the stick to nose down as in the other models.

Yeah, you can't do that as the autopilot will try to correct the movement by dialing in nose pitch. If you want to nudge forward then you need to drop out of hover hold.

[♀⛤WitchyWoman⛤♀]

I totally dominated the mission in my first flight in the D model with just 2 rocket pods, the cannon, and 4 AR missiles. I had several SAMs launched at me and flying at about 174mph, was able to zoom and bank at NOE without getting hit once. Took out both targets and anything in my way on the way home with the 8 tows I had left in reserve.

Seems like my AI wingman did a far better job than usual as well in this model helicopter than he ever did in an apache or other airframe. Its awesome.

[Rockwelder]

On the AH-56A model I just bagged my first 'shootin' out my ass' with the 30mm kill on a ZSU. I kill them coming and going now..

[Sgt Habu]

Originally posted by Rockwelder:

On the AH-56A model I just bagged my first 'shootin' out my ass' with the 30mm kill on a ZSU. I kill them coming and going now..

NICE! How close did you get before you started shooting?

[Jimmy Arcade]

Originally posted by Sgt Habu:

Originally posted by Rockwelder:

On the AH-56A model I just bagged my first 'shootin' out my ass' with the 30mm kill on a ZSU. I kill them coming and going now..

NICE! How close did you get before you started shooting?

If you're flying steady then, for something like a shilka, I bet you could hit out at 5,000m - but 3,000 is probably optimal.

[Rockwelder]

The trick is steady and level straight at the target, no sideways motion...the gun is silly accurate out to 5Km+. When you bank away the same applies: get steady, level, and at the ever slighted angle straight away to keep the gun in its ranges. Any banking throws the gun off...Rinse and repeat.

The other cool thing is get some altitude with 100% prop and reverse the prop to -50% on the dive, you can slow the dive to a crawl and have extended time to select and shoot. Then go 100% prop again and zoom away.

It's almost a T-47 airspeeder from Starwars.

The cool thing with this bird is that both the pilot and gunner could be rocking complete separate attacks at the same time.

On a side note I am making skins, so a mod folder would be cool.