what helicopter should i buy when starting out

[diode_71]

I have a F86 and want a helicopter but i want a easy on to learn

[Paradox1126]

I'm going to say this not liking the recommendation but the Huey is the easiest of the helicopters to tackle.

[Gunfreak]

Huey is the best helicopter helicopter.
It's less fat than the MI8 so you you don't have to struggle with the weight.
And it's analogue. Just your controls and the rotors.
Can work as a gunship. Is very fun to insert troops under fire.

[Noobiecanoobie]

Huey is renowned for flight model, though slightly aging in appearance.
It's fun to fly and fight with. Comes with a single player campaign.
Operates as both transport and gunship.
You can't really go wrong with it.
Good first chopper, you'll want more once you have a taste.

[The_Illuminati_Confirmed]

attack: KA-50 - easy to fly and systems are easy to learn
Transport - mi-8 or UH-1, mi-8 is a bit hefty but can still be thrown around and packs a hefty punch.

[Perfect Info]

Copy pasting from a previous post of mine:

Huey has the simplest avionics, but takes a bit of effort to keep stable and fly

Gazelle has more complicated avionics than the Huey, but is probably the easiest helicopter to keep stable and fly. In particular, it's very disciplined when trimmed, so much so that people complain it may not be realistic (I cannot say shrugs). [edit flight model was revised since I posted this, and now it's a bit tougher to fly, but still comfy IMO]

Ka-50 has the most modern avionics short of the Apache, and many of its systems are quite deep, but it's also not the kind of complexity where you're likely to mess something up. Learning it is more like learning new features to help you. It's has a slightly quirky trim system compared to the others, but is easy to fly.

Mi-8 has somewhat primitive avionics, but the kind of primitive that involves dozens of switches that can be accidentally put into contradictory states and render systems non-functional. It is easy to crash, but I'd say a little more pleasant to fly than the Huey (needs less manual effort).

Mi-24 is has more systems to juggle than the Mi-8, but is a little less prone to be thrown into non-functioning states. I'd say it's a little easier to fly than the Mi-8, but mostly because I keep it in motion and fly it like an air plane, since it has fewer reasons to want to hover.

AH64 I don't find easy to fly. It's definitely fun to fight with. But it's complex in terms of modern avionics and a bit unruly to fly.

[Troll Norris]

Huey will teach you to fly helicopter. All other helicopters have some kinds of controls augmentations, autopilots, e.t.c... Only in Huey you can feel the real machine.

It is like driving old car - without power steering, ABS, AEB, ESP, ASR, TCS, Cruise control, e.t.c....

[Shibbyland]

Huey

[Xupicor]

Yeah, Huey. Teaches you to fly a helicopter. Then get whatever you deem interesting afterwards.

[Czar]

I support the Huey recommendations above.
Direct inputs. Basic. Agile. Powerful armament.

Ka-50 second.
In reference to the F-86 that OP mentioned. It's not "easy" to learn. There are a lot of analog switches that you need to memorize as well as the countermeasures. Is not a demanding module for folks that are used to DCS, but let's not kid ourselves it is not "easy" when the benchmark is the F-86.

[Shibbyland]

Huey has nice easy going handling, you can get used to the way vortex ring effect is simulated before trying out something heavier and with far more power.

[Darkreaver1980]

For me the Huey was the worst helicopter out of them all. Its not a bad module but very limited because the Huey is kinda old.

Compared to KA-50 or Apache, you get way less value out of your money if you get the huey. Both the KA-50 and Apache have an unfiltered Flight Mode Option which makes the Flight Behavior comperable to the huey

[Paradox1126]

Originally posted by Darkreaver1980:

For me the Huey was the worst helicopter out of them all. Its not a bad module but very limited because the Huey is kinda old.

Compared to KA-50 or Apache, you get way less value out of your money if you get the huey. Both the KA-50 and Apache have an unfiltered Flight Mode Option which makes the Flight Behavior comperable to the huey

I've always said it was the worst chopper. Nostalgia does weird things to people. I just think it has the worst gameplay of them all but for what he was looking for I reluctantly suggested it.

[Arashenstein]

Originally posted by diode_71:

I have a F86 and want a helicopter but i want a easy on to learn

If you learn AH-64 you have learnt everything else as well. It was my first Module and actually the main reason I started DCS.

[Shibbyland]

It is true. With AH-64 you learn helicopter but then if you can get your head around control inputs to use its various weapons and systems then you’ll easily adapt to any of the other US aircraft in game

[Perfect Info]

Originally posted by Shibbyland:

It is true. With AH-64 you learn helicopter but then if you can get your head around control inputs to use its various weapons and systems then you’ll easily adapt to any of the other US aircraft in game

presses 'X' to doubt

I mean, maybe in the sense that the AH-64 avionics are a "skill check" against the player's capacity for adaptability and learning. But the AH-64 avionics are pretty idiosyncratic compared to both the USAF and USN avionics paradigms used in other aircraft. The FCR is highly automated in a way that none of the aircraft do it. The TADS doesn't behave like the TPODs we have do (linear motion compensation being one huge deviation). The moving map and navigation system is very different from the aircraft, with the route system and complex waypoint types/map symbols (maybe the A-10C gets closer, with mission versus flight plan WPs, but still feels far off). And while the co-pilot controls have some similarity to the F-15E WSO, it also has a second, completely separate pair of controls for the TADS. Because, you know, four arms are better than two.

Not saying the AH-64 is bad. But I don't want people to get the impression it gives transferable experience.