Starter Heli

[Bweer]

I'd like to get into rotary wing specifically UH-1/Gazelle/Mi-8. Doing research people say that the Gazelle and UH-1 have broken flight models, which dictates that choice if true. Any opinions? Is that info still good, or not as big a deal to a beginner?

[Paradox1126]

Broken flight model or not the gazelle simply has the best gameplay out of all of them. While it is limited in use it can do everything and in a fun way. Sead/dead, act as a gun ship, do CSAR, and it's a blast for A/A against other fixed wing or rotary in the area. It's very much my favorite module in the game.

The Huey is good because it's simple but I find the gameplay rather boring. It does whatever the mi-8 does but worse.

As far as the mi-8 I highly recommend that for an all around chopper. It does everything and feels great to fly. It's also very easy to learn in my opinion.

[DragonWhite4Gulf]

Another consideration is available missions/activities. I have all 3 helicopters. Gazelle will get you into the more advanced weapon systems/ enemy engagement with guided missile systems and is very nimble. Huey is pretty simple and has basic weapon systems guns/rockets and the same goes with Mi-8. The Mi-8 is big and not as nimble as the other 2. I enjoy the mix of cargo missions and troop pick-ups plus the ability to act as a gunship the Mi-8 and Huey provide. As flight model goes unless I flew the real deal I cannot tell you, they seem fine to me. Out of the 3 Huey is my favorite, it also was my first so I am better at flying it. Right now I am on the Apache which is actually not that difficult to learn.

[Gracey Face]

Originally posted by Bweer:

I'd like to get into rotary wing specifically UH-1/Gazelle/Mi-8. Doing research people say that the Gazelle and UH-1 have broken flight models, which dictates that choice if true. Any opinions? Is that info still good, or not as big a deal to a beginner?

I have never seen anyone say the UH-1 has a broken flight model. The opposite in fact, I have only ever see people say it has the closest to real flight model in the game. Not being a chopper pilot I can't judge.

I'd personally suggest getting the KA-50 as it basically flies itself with all of the pilot assists and has the weapon systems to be able to do anything you want, though obviously it's not going to do air to air well.

But if your choice is between the three you mention then I'd go with the MI-8, it is also said to have a good flight model, and is basically just a more capable UH-1 in terms of what you can do with it.

[Bweer]

Originally posted by Paradox1126:

The Huey is good because it's simple but I find the gameplay rather boring. It does whatever the mi-8 does but worse.

As far as the mi-8 I highly recommend that for an all around chopper. It does everything and feels great to fly. It's also very easy to learn in my opinion.

Originally posted by DragonWhite4Gulf:

Another consideration is available missions/activities. I have all 3 helicopters. Gazelle will get you into the more advanced weapon systems/ enemy engagement with guided missile systems and is very nimble. Huey is pretty simple and has basic weapon systems guns/rockets and the same goes with Mi-8. The Mi-8 is big and not as nimble as the other 2. I enjoy the mix of cargo missions and troop pick-ups plus the ability to act as a gunship the Mi-8 and Huey provide. As flight model goes unless I flew the real deal I cannot tell you, they seem fine to me. Out of the 3 Huey is my favorite, it also was my first so I am better at flying it.

Originally posted by Gracey Face:

I have never seen anyone say the UH-1 has a broken flight model. The opposite in fact, I have only ever see people say it has the closest to real flight model in the game. Not being a chopper pilot I can't judge.

I'd personally suggest getting the KA-50 as it basically flies itself with all of the pilot assists and has the weapon systems to be able to do anything you want, though obviously it's not going to do air to air well.

I want a heli I can do SAR/transport stuff in as well as combat, so Ka-50 isn't what I am looking for.

Aside from that, seems like the UH-1 would be better - I like to do aerobatics, so a more nimble heli would be good for that. Thank you all for your input!!

[Gracey Face]

Originally posted by Bweer:

Aside from that, seems like the UH-1 would be better - I like to do aerobatics, so a more nimble heli would be good for that. Thank you all for your input!!

Both the UH-1 and MI-8 are limited in their aerobatics. The UH-1 has a semi-rigid rotor so has low G-limits and can't handle negative Gs at all. The MI-8 is articulated so can handle Gs better and negative G-s don't immediately kill you, but is also the size of a small building.

[Bweer]

Originally posted by Gracey Face:

Both the UH-1 and MI-8 are limited in their aerobatics. The UH-1 has a semi-rigid rotor so has low G-limits and can't handle negative Gs at all. The MI-8 is articulated so can handle Gs better and negative G-s don't immediately kill you, but is also the size of a small building.

I'm using the term 'aerobatics' very loosely, what I mean is I like to fly low. Seems like the UH-1 is the best for me simply because of more responsiveness to control inputs, and as a new/low flying pilot (who doesn't need to worry about dying when I crash) that's more useful/interesting/fun!

[Gunfreak]

The Huey doesn't have a broken flight model per say. But they did something with the engine, that makes it not fly correctly.

The best starter helicopter now is the Kiowa. It has the best flight model of any helo in dcs. And it doesn't have the DCS patented exaggerated VRS thing.

[Die Pest]

Originally posted by Gracey Face:

Aside from that, seems like the UH-1 would be better - I like to do aerobatics, so a more nimble heli would be good for that. Thank you all for your input!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW9fJcJs-V0

[Seven of Nine]

Originally posted by Bweer:

Originally posted by Paradox1126:

The Huey is good because it's simple but I find the gameplay rather boring. It does whatever the mi-8 does but worse.

As far as the mi-8 I highly recommend that for an all around chopper. It does everything and feels great to fly. It's also very easy to learn in my opinion.

I want a heli I can do SAR/transport stuff in as well as combat, so Ka-50 isn't what I am looking for.

Aside from that, seems like the UH-1 would be better - I like to do aerobatics, so a more nimble heli would be good for that. Thank you all for your input!!

The Hind has reduced transport capabilty, but can do a lot more in combat. I'd consider that over the Mi-8, if you are looking for an extended combat prowess.

[BlazinFoxr1der]

HIND HIND HIND LOL

[Gracey Face]

Originally posted by BlazinFoxr1der:

HIND HIND HIND LOL

Yes. I forgot this was in the game. It basically does everything the OP wants. It's a bit "heavy" to do aerobatics well, but if all the guy means when he said aerobatics is low level then the hind is great for that also.

[T'Khaos]

The Uh-1H Huey is fine and nothing is broken in the flight model, got a steeper learning curve for landing than most of the others if you are not used to helicopters, unless you like falling out the sky due to VRS.

There were a few people that complained about the new, more powerful engine as it makes it a bit more frisky to fly but if that causes issues you can change to the old engine model by simply going into the "Mods\aircraft\Uh-1H\FM" folder and opening the following file with Notepad++ or even Notepad.

Open file FMOptions.lua and change the following:

New_engine_model = true
change to:
New_engine_model = false

Could always try the free third party mods as well:

UH-60L Blackhawk [there's also a weapons mod and a MH-60R Navy mod for this]

https://github.com/Kinkkujuustovoileipa/uh-60l/releases

OH-6A Littlebird

https://github.com/tobi-be/DCS-OH-6A/releases/

It all depends what you want and how much time you want to put in, any of the suggestions above are good. I like the Huey and Chinook personally in paid modules, have got the original Blackshark as well.

I also fly the free ones I mentioned as well, the Blackhawk is pretty decent for learning the basics.

[spike2071]

Out of the 3 listed in the OP, I'd pick the Huey. It lacks the guided rockets of the Gazelle and the pure transport power of the Hip, but is a nice combo of the 2. More fun to fly than the Hip, but lacks the guided rocket capacity of the Gazelle. If you play singleplayer, there are many more campaigns and missions for the Huey.

The Gazelle had a terrible flight model that allowed it to fly upside down forever, but they fixed that a year or two ago. Make sure the videos/reports of the flight model are recent. It might still be busted, but I know the flight model was overhauled recently.

If you're willing to look at the Hind, I'd do so. It can't carry many troops, but it has the guided missiles to kill tanks. It also comes with a decent AI for the weapons officer that will fire the missiles within the correct parameters. This lets you concentrate on learning how to fly without having to learn (or deal with) the missiles until you're ready for it. It's not particularly nimble, though.

The Standalone version of the game has 2 week trials[www.digitalcombatsimulator.com] if you want to try before you buy. You can download the Standalone and try out each module for up to two weeks and then buy whatever you want. Just be aware that buying on Standalone means you can only play that module on Standalone.

[Delta Dagger]

Originally posted by Bweer:

I'd like to get into rotary wing specifically UH-1/Gazelle/Mi-8. Doing research people say that the Gazelle and UH-1 have broken flight models, which dictates that choice if true. Any opinions? Is that info still good, or not as big a deal to a beginner?

UH-1 isn't broken. There might be inaccuracies, but those will always exist. It did have a long standing performance issue that, I believe, was addressed. The Kiowa, Apache, and Hind have taken up much of my rotary winged gameplay, so I'm out of the loop. I'm even further out of the loop for the Mi-8.

Now, the Gazelle? The Gazelle used to be unacceptable, an actual broken flight model, but they addressed it. It's a lot better now. A loooot better. It still might need work, I've heard some complaints, but it's still a far cry from where it was.

But, you should seek to exploit the two week trials, get a feel for them, and then buy what appeals the most. Simply put, the airframe you enjoy the most is going to be the one you'll get your money's worth for and will learn. There's no sense in "working up." You learn at the pace you decide and dumpstering a bird into a line of trees is a restart away from trying again.

And give the Mi-24 a spin, too. It can perform similar operations as the first and last selection, but with more firepower. It's also a lot of fun to fly.

[startrekmike]

Originally posted by Bweer:

Originally posted by Gracey Face:

Both the UH-1 and MI-8 are limited in their aerobatics. The UH-1 has a semi-rigid rotor so has low G-limits and can't handle negative Gs at all. The MI-8 is articulated so can handle Gs better and negative G-s don't immediately kill you, but is also the size of a small building.

I'm using the term 'aerobatics' very loosely, what I mean is I like to fly low. Seems like the UH-1 is the best for me simply because of more responsiveness to control inputs, and as a new/low flying pilot (who doesn't need to worry about dying when I crash) that's more useful/interesting/fun!

First and foremost. I would suggest looking into the trial period system that Eagle Dynamics offers. I am not sure it works with the Steam version of DCS (you would have to check that yourself) but moving from Steam to standalone isn't a bad idea anyway. With the trial system, you can try stuff out and make up your own mind rather than count on the opinions of strangers.

As far as this random stranger's advice goes, I would take a serious look at the Hind. Out of all the helicopters currently offered for DCS, it is probably the most truly versatile as it will let you meaningfully engage in both serious combat roles (especially roles that require guided weapons) and will give you some carrying capacity.

One other thing going for the Hind. It is a pretty "hands-on" experience if you want it to be and will teach you generally good flying habits.

Another thing to think about is the actual gameplay you will experience. DCS World at its core is pretty much entirely geared towards direct combat in some form or another. There are servers that employ a heavily abstracted take on troop/cargo hauling and there is a built-in capacity for sling loading but a lot of DCS's bread and butter is direct combat and as such, modules that favor that will provide the most meaningful spread of gameplay options.

With the above in mind, it might make some sense to seriously consider the Apache. You will be hard pressed to find a helicopter module in DCS that offers as much raw capability and combat versatility. Likewise. It isn't really difficult to learn as long as you take things one step at a time. Likewise. The Blackshark is a solid module but since it is single seat, it is a more demanding experience since you have to a lot of stuff at any given time.

The Huey and Mi-8 both also offer weapon capability but nothing guided. This can have its appeal for sure but it will limit the scenarios you can meaningfully explore.