Huey X: Hover Gauge and Auto Hover Function

[Paul K 93]

( Aerosoft...please...forgive me for this. I know you guys have spent many hours on this fine model's fidelity, but I just had to go hunting for something to help me. All I can say is that maybe people who otherwise can not fly helicopters will now buy the Huey, and Mathijs can pay the harbour fees on his luxury yacht for another year. )

If, like me, you'd love to fly helicopters in FSX but every time you attempt to hover you balance for about 5 seconds before over-controlling and skittering away sideways into a hedge, then this is the answer to our prayers.

Yes I know we should make the effort to do it like proper pilots, but some of us just want to fly around and pretend we are good. If you just want help in keeping your helicopter stable in the hover, this gauge provides all the info you need, but also has an Auto Hover function which will keep you rock steady at the selected height. You will still be able to move, yaw etc, but only slowly.

First, go get the gauge here... http://www.flusi.info/tools.html

Scroll down till you see Hover Gauge (FS9) ...don't worry, it works perfectly well in FSX too.

Drop the as532_hover.gau file into your main FSX Gauges folder and make the following alterations to your Huey panel.cfg

[Window Titles]

Window00=Main

Window01=State

Window02=Hover

//--------------------------------------------------------

[Window00]

file=Panel_2D.bmp

size_mm=800, 600

BACKGROUND_COLOR=0,0,0

visible=0

ident=Main

//--------------------------------------------------------

[Window01]

size_mm=722, 733

windowsize_ratio=0.600

position=4

BACKGROUND_COLOR=0,0,0

visible=1

ident=9797

gauge00=UH1_systems!Statem, 0, 0, 722, 733

//--------------------------------------------------------

[Window02]

Background_color=0,0,0

size_mm=202,146

window_size_ratio=1.000

position=0

visible=0

ident=270

window_size= 0.400, 0.400

window_pos= 0.600, 0.600

gauge00=as532_hover!hover, 0,0,201,145,defAlt 10

[Vcockpit01]

Background_color=0,0,0

size_mm=256,256

visible=1

pixel_size=256,256

texture=$Hueypan

gauge00=UH1_systems!Misc, 0, 0, 1, 1

gauge01=UH1_systems!Anim, 0, 0, 1, 1

gauge02=UH1_systems!Xponder1, 0, 4, 135, 50

gauge03=UH1_systems!Xponder2, 0, 63, 135, 50

gauge04=UH1_systems!EVI, 0, 145, 142, 92

gauge05=ASC!MAIN, 0,0, 10, 10, 0

gauge06=HueyFCA!Main, 0, 0, 1, 1

[Default View]

X=0

Y=0

SIZE_X=8192

SIZE_Y=6143

Day=255,255,255

Night=255,255,255

Luminous=150,150,101

//Luminous=255,0,0

Press shift+3 and the gauge pops up as shown here:

To engage the auto hover, just click on the cover of the HVR button, then click on it again to activate. The height of the hover can be adjusted with the + and - buttons, and if you are ready to land, match the two pitch ribbon indicators on the left and click on HVR again to disengage it.

Be aware that you have to be travelling at 10 knots or under for the HVR to engage.

The only conflict I have come across in the Huey is that while HVR is engaged, you can only open the pilots door. No matter which combination of Shift+E+ ( number), only the pilot's door will operate. So, if you want to auto-hover with the big sliding doors open, then get them opened before pressing HVR

Here is the Auto Hover in action. The Huey has been hovering there for the last ten minutes. I am not touching the joystick or throttle at all. In fact, I am in the kitchen making a cup of tea.

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

Very unrealistic but very good tip, very nice gauge.Recommended.

[Matt_Smith 1116]

Good find Paul, but you could have made tea for the rest of us while you were in the kitchen

[Paul K 93]

Good find Paul, but you could have made tea for the rest of us while you were in the kitchen

Sorry Matt. Not exactly the 'hostess with the most-est' am I.

[Matt_Smith 1116]

Your legs dont look too great in that mini skirt Paul.

[Paul K 93]

What I get up to at weekends is my own business, thank you !