Starting the 206

But be careful, if you’ve put in 100% throttle or much more than the amount at IDLE REL popup, when you reach 58% self sustaining, the fuel control will dump a whole lot of fuel in and you will get an extremely fast advance of Torque and TOT. Make sure it’s back down near IDLE REL before then so you can slowly advance the throttle while maintaining <40% Torque until 100% on the throttle.

RotorRick

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Thanks for the clarification.

I think where a lot of us, myself included, went wrong was where the instructions say “introduce fuel at 15%” they don’t mention the crucial bit about needing to be fast about it.

I don’t think there are many other sim airframes which have consequences for introducing fuel too late so I’ve developed the bad habit of treating “at 15%” as if it meant “at least 15%”

That will work fine as long as you reduce it before it hits 58%… just watch TOT and Torque. Manage the rises after it’s self sustaining.

RotorRick

Ok I will try this next, Side note: my “IDLE REL” is at 25%, not 15%.

The 15 % refers to the GAS PRODUCER (N1) gauge NOT the amount of throttle at IDLE REL

RotorRick

I’m sorry I was referring to the “hot start” pop up message.

Thank you - finally a good clean start!!! :grinning: I was bringing the throttle increase too slowly after 15%, this time I flipped the throttle up on 15%, and brought it back immediately. Good start!!! Very happy!!!
Also guilty of being over 15% when IDLE REL popped up!

For those of us who don’t need startup realism is Ctrl+E or something else a shortcut?

Hello all I just purchased the Bell 206 a couple weeks (already have the B47) ago and was having the same issue HOT SRART everytime , well sometimes I got lucky but waht i finally did was this

I have Thrust master T. Flight HOTAS one ( joystick, throttle, rudder pedals ) I set the T one profile to

Collective Axis = JOYSTICK L -AXIS Z
REVERSE AXIS is check marked
the joystick l and axdis z are the throttle quadrant for the hotas one i had to custom set the throttle and assign 2 of my buttons on the throttle quad to control the throttle up and down and they are as follows

INCREASE HELICOPTER THROTTLE 1 = B4

DECREASE HELICOPTER THROTTLE 1 = B3

I use B3 and B4 in another profile for flaps increase/dec fir fixed wing

I have no other throttle settings under throttle I saved same under bell 206 profile of course

HERE IS THE SECRET or so i have found with the hotas one, is once you have your joystick configured as above set your circuit breakers to in turn on the battery click the starter ( no need to hold, but if it makes you feel better go ahead) WAIT until the gas producer / N1 reaches 18 % rpm the press the increase throttle 3 ( somtimes 4) in fast succession (and i mean fast) when it starts to wind up give the rotor to about 50 % rpm and the start adding throttle a by press the button to add throttle until throttle is full throttle to shut down just press the throttle down button. Hope this helps i have not had a HOT START since I started using this procedure, happy rotoring I love the 206 flys like the real thing if you have it on realistic mode so does the 47

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Quick question for the developers:

Is it possible to adjust the way the start button works?

During startup, hold down the button up to 58% RPM N1.

However, this is currently not possible because the button stays inside and jumps out again when you hold down.

It would bring one thing of realism to the startup because then you need both hands on the collective.

Xmaster has got the hot start error fixed - for me at least! Xmaster’s metntioning the use of repurposed buttons to run up and run down the throttle triggered for me the cause of the problem I’m having - as are others with limited controls:
Here’s the key to my particular problem:

  1. I have only a TM Sidestick Airbus, keyboard and mouse. When I twist the throttle I am forced to use the mouse wheel; I try to stay away from the buttons that are hard to get to. When I roll the mouse wheel, it takes three “clicks” to bring the Idle Release button up. So when I roll the wheel three clicks to set up Idle, I’ve sent 3 scroll commands, and the Idle Release button pops up at click three. I’m not exactly at Idle; I’m at some higher setting that’s putting too much fuel into the engine.
    1a. Roll the throttle only two clicks open - not enough to pop the Idle Lock up.
    1b. Hit the start button.
  2. I monitor the TOT for around 18% and immediately roll the throttle with the mouse up two clicks past the Idle Lock - the same as Xmaster suggested by punching the throttle up keys.
  3. I wait for lighting off and adjust the throttle for 50% power. I flip the starter to generator, and I wait a minute.
  4. I roll the throttle gently to full and everythings settles in nicely; no hot start error.
    I’m a newbie to rotary craft, and I really want to master the non-easy flight model. I also want to follow proper procedures for startup and shutdown. I like RotorRick’s flight model. It seems to implement all the things I’ve learned so far about how helicopters fly from this article:
    How Do Helicopters Fly - Pilot Institute

From the Manual:

Throttle Idle Release
The 206 throttle has an idle release switch to prevent you from
accidentally shutting down the engine when moving the throttle. By
default, the FlyInside 206 automates this process by popping out the
idle release when you open your throttle, and popping it back in when
you close the throttle.
You can also turn off “Automatic Idle Release.” In manual mode, you’ll
need to manage the idle release button yourself. When you open the
throttle, the idle release will pop out. If you try to close your throttle, it
will stop in the idle position. You’ll need to click on the Idle Release
button to then fully close the throttle and shut down the engine. You
may also bind “DECREASE COWL FLAP 3” in MSFS to trigger the Idle
Release button.

ALSO from the Manual:
7. Startup Procedure
To start the helicopter, you need air, fuel and a spark. From cold and
dark you’ll want to do the following:

  1. Turn on the BATT switch on the overhead panel
  2. Ensure the Generator switch is in the START position. The
    generator doubles as a starter motor, so it can either be used to
    spin up the engine, or generate electricity, but not do both at once.
  3. Ensure that the throttle is fully closed.
  4. Push both fuel pump circuit breakers in.
  5. Press and hold the Starter button on your collective.
  6. When the Gas Producer (N1) turbine reaches 15%, introduce fuel.
    Turn your throttle up until the idle release button on your virtual
    collective pops up (approximately 30%), then stop. Continue to
    hold the Starter Button! You’ll hear light-off occur, and see
    temperatures (TOT) climb. Note that introducing fuel too early can
    lead to a hot-start and cook the engine.
  7. Allow the gas producer to increase to 58% N1, at which point it will
    be self-sustaining. Release the starter button. Wait 1 minute to
    stabilize temperatures.
  8. Slowly Increase throttle until gas producer (N1) reaches 70%, while
    keeping torque below 40%.
  9. At 70% N1, set the Generator switch to the GEN position.
  10. On the overhead panel, be sure that all breakers are pushed in,
    switches for gyros, lights, etc. are turned on.
  11. Align DG to compass heading.
  12. While keeping torque below 40%, slowly advance the throttle to
    100%.
  13. Go fly!

RotorRick

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The problem was with my hardware: I had read and done exactly as you say yesterday and again today but got hot starts 9 out of 10. I finally caught the culprit - my mouse wheel. It was “bouncing” when I wheeled to cutoff and leaving the throttle one or two notches open. I disassembled the mouse, cleaned the quadrature contacts on the wheel sensor and now I have no more hot starts. Sorry to have bothered you. Thanks for your prompt reply.
Some day I’ll put some money into some proper controls.

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I’m impressed you opened up a mouse! Generally, if they start playing up they get binned! Unless of course it’s one of the hi-tech £150 ones. Well done for getting past the hot starts. It’s a rite of passage. :grin:

I think this is an area that needs to be addressed for the rotary sim pilot. My equipment is primitive but workable - for me. I’d like a survey of available equipment for helo pilots and how well it works. I, as an engineer, think the long-handle collective makes sense in that a large movement of the long handle is really a tiny movement at the pivot and, thus, a tiny adjustment of the collective. As a newbie, I’ve learned that the helicopter is definitely NOT an arcade plaything. From what I’ve read and experienced so far, the FlyInside 206 really does a good job of simulating “the real thing”.
As for the mouse: We engineers had to be pragmatists at times. One of our favorite “evaluations” of a solution to a problem was, “Necessity is a muthuh!” I use a vertical mouse to ease wrist strain, and if I don’t clean out the wheel sensor regularly I get unexpected behavior. I played Space War on a PDP-1 back in '63. Our “joystick” was two spring-loaded lever switches in a wooden box. It worked. The software took into account the input device and behaved accordingly. (google Space War PDP-1 if you’re curious.)
Anyway, I’m open to anything about controls now that I can actually land the 206 in one piece in realistic mode.
After all, computers were really created for us, the simmers.

Opening a can of worms when it comes to controllers. Personally, I use a Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS. The stick has a 150mm extension which makes it nice and soft. The throttle acts as the collective and a set of MGF Crosswind pedals. Others will say nothing less than a full motion cockpit with all the ‘Bells and Whistle’ will do. Some of us have wives to answer to.
Good luck with it. I have to say I find the Flyinside choppers most believable, so you’ve made the right choice.

Thank you all for your kind words!

Personally, I use a homebrew Cyclic and collective. www.hc625ma.org It’s Arduino based and works great. I have tested several of the very expensive ones from various suppliers and wasn’t thoroughly impressed with value to dollars. I added a set of VKB pedals since the can be configured to be more vertical like in the 206.

All in all, if you are somewhat handy and have access to a 3D printer you can assemble your own cyclic and collective (pedals too, if you like) for very low cost. Certainly under 250USD

As always, Y.M.M.V.

RotorRick

P.S. I started with computers with an Ohio Scientific Challenger 4A and used PDP 11/70’s lots and lots. Still remember Adventure and the like on a Paper terminal… what a waste of trees! [Supnik,Barney,70524] Started simming with SubLogic’s FS1 on an Apple ][. Simmed and flew IRL essentially simultaneously. Still doing it to this day!

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If it goes down that rabbit hole someone will say they started with an abacus! :rofl: