X-55 Rotary (Dis) Function

[Maico]

My fellow pilots,

  After six months of using the Rhino I am fed up with some shortcomings.  Realistically I should have asked for help a long time ago. But I am hard headed and thought I was overlooking something.   I am here to address the Rotary functions.  I am going to try to explain what it does versus what I want it to do. 

Ok, here we go.  When I rotate the rotary say, to 45 degrees of its rotation, the game function (lets say flaps) keeps going until the flaps are fully deployed.  I want the flaps to only deploy the distance I move the rotary or a proportion of that.  Instead they move until I have to stop them by moving the rotary to middle again.  I then have to move the rotary left of center to bring them back.

  I tried to use the Rotaries for the NPP on the DCS Mig-21 and had a similar experience. Since the rotaries function in this manner they are totally unsuitable for trim.  This was the function that attracted me to the X55 in the first place.  As a matter of fact, I do not use the rotaries much at all.  I use the buttons for trim. 

 

Am I overlooking something?  Is there a way to program the rotaries to behave like they did in the X-52?

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Maico

[Finkeren]

Yes, you are overlooking something, and it has nothing to do with the X-55.

 

In BoS flaps can't be controlled with a rotary, so when you move the rotary the sim treats it as if you're keeping the 'flaps down' button pressed and goes on to fully lower the flaps.

 

And before you start complaining about missing features in BoS: This is how it should be. In WW2 there were many different ways of controling flaps, but none of them involved having a lever or wheel where you could just turn it to the desired angle and the plane would automatically deploy the flaps to reflect that input, which is essentially what you're doing when you use a rotary to set flaps.

 

In BoS there are four main types of flaps:

 

Pure landing flaps like on the Yak-1 and IL-2 with basically only two settings: Up and down, controlled by a flip switch. 

 

Manually operated flaps, which we find on the Bf 109, these can be set to any angle but take a long time to deploy and retract because it's done by turning a crank by hand.

 

Electrically operated flaps like on the LaGG-3, La-5 and Pe-2. These are controled by two buttons (up/down) and can be set to any angle and deploy fairly quicly.

 

Electrically operated flaps with fixed positions, these are forund on the Fw 190, the Ju 87 and (I think) the He 111. These deploy and retract quickly but have 3 - 4 preset settings you can cycle between using a lever with incremental steps or a set of buttons (depending on the plane type)

 

The best (and only) way to realistically simulate these different types of flaps is by having two buttons for raising/lowering flaps, and then use either a tap-to-cycle or push-and-hold system for deploying flaps depending on the plane type. So in the LaGG for instance you have to push 'flaps down' and hold the button until you reach the desired angle, for the Bf 109 it's the same but much slower, for the Yak you just press 'flaps down' once to deploy the landing flaps and in the Fw 190 you press the button repeatedly in order to cycle through the different flaps positions.

 

The system works as it's intended to and is much more realistic than having flaps on a rotary that would allow you to set flaps much too quickly (especially in the case of the Bf 109) or set it to angles that the real planes couldn't (like in the Fw 190).

Edited June 20, 2015 by Finkeren

[Maico]

Finkeren,

  You really overextended yourself there.  I understand how flaps work in the different types of planes.  This big rant you went on about flaps was unnecessary.  I was only using flaps as an example.  My beef is with the X-55 Rotary function.  I should have used trim as an example but then I guess you would have told me that Willy and Kurt designed their fighters to not have aileron and rudder trim LoL.  No worries.  Look at the X-55 it is a great stick...almost.  But the rotaries function badly.  That is the topic of this discussion. 

Edited June 20, 2015 by Maico

[Sokol1]

 

 

Ok, here we go.  When I rotate the rotary say, to 45 degrees of its rotation, the game function (lets say flaps) keeps going until the flaps are fully deployed.  I want the flaps to only deploy the distance I move the rotary or a proportion of that.  Instead they move until I have to stop them by moving the rotary to middle again.  I then have to move the rotary left of center to bring them back.

 

This is not due rotary fault - is the  way that the game was programmed to do as explained above - that "realist" or not avoid the instant flap cheat of old il-2 using axis (rotary/slider).

 

But you can use the joystick software and divide the rotary axis in bands and set timed key press for each band (don't know if Saitek software do this, TARGET/CH Manager do).

 

So you when you turn the rotary 45 degrees, the (e.g. Bf 109) flaps drop 20 degrees and stop.

The next 45 degree band make drop other XX degrees... etc.

 

With these HOTAS soft' one can have combat, take-off, landing flaps, aileron trim etc. in any plane, and in any flight game...

[Finkeren]

Finkeren,

  You really overextended yourself there.  I understand how flaps work in the different types of planes.  This big rant you went on about flaps was unnecessary.  I was only using flaps as an example.  My beef is with the X-55 Rotary function.  I should have used trim as an example but then I guess you would have told me that Willy and Kurt designed their fighters to not have aileron and rudder trim LoL.  No worries.  Look at the X-55 it is a great stick...almost.  But the rotaries function badly.  That is the topic of this discussion. 

 

Except for the adjustable stabilizer on the Bf 109 you can't put trim on an axis either.

 

I use the X-55 myself and I never have trouble with the rotaries. I really think your problem stems from trying to use them for something that the sim isn't designed for.

[Maico]

Sorry, I cant figure this out

Edited June 20, 2015 by Maico

[Finkeren]

If it's any help, I can tell you how I'm doing it with no trouble: I have mixture and prop pitch (rpm control) mapped to the two rotaries on the throttle and use the other two on the base for the two types of radiator. I have flaps mapped to the pinkie switch on the throttle and trim control to one of the hat switches on the stick.

 

This works flawlessly for me.

[Maico]

If it's any help, I can tell you how I'm doing it with no trouble: I have mixture and prop pitch (rpm control) mapped to the two rotaries on the throttle and use the other two on the base for the two types of radiator. I have flaps mapped to the pinkie switch on the throttle and trim control to one of the hat switches on the stick.

 

This works flawlessly for me.

  Finkeren,

  Thank you for the advice.  I think we got off on the wrong foot but we on track now   You must be flying Russian fighters, am I right?  The allied fighters have a wheel type setting for prop pitch.  Axis use a push-to-set method.  The 190 and 109 do at least.  So I have one of the hats on the throttle set for pitch (forward and back) and flaps (up down).  I will try (and I am very excited) the radiator and oil cooler set to the rotaries.  I don't like the trim hat on the X55.  It is really awkward for me to reach.  Trimming during combat becomes a distraction.  I am hoping at some point to use the top wheel of the throttle. 

  Last night I decided to take a break from BoS and try CLoD.  All the rotaries and controls worked flawlessly.  I think I can get BoS to work the same way with a little work.  It was really nice having the top wheel on the throttle set to elevator trim.  I used the rotaries on the base for coolers and it was heaven.  So much so, that I went to bed late and now I am at work suffering for it lol. 

  Sokol1,  I am glad you jumped in since you are the king of hardware around these parts.  I was able to program the DCS Mig-21 rotaries using bands on the X55 software.  Yes, it works I can select different weapon stations.  I could do the same for the 109 but no point as it is just a linear command.  So I have it as above.  Just hold a button till I get to where I want the flaps. 

 

  Thanks all.

 

Maico