PC Game Review: R/C Helicopter Indoor Flight Simulation

By: Avery Davis

Copyright (C) 2002 by Avery R. Davis

I grew up with helicopters. My Dad was an Army Aviator, and worked in the Army Aviation School's Rotary Wing Training Dept. at Fort Rucker, Alabama, when I was about 7-9 years old. For part of this time, 1963-64, he was a manager and narrator for the U.S. Army Helicopter Precision Flight Demonstration Team, so I have early memories of small helicopters flying in close formation, picking up things from the ground, playing a giant yo-yo, even "square-dancing" with each other. So when I saw the words "helicopter" and "flight simulation" on the box on the shelf at the electronics store, I had to take a close look. The premise is that of flying scale model R/C helicopters indoors, where precision flying is a must from the get-go. Or, you could pretend its a land-of-the-giants scenario. Either way, a simulation that emphasizes precision skills in a vertical-flight arena really excited my imagination.

For $19.95, I figured it was worth a try. Although, I had to upgrade my joystick since I have been playing mostly FPS and strategy games and my best joystick was a cheap old thing, so I spent $39.95 on a Sidewinder Precision 2 model. R/C Helicopter is a recent program, copyright 2002, and it features a large variety of helicopter types to choose from, some of them quite recent models. Installation was simple and uneventful. The game does need DirectX8, and a "joystick with 4 buttons and a hat switch is recommended" (which is why I got the Sidewinder Precision 2).

The menus are simple and spartan, the on-line help is minimal, but the printed manual is reasonable, if sparse. There is no instruction into the basics of flying a helicopter, so you might want to find a tutorial on this subject before trying to actually fly this simulation. The flight controls are somewhat simplified from an actual helicopter, but then, this is supposed to simulate an R/C model. There are three difficulty setting: Easy, Real and R/C. These change how easy it is to control the helicopter in flight. The big change is in the interaction between the controls. Early helicopters were the embodiment of the adage that you can't do just one thing. For example, lifting the collective is supposed to increase vertical speed, but it also has the effect of inducing yaw, so pushing the appropriate pedal (called rudder pedals in a fixed wing). Of course, this typically induces roll and/or pitch, which must be corrected with cyclic (the stick in a fixed wing), and finally cyclic input will change vertical speed, and around we go again. My Dad likened flying a helicopter to balancing on top of a broomstick on top of a beach ball. The "easy" mode minimizes these interactions, the "real" mode simulates a modern helicopter where these interactions are mostly tuned out, while the R/C" mode leaves these interactions like an early helicopter.

There are two games on the menu: challenge and adventure. The challenge has a series of goal-driven scenarios, where you are scored based on the time it takes you to accomplish the goal, and how good your landing is at the end. You cannot choose your helicopter in a challenge, but the higher your "level" of demonstrated ability, the more different helicopters you can choose from in the adventure game. In an adventure, you start in a room in the house, and you explore the room to find stars, which are your score. Certain score levels are needed before you can open doors to get into other rooms.

The different helicopters do have different flying characteristics, not just different sizes. The default MD520N, a small single rotor with a NOTAR (no tail rotor) system is quick and maneuverable, but sensitive on the controls, demanding a light touch and high concentration. The KV-107, a large tandem rotor aircraft, flies more smoothly, but is a bit sluggish on the controls. I found the OH-1 to be my favorite, as it seems to me to be smoother than the MD520N, but still quite maneuverable.

Some other reviewers were just not as impressed by this program as I was. I agree with the real flaws they pointed out, but their main criticism seemed to be that it was just not exciting. I guess, compared to some of the shoot-em-up games available, it might seem dull, but I found it challenging and enjoyable for many hours, and in a totally non-violent setting (unless you count breaking the R/C helicopter by flying it into a wall, or shooting static targets using missiles from the OH-1). My biggest wish for a change would be to add a point-of-view option for inside the cockpit. The only viewpoint options available are either watching from a fixed point in the room, or watching from a virtual chase plane about a couple feet away. While you can pan and zoom the virtual chase plane, it also has its own algorithm for changing your view of the helicopter you are flying, and it can be disorienting. But then, if you were looking at a cockpit viewpoint, it wouldn't really be an R/C experience anymore, would it? All-in-all, I feel I really got my twenty dollars worth.

The publisher's website:

Reviews of the software program:

For a "history of U.S. military helicopter precision flight demonstration teams", see the following book:
Dancing Rotors, by Harry E. (Ned) Gilliand, Jr., 1994, Aerofax, Inc., Arlington, Texas, ISBN 0-942548-57-4