Best helicopter to learn to fly in?

[BWYF-23]

So I am looking for the best/easiest chopper to learn the physics of flying...like taking off, rotor control, transitions to and from a hover and landing.

 

Which DCS module is best for this? I have the Huey, Gazelle, Hind, Apache and Hokum

[Flanker562]

I mean you got pretty much most of them, but I think the Kiowa didn't take too long. But that's just my opinion.

[streakeagle]

I own them all. My preference is the UH-1H. No electronics, no stabilization, all stick, collective, and rotor pedals. I recently got an AB9 Force Feedback stick, and it makes flying the UH-1 even more fun. If you like the idea of being multirole as a gunship and light transport able to ferry troops and rescue downed pilots, then the UH-1H is a good choice.

The OH-58D Kiowa is a fun ride, but I prefer traditional analog cockpits to glass cockpits, and it doesn't have the payload/armament of the UH-1H (I love large rocket pods, miniguns, and door gunners). But if you like higher tech sensors and weapons, the OH-58D is a better choice than the UH-1H. Being able to grab a rifle and shoot out the door is a fun capability.

The AH-64D and Ka-50 are both high-tech gunships. They are much easier to fly and have the best weapons. Of the two, I am partial to the AH-64D because I am partial to US instrumentation, weapons, etc. The coolest feature is using the helmet mounted sight to fire the 30 mm gun. The Ka-50 is a single seat helo and has contra rotating main rotors, which makes it unique compared to any other helo in the game. This gives it naturally good handling qualities even with the stabilization turned off. If you don't mind Russian avionics and weapons, it is a great ride. I almost never fly either one due to my preference for older technology, especially the avionics. I don't care to fly aircraft or helos with glass cockpits.

The CH-47F has another unique configuration and flight model that makes it fun to fly. But its only armament is door guns, so the main mission is hauling cargo/troops and performing CSAR. I would fly it more, but this a later model with a glass cockpit. Servers that support flying cargo/troop transport missions allow you to enjoy the best cargo capacity of any helo in DCS World. The fun is trying to drop off/pick up troops in tight landing zones given the size of this helo.

The Mi-8/Mi-24 are two sides of the same coin. One leans heavy into troop transport with a secondary gunship capability, the other leans heavy into a gunship with a secondary troop transport capability. Of the two, I prefer the Mi-24. The cockpit reminds me of the MiG-21 (one of my favorite aircraft) and the ability to carry tons or rockets and/or guns and/or anti-tank missiles and/or air-to-air missiles makes it flexible and fun.

The SA342 Gazelle is the odd on: It has a light, unstable flight model that flies like an insect. It has limited payload capacity, but there are many variants with a variety of weapons capabilities. It is fun/challenging to fly, but I much prefer the OH-58D for the light helicopter role.

The two I fly the most are the UH-1H and Mi-24. I have far more hours in the UH-1H than any other helo with the Mi-24 coming in a distant 2nd place. I originally flew the Mi-8 frequently, but I stopped after the Mi-24 was released. I flew the Ka-50 back when the only aircraft available were the P-51D, A-10C, and Ka-50. I flew the AH-64D just enough to try out the helmet mounted gunsight and see how it handled from takeoff/hover/transition/high speed/transition/hover/land. I would fly the CH-47F more if there were more missions focused on pushing the limits of its cababilities.