HUGHES / HELICOPTER

Hughes OH-6 / 500

A small observation-helicopter family with a rounded cabin and compact rotor system.

+ Compare aircraft
Type designatorsH500Models & sources ↓

Choose the version you fly to narrow the edition-specific reading.

PropulsionSingle turboshaft
ConfigurationObservation / utility helicopter
Simulator ecosystemsMSFS · X-Plane
YOUR AIRCRAFT COMPANION

Start here

A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.

Introduction

Meet the aircraft

Hughes developed the compact, single-turbine OH-6 for the US Army's Light Observation Helicopter programme. Its reconnaissance and utility roles were followed by the civilian Hughes 500 lineage.

Aircraft background

Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗
Pilot account

Returning to a favourite after more than twenty years

A television helicopter had helped inspire Huling’s interest, but his factory visit also showed the people building the aircraft by hand. Four new helicopters were on the production line during a period when the company was trying to rebuild customer support and confidence. Flying one afterward gave him a more personal reason to enjoy the visit. His initial hover needed a few corrections before the feel returned.

AOPA · May 2023. Factory visit and supervised MD500E flight in N40125 with Dennis Banks, after Huling’s last flight on type in November 2000.

AOPA · Read more ↗
Simulator systems

The two supplied aircraft have different pilot positions

Taog’s manual places the command seat on the right in the military OH-6A and on the left in the civilian H500C. It describes the four-bladed rotor and differing engine installations. These are earlier family configurations than the later MD500E described in several pilot accounts.

OH-6A / H500C · Taog's Hangar · MSFS 2024

Taog's Hangar · Read more ↗
WATCH & EXPLORE

Into the cockpit

YouTube
Flight video

Ed Whisenant Aviation · 7 min ·

Hughes 500 Start-Up, Takeoff & Landing Back on Helipad - Helicopter (369D) N36KR

A Hughes 369D starts, departs and returns to its helipad.

Real aircraft · Hughes OH-6 / 500

Watch on YouTube ↗

Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.

THE AIRCRAFT

Meet Hughes OH-6 / 500

Hughes developed the compact, single-turbine OH-6 for the US Army's Light Observation Helicopter programme. Its reconnaissance and utility roles were followed by the civilian Hughes 500 lineage.

Engines, rotors and equipment changed across the OH-6 and 500 family. Taog's simulator package offers skid and float configurations and documents electric cyclic trim; it does not describe that trim as a full automatic flight-control system.

Research-based aircraft backgroundWikipedia contributors · Hughes OH-6 Cayuse ↗
FAMILY, MODELS & VARIANTS

Hughes OH-6 / 500

Hughes → · Explore the family →

AIRCRAFT IDENTITY

Aircraft type designators

Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.

HOW IT CAME TO BE

History & design

The factory is part of the aircraft’s continuing story

Huling’s 2023 visit describes hand-built fuselages and tail booms alongside a leadership team working to restore customer support after a change of ownership. His report captures a particular period in the production history of the civilian MD500 family.

AOPA · The Ferrari of helicopters ↗

Dated factory report; subsequent corporate status not inferred

FROM THE COCKPIT

Pilot accounts

Returning to a favourite after more than twenty years

Murray Huling

A television helicopter had helped inspire Huling’s interest, but his factory visit also showed the people building the aircraft by hand. Four new helicopters were on the production line during a period when the company was trying to rebuild customer support and confidence. Flying one afterward gave him a more personal reason to enjoy the visit.

His initial hover needed a few corrections before the feel returned. Banks then guided him into the desert for an off-airport landing, including a reminder to shed the habits of fixed-wing approaches. Huling appreciated the visibility through the newer, narrower instrument panel and later joined a separate photo flight.

AOPA · May 2023. Factory visit and supervised MD500E flight in N40125 with Dennis Banks, after Huling’s last flight on type in November 2000.

Read the full account · AOPA ↗

A factory visit renews an instructor’s attachment to the type

Christoph Andrykowsky

Andrykowsky made a long drive to Arizona for time with Dennis Banks, whose familiarity with the aircraft impressed him as much as the flying. Practising autorotations in the desert was far removed from the author’s ordinary day, and he openly admitted a strong affection for the MD500 before offering his assessment.

That attachment had begun with a conversion course among law-enforcement pilots in California. He remembered being the only participant without a sidearm, a small detail that captured the unusual company in which he was learning. In describing later flying, he valued direct control response and the sense of being closely connected to the aircraft. He also acknowledged its cramped, noisy cabin. The account supplies an instructor’s enthusiastic experience, while its broader technical comparisons remain separate from verified specifications.

SA Flyer · archived 2017 article. Arizona visit with MD factory test pilot Dennis Banks; the author also recalls earlier MD500D conversion training in California.

Read the full account · SA Flyer ↗

A flight-test student finds a demanding subject

Simon Sparkes

Sparkes first encountered the MD500 as a test-pilot student expected to produce a detailed report after only an hour of flying. Kenyon’s knowledge allowed him to explore a broad range of handling within the school’s programme. The small airframe and generous cockpit view made an immediate impression, followed by controls more responsive than he had expected.

Hovering required close attention, and the aircraft continued to challenge his coordination in forward flight. Some changes in attitude and rotor behaviour caught him by surprise, giving him plenty to analyse afterward. Returning for low-speed work remained enjoyable despite the effort. The helicopter later reappeared during his time commanding the school.

Personal recollection · February 2022. MD500E experience through the Empire Test Pilots’ School, initially with Dennis Kenyon; flight date and registration are not stated.

Read the full account · Simon Sparkes ↗
VIRTUAL VERSIONS

In your simulator

Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.

Compare simulator versions →
MSFS 2024

OH-6A / H500C

Taog's Hangar · Released

MSFS 2024Third-party add-on

Aircraft

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
OH-6A / H500C ↗ReleasedMSFS 2024 Aircraft

The two supplied aircraft have different pilot positions

Taog’s manual places the command seat on the right in the military OH-6A and on the left in the civilian H500C. It describes the four-bladed rotor and differing engine installations. These are earlier family configurations than the later MD500E described in several pilot accounts.

Taog's Hangar · Download manual ↗

Taog OH-6A/H500C manual v1.1 · PDF pp.7–10

Light controls and working configurations

The OH-6A and H500C are separately selectable aircraft in Taog's package, with different skid and float choices. The manual describes electric actuators for cyclic trim and controls without hydraulic boost. Mission attachments add their documented weights at specified loading stations.

Taog's Hangar · Download manual ↗

MSFS2024; flight manual 1.1 · PDF pp.9-10,22

MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

Hughes OH-6 / 500

CowanSim · Released

MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Third-party add-on

Aircraft

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
500E for MSFS ↗ReleasedMSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 The developer describes an MSFS 2020 product compatible with MSFS 2024; a separately tailored native 2024 edition remains a future update.Aircraft

Cowan documents separate collective and throttle controls

The MSFS manual requires separate collective and twist-throttle axes, naming COLLECTIVE AXIS and SET HELICOPTER THROTTLE AXIS. It distinguishes the collective’s engine-RPM beep switch from the cyclic trim controls. The starter is a toggle that must be cycled off before another start.

CowanSim · User Manual ↗

Cowan MSFS 500E manual · PDF pp.1–5,9

The searchlight shares a simulator lighting assignment

Cowan connects the searchlight to landing light number two. The manual warns that the general on/off binding can switch all landing lights together and recommends the individual cockpit switches for separate control. Aim uses the landing-light directional commands, with HOME restoring its starting position.

CowanSim · User Manual ↗

Cowan MSFS 500E manual · PDF pp.10–11

X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12

Hughes OH-6 / 500

CowanSim · Released

X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12Third-party add-on

Aircraft

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
500E for X-Plane ↗ReleasedX-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12 Aircraft

Starting and cockpit equipment can be configured

The X-Plane 12 guide offers automatic starter-button holding and a complete automated start. AviTab supplies maps and PDF viewing when installed, while an installed Reality XP GTN750 can replace the standard GPS units through the configuration menu.

CowanSim · User Manual ↗

Cowan 500E X-Plane 12 manual · PDF pp.1–7

The VR seating position can be saved

Clipboard arrows adjust the pilot’s view in six directions. Save Position writes the chosen position to the aircraft’s VR configuration, and the guide requires an aircraft reload to apply it. Cyclic trim uses the ordinary X-Plane 12 trim commands.

CowanSim · User Manual ↗

Cowan 500E X-Plane 12 manual · PDF p.9

THE NUMBERS

Aircraft specifications

Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.

Specifications (OH-6A)Hughes OH-6 Cayuse · Specifications (OH-6A) · real aircraft; source units retained
SpecificationPublished value
Length30 ft 3.75 in (9.2393 m) including rotors
Height8 ft 1.5 in (2.477 m) to top of rotor hub
Empty weight1,229 lb (557 kg)
Gross weight2,400 lb (1,089 kg)
Max takeoff weight2,700 lb (1,225 kg)
Powerplant1 × Allison T63-A-5A turboshaft engine, 317 shp (236 kW) de-rated to:-
Main rotor diameter26 ft 4 in (8.03 m)
Main rotor area544.63 sq ft (50.598 m² )
Cruise speed130 kn (150 mph, 240 km/h) maximum at sea level
Range330 nmi (380 mi, 610 km) at 5,000 ft (1,524 m)
Service ceiling15,800 ft (4,800 m)
Rate of climb2,067 ft/min (10.50 m/s)
Wikipedia contributors · Hughes OH-6 Cayuse ↗
GO TO THE SOURCE

Manuals & resources

Find your next read

Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.

Simulator documentation

The two supplied aircraft have different pilot positionsOH-6A / H500C · Taog's Hangar · MSFS 2024

Taog’s manual places the command seat on the right in the military OH-6A and on the left in the civilian H500C. It describes the four-bladed rotor and differing engine installations. These are earlier family configurations than the later MD500E described in several pilot accounts.

Taog OH-6A/H500C manual v1.1 · PDF pp.7–10

Taog's Hangar · Read the source ↗
Light controls and working configurationsOH-6A / H500C · Taog's Hangar · MSFS 2024

The OH-6A and H500C are separately selectable aircraft in Taog's package, with different skid and float choices. The manual describes electric actuators for cyclic trim and controls without hydraulic boost. Mission attachments add their documented weights at specified loading stations.

MSFS2024; flight manual 1.1 · PDF pp.9-10,22

Taog's Hangar · Read the source ↗
Cowan documents separate collective and throttle controlsHughes OH-6 / 500 · CowanSim · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

The MSFS manual requires separate collective and twist-throttle axes, naming COLLECTIVE AXIS and SET HELICOPTER THROTTLE AXIS. It distinguishes the collective’s engine-RPM beep switch from the cyclic trim controls. The starter is a toggle that must be cycled off before another start.

Cowan MSFS 500E manual · PDF pp.1–5,9

CowanSim · Read the source ↗
Starting and cockpit equipment can be configuredHughes OH-6 / 500 · CowanSim · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12

The X-Plane 12 guide offers automatic starter-button holding and a complete automated start. AviTab supplies maps and PDF viewing when installed, while an installed Reality XP GTN750 can replace the standard GPS units through the configuration menu.

Cowan 500E X-Plane 12 manual · PDF pp.1–7

CowanSim · Read the source ↗
The VR seating position can be savedHughes OH-6 / 500 · CowanSim · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12

Clipboard arrows adjust the pilot’s view in six directions. Save Position writes the chosen position to the aircraft’s VR configuration, and the guide requires an aircraft reload to apply it. Cyclic trim uses the ordinary X-Plane 12 trim commands.

Cowan 500E X-Plane 12 manual · PDF p.9

CowanSim · Read the source ↗

Pilot account

Returning to a favourite after more than twenty yearsAOPA · May 2023. Factory visit and supervised MD500E flight in N40125 with Dennis Banks, after Huling’s last flight on type in November 2000.

A television helicopter had helped inspire Huling’s interest, but his factory visit also showed the people building the aircraft by hand. Four new helicopters were on the production line during a period when the company was trying to rebuild customer support and confidence. Flying one afterward gave him a more personal reason to enjoy the visit. His initial hover needed a few corrections before the feel returned.

Murray Huling

AOPA · Read the source ↗
A factory visit renews an instructor’s attachment to the typeSA Flyer · archived 2017 article. Arizona visit with MD factory test pilot Dennis Banks; the author also recalls earlier MD500D conversion training in California.

Andrykowsky made a long drive to Arizona for time with Dennis Banks, whose familiarity with the aircraft impressed him as much as the flying. Practising autorotations in the desert was far removed from the author’s ordinary day, and he openly admitted a strong affection for the MD500 before offering his assessment. That attachment had begun with a conversion course among law-enforcement pilots in California.

Christoph Andrykowsky

SA Flyer · Read the source ↗

Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.

Manual

↗Download manualTaog's Hangar ↗Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developers ↗Taog aircraft manualsTaog's Hangar

Aircraft background

↗Hughes OH-6 CayuseWikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1362659956 · retrieved 2026-09-12

Product

↗500E for MSFSCowanSim · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12 ↗500E for X-PlaneCowanSim · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12 ↗OH-6A / H500CTaog’s Hangar · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12

Type designator

↗ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03

Developer documentation

↗User ManualCowanSim · Gathered developer documentation ↗User ManualCowanSim · Gathered developer documentation
AIRCRAFT AND FEEL

Built-in force-feedback profiles

Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.

Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 9 profile choices

FFB-BRIDGE BUILT-IN PROFILE

MD Helicopters MD530F Civil Utility

Free and ProRevision 1Partial review

A small observation-helicopter family with a rounded cabin and compact rotor system.

Aircraft and simulator scope

  • MD Helicopters MD530F Civil Utility · MSFS 2020 · Variant starting point
  • MD Helicopters MD530F Civil Utility · MSFS 2024 · Variant starting point
  • MD Helicopters MD530F Civil Utility · X-Plane 12 · Variant starting point

Universal named airframe/configuration; intended MSFS2020/MSFS2024/XP12 starting point, not add-on or edition acceptance. · Physical facts and prior documentary review are reused from their archived dated sources; new market availability is not inferred.

The simulator model and controls

A small observation-helicopter family with a rounded cabin and compact rotor system.

How this profile feels

The spring stays independent of airspeed. Directed aerodynamic loading is omitted.

Local force trim is off. Autopilot following is off.

Aircraft and configuration

Unarmed civil utility configuration: one Rolls-Royce250-C30 turboshaft, fully articulated five-blade main rotor, tail rotor and extended skid gear. The manufacturer identifies training, utility and light-cargo base roles. Weapons and optional mission equipment are outside this baseline.

About the values

Strengths are normalized hardware-feel settings. They set the effect balance; hand force depends on the device and its limits. The IAS reference is a tuning value.

What the documentation establishes

MD Helicopters MD530F Civil Utility: Unarmed civil utility configuration: one Rolls-Royce250-C30 turboshaft, fully articulated five-blade main rotor, tail rotor and extended skid gear. The manufacturer identifies training, utility and light-cargo base roles. Weapons and optional mission equipment are outside this baseline.

Documentary review and sources

These decisions describe the documentary basis and remaining gaps for this revision. Aircraft documentation and a starting setting describe different kinds of evidence.

Equipment
Reviewed

Unarmed civil utility configuration: one Rolls-Royce250-C30 turboshaft, fully articulated five-blade main rotor, tail rotor and extended skid gear. The manufacturer identifies training, utility and light-cargo base roles. Weapons and optional mission equipment are outside this baseline.

Starting settings and their rationale

These configured values are starting estimates. The explanations describe what each setting controls; physical validation appears separately below.

Estimated starting settings · revision 1
SettingStarting valueWhat it controls and why
Spring strengthStarting value0.1 What it controls and whyThis profile uses cyclic loading for Hughes OH-6 / 500. The baseline spring is 0.1. Low-speed spring blending is off.
Master force gainStarting value0.65 What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits.
Profile force gainStarting value0 What it controls and whyThe 0 gain omits sustained directed airspeed loading. Spring resistance remains independent.
Force tuning speed/referenceStarting value110 ktWhat it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit.
Spring response reference speedStarting value55.0 ktWhat it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it.
Aileron force scaleStarting value1 What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 1 and 1, respectively. These stored weights do not create directed aerodynamic loading while that term is inactive. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled.
Elevator force scaleStarting value1 What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings.
Trim feelStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement.
Trim reliefStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount.
Autopilot followStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel.
Autopilot neutral holdStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target.
Output force limitStarting value0.55 What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate.
All 44 starting settings and their rationale

The settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.

Estimated starting settings · revision 1
SettingStarting valueWhat it controls and why
Spring strengthStarting value0.1 What it controls and whyThis profile uses cyclic loading for Hughes OH-6 / 500. The baseline spring is 0.1. Low-speed spring blending is off.
Profile force gainStarting value0 What it controls and whyThe 0 gain omits sustained directed airspeed loading. Spring resistance remains independent.
Elevator force scaleStarting value1 What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings.
Aileron force scaleStarting value1 What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 1 and 1, respectively. These stored weights do not create directed aerodynamic loading while that term is inactive. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled.
Output force limitStarting value0.55 What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate.

MD Helicopters MD530F Civil Utility: No documented neutral-position/FTR telemetry contract; local FTR and generic aircraft trim relief remain disabled to avoid competing ownership. Estimated pitch/roll trim authorities 0/0; exact add-on sign, travel, units and build-specific neutral remain unqualified. Rudder trim never substitutes for roll trim.

Estimated starting settings · revision 1
SettingStarting valueWhat it controls and why
Elevator AuthorityStarting value0 What it controls and whyScales supported pitch-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes pitch response.
Aileron AuthorityStarting value0 What it controls and whyScales supported roll-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes roll response.

MD Helicopters MD530F Civil Utility: 110 KIAS is the retained estimated tuning reference. It is not published cruise TAS, VNE, a new flight limit or a measured force threshold. Source-specific operating quantities remain attached to their original configuration and conditions.

Estimated starting settings · revision 1
SettingStarting valueWhat it controls and why
Force tuning speed/referenceStarting value110 ktWhat it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit.

Exact configured values with software explanations. Force magnitudes remain editable estimates; disabled features retain inactive values.

Estimated starting settings · revision 1
SettingStarting valueWhat it controls and why
Spring deadbandStarting value0.02 What it controls and whySets travel around the centre before the baseline spring resists. Smaller values engage it sooner.
Master force gainStarting value0.65 What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits.
QBlend EnabledStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyAllows baseline spring strength to rise with indicated airspeed where the control law permits it.
QSpring Minimum FactorStarting value0.5 What it controls and whySets low-speed spring strength as a fraction of baseline when blending is enabled. One keeps full strength.
QSpring Start KnotsStarting value8 ktWhat it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed spring blend starts rising. This is a feel threshold, not a flight limit.
Spring response reference speedStarting value55.0 ktWhat it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it.
Airspeed spring stiffening gainStarting value0 What it controls and whyAdds permitted spring resistance above the full-blend speed. Zero removes this high-speed increase.
Airspeed spring stiffening limitStarting value5 What it controls and whyLimits the squared airspeed ratio used for high-speed spring stiffening; it is not a device-force cap.
Trim feelStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement.
Trim reliefStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount.
Force Trim EnabledStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyThe profile uses the trim behaviour configured below. Local force trim is off. The stored latch parameters are inactive; the profile does not supply a local hold-where-left neutral.
GLoad EnabledStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyAllows load-factor changes to modify permitted spring laws. Passive fly-by-wire feel can suppress it.
Rate Damping EnabledStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyEnables rate damping with the configured coefficients and control law.
Autopilot followStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel.
Autopilot follow authorityStarting value0.1 What it controls and whySets admitted AP-follow gain, not a percentage of travel. Runtime ownership and input limits still apply.
Autopilot neutral holdStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target.
Autopilot neutral hold strengthStarting value0.6 What it controls and whySets admitted AP neutral-hold strength; inactive while neutral hold is disabled.
EnabledStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyEnables aerodynamic cues; each still needs nonzero strength and its simulator conditions.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets stall-buffet strength. Zero removes the cue without changing simulator stalls or warnings.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets high-Mach buffet strength; onset and full-strength thresholds are separate.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets flap buffet at the configured position and speed gates. Flap movement texture is separate.
Maximum flap indexStarting value3 What it controls and whySets the final flap index for detent normalization. UP plus three detents uses maximum index3.
Minimum flap indexStarting value2 What it controls and whySets the first flap detent that admits buffet; this is a handle index, not degrees.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets gear aerodynamic buffet; movement and ground-contact cues are separate.
Shaker EnabledStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyPermits shaker at supported warning conditions; the switch does not establish aircraft equipment.
Stick shaker amplitudeStarting value0.5 What it controls and whySets triggered shaker strength; inactive while the shaker feature is disabled.
EnabledStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyEnables ground effects; each still needs its own strength and contact or motion telemetry.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets rolling texture strength, modified by speed, surface and undercarriage configuration.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets gear-bump texture during ground motion, separate from touchdown impact.
GainStarting value0.2 What it controls and whySets landing-impact strength; landing telemetry and response shape determine the pulse.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets reverse-thrust vibration with valid reverser and engine conditions. Zero removes the cue.
EnabledStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyEnables engine cues with nonzero settings and valid running-engine telemetry.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets estimated engine vibration using configured telemetry and response, not measured cockpit vibration.
EnabledStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyEnables accessory cues with configured strengths and observed accessory movement.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets texture from observed flap movement; a command without movement does not establish the cue.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets texture from observed gear movement, separate from aerodynamic and touchdown effects.
Limits and open questions
  • MD Helicopters MD530F Civil Utility is a universal starting point; exact add-on matching, edition operation and physical hand-force calibration remain unqualified.
  • Autopilot movement and unknown custom trim, failure or force-input signals are disabled. Confirm the selected equipment fit and trim direction for the implementation in use.
  • Force magnitudes and speed tuning are editable inherited estimates. Owner physical and installed-aircraft acceptance remain pending.

Physical validation

No physical force validation is recorded in this public catalogue for this revision. Documentary review and software checks do not establish how a particular device feels.

FFB-Bridge maintains this profile’s revisions and tuning discussion.

Revision 1 and download availability in FFB-Bridge ↗
Exact profile identity
Profile
airframe-md-helicopters-md530f-civil-utility
Artifact SHA-256
6ce97b76fc283137a8f41c074e0c5ff8302ec7e494555d11f84f17378e815816
Bytes
14647
Spring strength
Forces.SpringStrength
Profile force gain
Forces.ForceGain
Elevator force scale
Forces.ElevatorForceScale
Aileron force scale
Forces.AileronForceScale
Output force limit
Forces.MaxOutputForce
Elevator Authority
StickFeel.TrimRelief.ElevatorAuthority
Aileron Authority
StickFeel.TrimRelief.AileronAuthority
Force tuning speed/reference
Forces.CruiseSpeedRefKnots
Spring deadband
Forces.SpringDeadband
Master force gain
Forces.MasterGain
QBlend Enabled
Forces.QBlendEnabled
QSpring Minimum Factor
Forces.QSpringMinimumFactor
QSpring Start Knots
Forces.QSpringStartKnots
Spring response reference speed
Forces.QSpringFullKnots
Airspeed spring stiffening gain
Forces.SpringAirspeedStiffenGain
Airspeed spring stiffening limit
Forces.SpringAirspeedStiffenCap
Trim feel
StickFeel.TrimFeelEnabled
Trim relief
StickFeel.TrimReliefEnabled
Force Trim Enabled
StickFeel.ForceTrimEnabled
GLoad Enabled
StickFeel.GLoadEnabled
Rate Damping Enabled
StickFeel.RateDampingEnabled
Autopilot follow
Autopilot.FollowEnabled
Autopilot follow authority
Autopilot.FollowAuthority
Autopilot neutral hold
Autopilot.NeutralHoldEnabled
Autopilot neutral hold strength
Autopilot.NeutralHoldStrength
Enabled
Aero.Enabled
Gain
Aero.Stall.Gain
Gain
Aero.Mach.Gain
Gain
Aero.Flap.Gain
Maximum flap index
Aero.Flap.MaxFlapIndex
Minimum flap index
Aero.Flap.MinFlapIndex
Gain
Aero.Gear.Gain
Shaker Enabled
Aero.ShakerEnabled
Stick shaker amplitude
Aero.Shaker.Amplitude
Enabled
Ground.Enabled
Gain
Ground.Rumble.Gain
Gain
Ground.Bumps.Gain
Gain
Ground.Thump.Gain
Gain
Ground.Reverse.Gain
Enabled
Engine.Enabled
Gain
Engine.Rumble.Gain
Enabled
Mechanical.Enabled
Gain
Mechanical.FlapMotion.Gain
Gain
Mechanical.GearMotion.Gain
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