AlpineStudio EC130 B4
AlpineStudio EC130 B4: The spring and damping approximate this turbine helicopter’s cyclic balance.
Aircraft and simulator scope
- AlpineStudio EC130 B4 · AlpineStudio · X-Plane 12 · Add-on starting point
The simulator model and controls
Eurocopter developed the EC130 from the AS350 Écureuil, changing the tail arrangement to an enclosed Fenestron. The product later took the H130 name under Airbus Helicopters. The two names reflect that corporate and product history. Equipment varies by model and operator.
This profile selects AlpineStudio EC130 B4 for X-Plane 12.
How this profile feels
The spring and damping approximate this turbine helicopter’s cyclic balance. The spring stays independent of airspeed. Directed aerodynamic loading is omitted. Cyclic damping adds resistance to hardware motion.
Software trim release depends on the controller strategy and SAS state. Local force trim is off. Autopilot following is off.
Controls and trim
The EC130/H130 has a three-blade main rotor and a ten-blade Fenestron. The reviewed manuals describe rotor trim and reset; controller centering and SAS state change the simulator’s trim-release behaviour. The EC130B4’s power-on and power-off rotor ranges retain their own contexts.
The selected implementation
The EC130B4 product has analog/G500 and medical equipment choices, with rotor-regulation changes recorded by version.
About the values
The gains are normalized profile settings. They describe the chosen effect balance; hand force depends on the device and its output limits. IAS references are tuning values rather than operating limits. Physical acceptance of this revision remains pending.
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.
Aircraft and variant
InheritedThis profile selects AlpineStudio EC130 B4 for X-Plane 12.
Flight controls
InheritedThe EC130/H130 has a three-blade main rotor and a ten-blade Fenestron. The reviewed manuals describe rotor trim and reset; controller centering and SAS state change the simulator’s trim-release behaviour. The EC130B4’s power-on and power-off rotor ranges retain their own contexts.
Trim
InheritedSoftware trim release depends on the controller strategy and SAS state. Local force trim is off. Autopilot following is off.
Autopilot and stability
InheritedAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel.
Equipment
InheritedThe EC130B4 product has analog/G500 and medical equipment choices, with rotor-regulation changes recorded by version.
Speeds and limits
InheritedThe indicated-speed references set the profile response scale; they are separate from aircraft operating limits.
Simulator integration
InheritedThe profile targets xplane12. Add-on-specific controls use only the supported references configured by this profile.
Force-feedback settings
InheritedThe settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
Starting settings and their rationale
These configured values are starting estimates. The explanations describe what each setting controls; physical validation appears separately below.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.1 | What it controls and whyThe spring and damping approximate this turbine helicopter’s cyclic balance. The baseline spring is 0.1. Low-speed spring blending is off. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.65 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyThe 0 gain omits sustained directed airspeed loading. Spring resistance remains independent. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value110 kt | What 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 speed | Starting value57.5 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting 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 scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Output force limit | Starting 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.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.1 | What it controls and whyThe spring and damping approximate this turbine helicopter’s cyclic balance. The baseline spring is 0.1. Low-speed spring blending is off. |
| Spring deadband | Starting value0.02 | What it controls and whySets travel around the centre before the baseline spring resists. Smaller values engage it sooner. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyThe 0 gain omits sustained directed airspeed loading. Spring resistance remains independent. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.65 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| QBlend Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows baseline spring strength to rise with indicated airspeed where the control law permits it. |
| QSpring Minimum Factor | Starting value1 | What it controls and whySets low-speed spring strength as a fraction of baseline when blending is enabled. One keeps full strength. |
| QSpring Start Knots | Starting value16.1 kt | What 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 speed | Starting value57.5 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value110 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyAdds permitted spring resistance above the full-blend speed. Zero removes this high-speed increase. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening limit | Starting value5 | What it controls and whyLimits the squared airspeed ratio used for high-speed spring stiffening; it is not a device-force cap. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting 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 scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Elevator Authority | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyScales supported pitch-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes pitch response. |
| Aileron Authority | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyScales supported roll-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes roll response. |
| Force Trim Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whySoftware trim release depends on the controller strategy and SAS state. Local force trim is off. The stored latch parameters are inactive; the profile does not supply a local hold-where-left neutral. |
| GLoad Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows load-factor changes to modify permitted spring laws. Passive fly-by-wire feel can suppress it. |
| Rate Damping Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables rate damping with the configured coefficients and control law. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot follow authority | Starting value0.05 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP-follow gain, not a percentage of travel. Runtime ownership and input limits still apply. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Autopilot neutral hold strength | Starting value0.6 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP neutral-hold strength; inactive while neutral hold is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables aerodynamic cues; each still needs nonzero strength and its simulator conditions. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets stall-buffet strength. Zero removes the cue without changing simulator stalls or warnings. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets high-Mach buffet strength; onset and full-strength thresholds are separate. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets flap buffet at the configured position and speed gates. Flap movement texture is separate. |
| Maximum flap index | Starting value1 | What it controls and whySets the final flap index for detent normalization. UP plus three detents uses maximum index3. |
| Minimum flap index | Starting value1 | What it controls and whySets the first flap detent that admits buffet; this is a handle index, not degrees. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets gear aerodynamic buffet; movement and ground-contact cues are separate. |
| Shaker Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits shaker at supported warning conditions; the switch does not establish aircraft equipment. |
| Stick shaker amplitude | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets triggered shaker strength; inactive while the shaker feature is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables ground effects; each still needs its own strength and contact or motion telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets rolling texture strength, modified by speed, surface and undercarriage configuration. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets gear-bump texture during ground motion, separate from touchdown impact. |
| Gain | Starting value0.2 | What it controls and whySets landing-impact strength; landing telemetry and response shape determine the pulse. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets reverse-thrust vibration with valid reverser and engine conditions. Zero removes the cue. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables engine cues with nonzero settings and valid running-engine telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets estimated engine vibration using configured telemetry and response, not measured cockpit vibration. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables accessory cues with configured strengths and observed accessory movement. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed flap movement; a command without movement does not establish the cue. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed gear movement, separate from aerodynamic and touchdown effects. |
Limits and open questions
- Cyclic resistance, damping and airframe textures are editable estimates, not measured grip forces. Installed-product and physical acceptance remain deferred.
- Fixed physical neutral is an approximation. Add-on trim, force-trim release, virtual centering, SAS and autopilot servo outputs are not synchronized with hardware. Local FTR, follow-up trim, both fixed-wing trim paths and AP follow/hold are disabled.
- No invented hydraulic-failure force, mast moment, collective-force axis, tail-rotor force, variable VNE or retreating-blade-stall warning. Reported custom sound or visual vibration does not establish a force telemetry contract.
- ETL and low-speed descent cues, where enabled, use generic heuristics and are not aircraft-specific warnings. All speed references are tuning choices, not operating limits.
- Documentary title patterns require a developer/configuration identifier. When identity is ambiguous or omitted, select the applicable profile and save it as the aircraft default.
- Current XP12 standard angular-speed channel only; customized rotor regulation and hydraulic state require installed checks.
- 386RPM normalization is the documented conversion reference within the variable powered range, not a claim that B4 always governs386. 110KIAS tuning reference.
- Standard XP12 main-rotor angular speed is converted to RPM and normalized by the stated reference. Rotor index applicability requires installed verification. Missing RPM silences rotor rumble; the forward-flight n/rev channel can fall back to combustion and a default frequency.
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.