VSKYLABS Robinson R44 Raven II
VSKYLABS Robinson R44 Raven II: Hydraulic cyclic assistance motivates low supported centering.
Aircraft and simulator scope
- VSKYLABS Robinson R44 Raven II · VSKYLABS · X-Plane 12 · Add-on starting point
The simulator model and controls
The R44 extends Robinson’s light-helicopter layout into a four-seat cabin. The Raven II uses a fuel-injected Lycoming IO-540 engine and retains the family’s two-blade main and tail rotors.
This profile selects VSKYLABS Robinson R44 Raven II for X-Plane 12.
How this profile feels
Hydraulic cyclic assistance motivates low supported centering. The spring stays independent of airspeed. Directed aerodynamic loading is omitted. Cyclic damping adds resistance to hardware motion.
The selected neutral remains separate from collective friction and governor operation. Local force trim is off. Autopilot following is off.
Controls and trim
The R44 uses hydraulically boosted cyclic control, with collective friction treated separately. Its two-blade rotor and piston governor have independently stated rotor and engine references. The manufacturer’s 408-rpm value is a 102-percent rotor condition.
The selected implementation
VSKYLABS models hydraulically boosted cyclic controls and a separate collective-friction control. Its cyclic friction is not modelled; the engine governor activates above 80 percent engine RPM.
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 VSKYLABS Robinson R44 Raven II for X-Plane 12.
Flight controls
InheritedThe R44 uses hydraulically boosted cyclic control, with collective friction treated separately. Its two-blade rotor and piston governor have independently stated rotor and engine references. The manufacturer’s 408-rpm value is a 102-percent rotor condition.
Trim
InheritedThe selected neutral remains separate from collective friction and governor operation. 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
InheritedVSKYLABS models hydraulically boosted cyclic controls and a separate collective-friction control. Its cyclic friction is not modelled; the engine governor activates above 80 percent engine RPM.
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 whyHydraulic cyclic assistance motivates low supported centering. 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 value105 kt | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is zero, so this stored tuning reference does not create a forward-flight cyclic load. It is not the published cruise speed. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value45 kt | What it controls and whyInactive while airspeed spring blending is disabled. This value does not define translational lift. |
| 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 whyHydraulic cyclic assistance motivates low supported centering. The baseline spring is 0.1. Low-speed spring blending is off. |
| Spring deadband | Starting value0.02 | What it controls and whyA small quiet zone helps prevent the supported cyclic from chattering near neutral. This is a hardware tuning choice, not free play measured in the real R44 controls. |
| 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 whyAirspeed blending is disabled for this implementation. The light supporting spring stays constant rather than imitating an airplane’s increasing surface load. |
| QSpring Minimum Factor | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyStored for the common force model; it does not alter this profile while airspeed spring blending is disabled. |
| QSpring Start Knots | Starting value10 kt | What it controls and whyInactive while airspeed spring blending is disabled. This is not an R44 flight limitation. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value45 kt | What it controls and whyInactive while airspeed spring blending is disabled. This value does not define translational lift. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value105 kt | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is zero, so this stored tuning reference does not create a forward-flight cyclic load. It is not the published cruise speed. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyNo extra centering stiffness is added with speed, consistent with the profile’s hydraulically assisted control interpretation. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening limit | Starting value2 | 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 whyThe selected neutral remains separate from collective friction and governor operation. 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 whyRolling runway rumble is omitted for the skid-equipped R44. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyWheel-style ground bumps are omitted for the skid landing gear; the separate touchdown cue remains available. |
| Gain | Starting value0.2 | What it controls and whyA restrained touchdown cue marks ground contact. Its amplitude is a simulator effect choice, not a measurement of forces through the real cyclic. |
| 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 whyThe R44 has no airplane-style trailing-edge flaps, so this motion cue is disabled. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyThe fixed skid undercarriage has no retracting-gear motion to represent. |
Limits and open questions
- Governor activates above80 percent engine RPM. Manufacturer408RPM is102 percent, so normalization uses400RPM at100 percent, not408. Standard rotor telemetry still requires installed acceptance.
- Physical and installed-aircraft acceptance deferred. Gains, damping, frequency envelopes and airspeed references are estimates.
- No unqualified AP following, trim actuator demand, failure behavior or dynamic equipment detection.
- Rotor rumble uses actual rotor state only. Enabled forward-flight n/rev retains the runtime engine-combustion presence and governed-nominal frequency fallback when rotor telemetry is missing; it is not measured rotor loading. ETL/VRS are generic airspeed/descent heuristics, not add-on vortex-state integration.
- Metadata identity repair only; force modules, matching and simulator scope unchanged.
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.