CFIT Gordon

Hi all,

I know that in past years a number of comparisons have been made on this forum between Phoenix and Realflight, but I only spotted one comparison that also rated Aerofly5 alongside the other two RC sims, and that dated back to 2010, before the most current updates of all three packages had been released .

I recently acquired Phoenix4, and found it to be dramatically better than Realflight3.5 which Iowned some years back, thought I imagine the most recent version of Realflight is way beter than RF3.5 was back then.

Anyway,despite my satisfaction with the realism, model physics and frame rates I get with Phoenix, Ican't help but wonder how Aerofly5 stacks up against Phoenix4. I sure would like to hear from any of you RC fliers out there who have had the chance to use and compare the performanceof Phoenix4 against Aerofly5. If there are any features of Aerofly5that are way better than Phoenix4, I might be tempted to go ahead and purchase Aerofly5 in addition to Phoenix4 which Ialready own. If the differences between the two simsare not that significant, I may not bother getting Aerofly5.

Considering the following criteria, which RC sim is better - Phoenix4 or Aerofly5.
1. Frame rates and computer resource demands.
2. Realismof aircraft appearance, flight dynamics and even crash dynamics.
3.Number andquality of selectable aircraft.
4. Aesthetics, resolution and number of flying sites
5, Ease of use for online multi-player flying
6. Miscellaneous groujnd scenery eye-candy like water effects etc

I look forward to hearing any opinions you guys may have formed regarding the latest updates ofPhoenix4 andAerofly5.

Thanks from Tony

CFIT Gordon

Still standing by to hear from anyone who has used both of the above RC flight sims.  Even a short  response would be fine by me, just to give some idea which package might have a slight edge over the other.

GarySS

My Feedback: (13)

Don't have either so I can't contribute, but have you done a search on each specific simulator either here or on the other R/C websites.....rcgroups?

From those searches determine those posters who seem to actually have the product and sent them a PM with your specific questions. They probably don't have both, but can comment on theirs.

But, maybe someone can comment here, too...............

jetmanhuss

Hi.

Before i'll write my opinion about these two sims, let me begin with an introduction...
A few years ago, all of this area of R/C simulators started to get commercial. Because it turned into a "money machine", it became a race for the eye candy, and less a race for realizm.

For example, the models are breaking apart during crashes more nicely relatively to the sim's price... Now, crashing animation is not very important when learning or training your R/C skills in a simulator.
Another thing is that many users of these flightsims are not really using it for training. Some of them using it simply as a video-game. This explains those new features in the sim's, like in realflight , "targeting system", or "dead ringer" etc.

Now, for the comparison. Well, it all depands on what you are looking for? Do you want basic training? is it hellis? or 3D? or turbines?
Do you want to play with a fun and good looking video game? From reading most of your questions - it looks like you are interesting in the better VIDEO GAME rather a better simulator.

In a simulaion point of view:
Phoenix4 feels "too easy" for me. The models looks like they are flying very slow, and the turbine models (a-10 for example) is not near to simulating a real turbine R/C model. There are a lot of options for weather and camera settings. eye candy and sound is great but do not compensate, for me - again, the relatively low-avarage realizm of the fixed wings models.

Aerofly5, in terms of simulation (not a video game), is better in my opinion, when realism is the main purpose of use. The models seems to manage their potential (speed, height) better.

The freeware/"low end"/cheap simulators are not always the less-realistic ones. RCdesk pilot is great, Clearview also. What happened is that the very first common freeware R/C sim "FMS R/C SIM" was really bad when it comes to airplane behaviour in the air, It was said that it was only good for orientation training, and it was generally correct. The result was "bad name" for all of the free/cheap simulators. Now, after trying them all, free and expensive, I say that in terms of realism, the "cheap ones" are great!

CFIT Gordon

Thank you for taking the time to mention the differences you have seen between Phoenix4 and Aerofly5, Jetmanhuss.

You are right that currently my use ofPhoenix4could be likened more to a video game than to a true sim. I did acquire a few cheap RC helis some years ago, but found my control skills so poor that I decided to spend a lot more time practicing with an RC simulator, before I ever tried the real thing again. After a while, I realized I enjoyed Phoenix RC perhaps MORE than I did flying a real RC heli, and that continues now.

Still and all, I would like to own a sim that bestapproximates the true flight charactristics of a real RC model, and with that in mind, I might just goahead and purchase Aerofly, now that I have listened to yourexperienced opinion on both RC sims, so that when I do summon the courage to try some actual RC flights, I will hopefully have honed myflying responses to the point of their being pretty much second nature.

Gary SS thanksfor your response as well. I agree that more attentive searches in th is and other forumswilldig up the answers tomost of the noob questions thatcome to my mind as I muddle along in the RC world.

Much obliged, fellas