I have had the pleasure of having all three of these software packages on my computer. I also do fly 40%'s - have a sponsorship (and not from any software company/distributer) and have flown most brands including the big three . . . Carden, Comp Arf, Aeroworks. I know Nothing of heli's however so will not even try to talk about them.

Reflex

Positives
1 - It tells you when you log out if your transmitter is still on.
2 - if you pull the throttle and trim all the way back your engine stops.
3 - The sound effects are pretty nice.
4 - It has a torque roll trainer. It will let you work on one axis at a time while it hold the others for you. I don't know if this would help someone to learn or not.
5 - Nice eye candy.

Some mixed features
1 - The flight line bar O.K I understand the idea and it makes sense, but it should be on a toggle switch. And yes I know you can fly around it if you fly far enough away.
2 - I assume it is a feature that if you fly very close to yourself very fast the "virtual head" can't turn fast enough so their is a delay as you turn around.
3 - I assume it is a feature that if you fly even closer to yourself (ouch) you get a reset. Toggle would be nice here to.

Negatives
1 - Most other 3D doesn't not feel right. Harriers and rolling harriers are way off.
2 - Where is a good Extra ?


G3

Positives
1 - Hot key so you can increase / decrease wind speed without going into settings.
2 - lessons from Frank and Jason. I would have liked to play with them more, but ran out of time.
2 - E3D flew well out of the box.

Mixed
1 - Obstacle course for flying field. Yes I know it's editable, but ever field I tried had too much stuff. I didn't want to edit I wanted to fly! I ended up using the slope soaring field just so there was nothing around and turned the wind down

Negatives
1 - Could not download and install patches. would just crash the application.
2 - Could not install addons (not 1,2,3 or four) would crash the application.
3 - That Yak is not Giant Scale.
4 - G2 was better!

AFPD

Positives
1 - Closest to the real thing I have flown.
2 - Turn on wind and turbulence and they are very realistic feeling. Slope and thermals as well.
3 - Balloon Popping! = great torque roll practice.
4 - Plenty of downloads - both planes and fields
5 - Eye candy.
6 - Ability to switch from an interactive 3d environment to a 3d photo = best of both worlds
7 - Very easy graphical interface to modify plane size, shape, weight, etc.
8 - 40% feel like 40% and foamies feel like foamies.

Mixed
1 - the process of "painting" a plane seems complex, however there are plenty of downloads.
2 - why does the stock extra have so much incidence?

Negatives
1 - could not get a Futaba 6A to work with the sim (and it worked perfect with refex and in real life) (both my JR 10X and Airtronics 4 channel worked great, but I didn't want to beat my 10x and the 4 has no duel rates).
2 - Sounds could be better.
3 - The settings for prop - is that 2 blade or three blade? can it be changed? Could spool up time be longer for three blade props?
4 - You can take the 80" Christan Eagle and bring it up to 45 lbs and 60 degrees of elevator and it still doesn't "bite" (snap with a sudden hard pull of elevator.


Personal notes:
1 - People say there is no coupling with AFPD - well sometimes there should be more, but when I apply rudder to the Extra it rolls and tucks (slowly)
2 - People say that you need to increase the sim speed for AFPD, I don't think they are flying a 40%. My Carden 40% Extra flies slower than the sim.
3 - It would be nice if the first two positives from reflex and the first one to G3 could be added to AFPD.

With all this said and done which is still on my system? AFPD and G2!

Which do I fly mostly? AFPD. Hands down the best for 3D.

Rob

P.S. I would like to thank Peter for lending me his Reflex and G3 so I could make an honest comparison.