Worth the effort?
 

I soloed this past summer and have a few flights on a Tiger 60. I can fly my trainer inverted, do loops, immelmans, cuban 8s, aileron rolls, etc. I am looking to try to learn IMAC type aerobatics and plan to start with the Tiger. My question is regarding using a sim (RF G3.5) to learn the maneuvers. I have a Tiger for the sim and have started to use the sim to practice. Am I wasting my time? Is there a benefit to learning on the sim? I know that there is quite a difference between the sim and actuality, but will it help? Or should I wait until I can fly the actual plane?

Regards,
Jerry

RE: Worth the effort?
 

This is one thing that I think the sims are great for. Learning new manuevers, especially practicing styles of flying such as IMAC. You're still going to have to spend time on the real plane practicing as you can't learn it all on the simulators, but the sims can greatly reduce your learning time. It's really great for getting muscle memory built up. It's also great for working out any bugs or hang ups you may have. For instance, when I learned to fly I was scared to death of flying close to the ground for the first few years I flew. I finally broke that by using the sim (RealFlight 2) which helped me get used to flying low and close to the ground. I've also used the simulator to help students. I had one that just couldn't do a right hand turn to save his life. So I sent him home with RealFlight and by the next weekend his right turns were smooth as silk!!!

So yes, I think it is a good tool to help out.

Ken

RE: Worth the effort?
 

I'm no expert but I believe that the sim helps to one to start memorizing what controls do what. It is a great conditioner for the mind, eye hand coordination and allowing one to think 4-5 moves ahead. You are right it is not the real thing but the controls are the real thing. The sim lacks the excitment and the heart rate when you see something going wrong. But it will condition you to know what you need to do in a certain situation. Just my 2c worth.

RE: Worth the effort?
 

It has been my experience that the sims help with getting you use to stick association (what makes the plane do what) and controlling the aircraft throughout a sequence. I don't feel that they will actually help you in flying the IMAC patterns as the plane will not be the same and the conditions will not be the same. If you have adjusted the plane in your sim to fly like yours then it's a good idea to practice, if for no other reason, then to learn the sequences. Anything is better then nothing but keep in mind that once you put your plane in the air a lot of other factors are going to be present that aren't there on the sim. I just spent quite some time on 3.5 trying to fly the IMAC beginner sequence and there are a lot of things that would actually be easier if I were flying my plane. Three guys responding at once, must be a record! LOL

RE: Worth the effort?
 

I don't know about the simulator but I do know if you stick a super tiger 90 2 stroke on that tiger 60 you can practice 3-D all day long and have unlimited vertical.

well i do know that one 17 year old kid in our club practices IMAC all he can on the simulator and took 2nd place in some big meet in indiana.

But, on the other hand another guy thats been flying for 2 years has had 3 different simulators and didn't care for any of them.

Only real way to find out is to get one and find out for yourself. Me, I'm saving my simulator money for 2-3 cases of fuel to get me through the 1st month of flying this summer! :)

RE: Worth the effort?
 

One other thing. If money is an issue and you spend it all on your simulator with none left for fuel this summer, you can always take your simulator to the field and show everyone how good you are on it!

Really though, make sure your computer will be able to handle the newer simulators they have out. Lots of them won't.

RE: Worth the effort?
 

While I don't feel simulators are a waste of time or money, I do feel they don't provide as "real" an exeperience as their advertising claims. Models are much easier to see and track in real life, but much harder to tune, trim, take-off and land than the simulators would have you believe. I have Dave Brown 2000, RCFS 2001 and FMS 8.5 (free) and use them a lot to practice maneuvers or just keep some thumb time in during evenings, but I have yet to come across a model that mimics any of my actual model planes in flight. Neither of those simulators allows me to adjust the throws to those of the model, so the feel is never the same. That, and they just don't mimic live situations. Maybe the fancier sims with the ability to use your regular transmitter have better capabilities?

Still, the basics are the same.

There just never seem to be pot-holes and high grass in the simulated runways like I have at the field.