Compared to real life...
 

Ok, my wife finally let me get Real Flight G4. I have several planes, all of which I haven't flown yet aside from my glider (used a Cox engine to get it airborne, then once it dies, fly it until it comes down). All of my planes and gear were a gift from my grandfather who no longer has the capability to fly. Anyways, I have been flying the nextstar model exclusively as it is most like the planes I have now (with AFS off). I am really liking it and after several crashes, I seem to really be getting the hang of it. I can land and take off with zero problems, ovals, figure eights, loops, barrel rolls, etc. I have just recently started adding wind but no real problems there. I am working on my spot landings now.

My question is, how does the software compare to real flight. I noticed that different planes I selected maneuvered differently. I know that in a way, its nothing like the real thing, but what are some of your thoughts on it. I like it because I can practice controls, like how to level a plane out or turn when its either flying at me at away from me and getting my orientation down. What are your thoughts?

RE: Compared to real life...
 

The simulator is a wonderful learning tool.

G3/G4 does a great job at simulating an RC plane, and it does so with great fidelity.

However no sim will subject you to what you'll experience at your airfield.

Bugs, the sun getting into your view, other planes, unexpected wind motion over the ground, other pilots, etc.

Couple that with the knocking knees you'll get on your first flights, and you'll find that your experience at the field is unlike what the sim gives you.

That said, the Nexstar and PT-40 in the sim really do mimic the real planes quite well...

So much so that my 10 year old daughter's first attempt with an Alpha 40 ( which is identical to the PT-40 ), went quite well thanks to the sim.

Needless to say the sim does not teach you the nuances of setting up your plane. Nor does it help you spot problems, tune your engine, nor get you prepared...

You NEED an instructor for all of that.

The sim will not eliminate the need for an instructor, but it will greatly reduce the amount of time you have to spend learning, before you certify.

RE: Compared to real life...
 

Athough the sim is not completely realistic compared to the actual thing the newer sims come close enough to make them a very usefull tool.

RE: Compared to real life...
 

Yeah, I am still planning on joining the local club this summer... having someone show me how to set everything up and get it all going is going to be very useful. I am just glad that I didn't waste any money on the software. I can't stop playing it!

RE: Compared to real life...
 

The good news is that, as much fun as you might be having with the simulator, flying your real airplanes at your club field will be far, far more enjoyable! G3/G4 is a good tool for practicing a lot of things, and it does give you a taste of how different airframes fly.

RE: Compared to real life...
 

I played on G3.5 for many months before evening getting a plane to build.. I trained with an instructor at my club and after a couple of flights he felt I knew how to fly.. A real plane is a little nerve racking at first but remember to breath.. the one big thing that at sim cannot mimic the prep... Tuning in an engine can be frustrating, getting your plane trimmed is a little trial and error and not getting caught in the fun flying is hard to do.... I was having so much fun my first day with my plane that I lost track of time and ran out of fuel but the pulling off a loop or a roll first time up is a great feeling

RE: Compared to real life...
 

I agree with the above post. I will also add that for me it seems easier to fly the real plane than the sim. My reason is because you can see everything around you unlike the sim.

RE: Compared to real life...
 

BTW, lot's of people using simulators never notice a couple of things.

The better ones can adjust the "weather". And usually don't have it turned on at all, or have very little wind and no "bumps" in the air. A buddy of mine has gone through G2 to G4 and has never missed the chance to tell everyone that it's not realistic because the airplanes don't get pushed around in the air. A buddy of his got a chance to turn the wind and thermals on for him. Ever hear someone say, "Damn, I didn't know it could do that."?

Almost all of them come with perfectly trimmed models. The major sims are being used by the two major retailers as subtle advertising tools. You think they're going to have one of their most popular models show up in their sim with a screwed up CG? And how many modelers own perfectly trimmed models they fly every weekend.

So if you think the sim isn't true to life, it probably isn't. Get your real life model flying better, and punch a few buttons in the sim to throw some real life at you. And you might see that your sim can be pretty true to life after all.

And if you want to find out more about setting your sim to be more realistic, look over on the RCU forum that's about RC simulators. ;)

RE: Compared to real life...
 

That was spot on!

One thing I like to do with the Sims is to adjust the physics models so that I throw in more "toe out" on the wheels.

This induces a bit of yaw on the wheel bearing the most weight, as it will grip better, producing a more realistic run-up effect.

Combine that with P and engine torque settings, then throw in wind and thermals, and the sims become great practise tools to get you ready for cross winds and higher winds at the airfield.

Thanks to practising with the Sim ( G3/G4 ), often when winds are over 24+ MPH at our field, I'm the only person out, typically flying a Big Stick, much to the amusement of the Giant Scale crowd who are grounded. You end up looking forward to higher winds and cross winds because it permits you to do other stunts which you cannot normally do...

e.g. hovering the plane as the wind pushes it down the entire length of the field, harrier landings, etc.

RE: Compared to real life...
 

Everyone suggests an instructor?!?!?!? I have never even seen a real "instructor" I looked and looked and never found an "instuctor" Get a RTF plane, i suggest the Avistar selecet, it its reliable, since it has a symmetrical airfoil you can progress to flying inverted without sacraficing stability. Get really good at G4 then go to the feild charged with everything you need to get flying, on the least windy sunday when there are alot of experianced flyers and just ask someone to help you fly your trainer. THEY WILL. Any way, you will end up with a successful day of flying. By the way, landing on the runway isnt as hard as it is on the sim.

RE: Compared to real life...
 

Our "real" instructors show up every other Saturday morning all year long.

Usually 3 - 4 show up for free formal training, 1 designated engine tuning guy, 1 newbie plane prep guy, and 1-2 to run the whole show.

They also bring out a couple of club trainers as well.

Most clubs with over a set number of members have some form of pilot training program.

You merely have to search as to what the clubs offer to find them.

[link=http://www.dc-rc.org/flight_instruction.htm]Click me for an example![/link]

RE: Compared to real life...
 

I had about 70 RC helicopter flights under my belt, and about 8 hours of RC plane simulator experience when I started learning to fly planes. I soloed in 3 flights. I also crashed my trainer 6 solo flights later [:'(] !

The sim will save you many hours/flights at the field. As da Rock pointed out, you can turn on wind and gusts to give yourself more of a real world challenge.

You'll still need an instructor, and there are many things to learn that the sim won't teach you (plane assembly & setup, radio setup, engine tuning, etc.), but a sim is well worth the cost IMO.