I use the Realflight 3.5 to practice pattern maneuvers, and the closest thing to an older pattern ship seems to be the ultrasport. Does anyone know of a better match, or a custom ship that can be downloaded?

I use the Realflight 4 and the US40, it's far from real but good enogh for me.
And I just ordered expansion pack 4 there they have CG tiger2.
It would be awesome to have a Mach1 or a Curare.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!! US is the closes thing I found on G-4.. Still ain't no Curare........

That's exactly what I was thinking. I noticed some of the heli guys have made their own "plug in" virtual models....anyone got a computer savy connection to build one of the ones you suggest?

Well, why should someone build such a model for a simulator. Had to be a maniac like me...

If you only had the right simulator! If you had Reflex there were at least Brushfire, Kwik-Fli, and, well, US40.

I use the same, the US seems to be best. I haven't bothered to play with the settings, I'm sure it can be tweaked.

I use AFPD and it has a really nice Smaragd with retracts. I know it's not classic pattern, but maybe someone can come up with a Brushfire skin.

Wow, those are spectacular! How long did it take to make them?

I'm looking at Real Flight but I don't have it yet...Here are a few links to some Pattern Related Freeware Aircraft Add-On's (Not Ballistic Aircraft though) :

Oxai Pinnacle F3a:
http://www.knifeedge.com/forums/down...do=file&id=610

Chip Hyde Genesis F3A:
http://www.knifeedge.com/forums/down...do=file&id=602

Other Links:
http://www.knifeedge.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15009
http://www.knifeedge.com/forums/downloads.php
http://www.knifeedge.com/forums/index.php?
http://www.utahwest.com/rc/G2.htm

i use the real flight simulator to keep my reaction times honed. i use the extra with the 3d throws on it and go hover. it builds excellent 4 sided reaction skills. i can react from all sides of the plane. doing that has saved me a few times, i know for sure. that's all i do with it. everything else is pretty boring.

david

That actually sounds like a pretty good idea, do you find it hones your pattern flying skills?

i don't like it for much else. maybe i need to get a bigger monitor.

david

Thanks! I'd better not count the days needed to make the models, but it was worth it. They fly pretty realistic and I'm quite excited to see different flight behavior even from subtle modifications. Of course, Brushfire is noticeably different from Kwik-Fli. Both are very smooth flyers, though. Experimenting on model designs is my interest here.

My other interest is classic aerobatics, and for me 3D is boring (remembering a remark by Ben Lanterman). I don't even think the reflexes acquired by 3D flying are useful for normal flying. I rather take a moderately powered model and practise maneuvers involving stall - low power aerobatics. But that's just me.

Anyway, you just can't compare a classic pattern model (low thrust/weight ratio, high wing loading and speed) to a modern aerobat, more to a jet model. But the classic is more challenging because you have to compensate the propeller effects.

I was working on a Curare for G3.5 about a month ago. Since I don't have 3d studio max is is a big pain to try to get a model into realflight. I had the model almost completed when I lost intrest. If I wasn't busy building a real model I might be working on a sim model. Now that I have accumulated a few pattern plans I have some choices of models to use.

As for flying menuvers on the sim have a hard time with having a point of reference to do the meneuvers. I have tried all the different views. It is just hard to know you are parallel to the runway or going vertical unless you are closer to the ground. I'm sure some more paractice would help.

Yes, that's a real problem. It should also help if your simulator has a mode to have always ground in sight. Mine doesn't, so I prefer a scenery with a mountain background or typical clouds. Some LCD monitors may be turned by 90 degrees into portrait mode, that's helpful if the 3D display drivers support this mode. Reflex has a native scenery where you can fade in a square grid box on the sky. Someone still has to insert such a grid box into one of the new photo sceneries.

i used AFPD, if anyone know how i can paint with other color some plane please tell me. i need change one wing of the plane to practice some rolls and can look what side (wing) its up to use the correct side rudder.

I think thats the way to practice a lot of continiu rollssssssssssssssssssssss.

AFPDs latest team-addon features Sebart Sukhoi and Wolfgang Matts electric Beryll. I'm ordering one!
I enjoy the smaragd and have also found Oxalys, Diamant, Simprop Antares and more as freeware that are a joy to fly.

HERE YOU CAN LOOK OSMOSE AND EUPHORIA F3A

http://ipacs-sim.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=3

UStik, i agree with you on the stall turns and tail slides and flat spins but i still like to practice hovering for that all sides of a plane reaction speed. i have no interest in actually hovering at the field but it is fun on the sim. it is a challenge to me to try to hover with different sides of the plane facing you. i think a decent comparison is a knife edge pass. you can knife edge either direction down the runway and with the canopy towards you or away. all of which you need to know all sides of your plane. but that's just me.

david

UStik, those models are fantastic!

Here is my feeble attempt at making a Kaos for the free FMS. It flies nice, but my modeling lacks graphic detail.

If anyone wants it, I'll email the files to you. You can get FMS here:

http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html

David

dhal, thank you, I think I got your point now. Obviously my aversion to 3D is blurring my perception. Besides, for me the simulator is already a replacement for the real thing. Sorry.

rainedave, I'm still learning new words here, but "feeble" is completely wrong in this case. And the only graphic detail my models have is some inscription. The US40 shown above is made by the W3 Group and is really great, especially graphics-wise because they painted even some shadows in Photoshop. Your model looks really great.

Expansion pack 2 has a Venus II. Not exactly classic, but pattern.

Tom

Guys, I've been using realflight since 3 years till I started flying, It's fine till you know how your transmitter works. I also used the MS Fligh sim 04 till I started my practical Sport pilot License 'lessons'. Your field of vision is restricted on the SIMS, than actual I do not want to comment anything more than that.

That's too sad, you must have been in bad luck. But consider that your field of vision is still far better in a sim than outside when it's dark or raining.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

What the sims need is a "quick glance" feature. When we are at the field our eyes (whether conscious of it or not) continually glance at trees, the ground and other surrounding. This keeps us oriented in terms of altitude, distance and speed. With sims it's not always easy to know exactly where your plane is and where you're standing in relation to the runway, etc. That is the primary thing I don't like about them.