Aerofly 5.5 Has Some Major Issues
02-10-2011, 06:19 PM
#1
Aerofly 5.5 Has Some Major Issues
With a great deal of anticipation I finally installed Aerofly 5.5 on my brand new iMac. I absolutely loved my old AFPD. I've enjoyed it for many years on my Dell Inspiron E1705 notebook. I've sold many an AFPD (Aerofly Pro Deluxe) program. People ask me all time how I learned to do my maneuvers, and I always tell them I practiced on a simulator. When they ask me which one I like, I always tell them "Aerofly, it's the best."
Unfortunately, after playing with Aerofly 5.5, I want to go back to my old Aerofly Pro. Aerofly 5.5 has issues, and big ones. I don't know if it is just the Mac version or not, but there are two big problems with Aerofly 5 (and 5.5) for Mac:
1) The giant scale airplanes simply do not fly like the real thing. They snap, or "wing drop" out of basic 3D maneuvers like harriers and walls. I can't believe that competition pilots supposedly wanted this because the airplanes in AFPD were too "soft." The airplanes in Aerofly 5 just don't fly like real ones. My old SD models 33% Yak is way more docile than the models in Aerofly 5.5, and it's far from state of the art these days.
I had my buddy over today, who flies pretty much nothing but the latest 35 to 50 percent 3D machines and jets, and he agreed with me 100%, the airplanes don't fly right. In the 3D or high alpha regime, they don't behave like the actual models. Just who is this buddy of mine and why is he qualified to make such a judgment? I won't mention his name, but let's just say he was flying "3D" before the term was invented. He's one of the best RC flyers in the country. How good is he? I've seen him hover a Kaos.
2) There is a huge, glaring deficiency in the program: You can't set the maximum deflection of a control surface in degrees. Yes, you can change the percentage of servo throw, but that may not be enough. An example would be the Extra 260, which is the only model that flies remotely like the real thing. Even with 150% servo throw, the max elevator deflection available is not enough. I would estimate it at around 30-35%. This is insufficient to throw the airplane into a wall. It climbs every time.
My old Windows AFPD lets you set control throw in degrees of deflection. It also allows me to set the CG graphically, in other words it gives me a picture of the airplane and lets me put the CG wherever I want it.
I thought the new Aerofly 5 would be an upgrade of AFPD, but in reality it appears to be an entirely new program, and in many ways a step back. Where is that great flying Giles?
A major patch is needed for this program. It cost me 300 bucks and, quite frankly, I believe I not only got a bum deal, but got a worse program than my old AFPD.
Unfortunately, after playing with Aerofly 5.5, I want to go back to my old Aerofly Pro. Aerofly 5.5 has issues, and big ones. I don't know if it is just the Mac version or not, but there are two big problems with Aerofly 5 (and 5.5) for Mac:
1) The giant scale airplanes simply do not fly like the real thing. They snap, or "wing drop" out of basic 3D maneuvers like harriers and walls. I can't believe that competition pilots supposedly wanted this because the airplanes in AFPD were too "soft." The airplanes in Aerofly 5 just don't fly like real ones. My old SD models 33% Yak is way more docile than the models in Aerofly 5.5, and it's far from state of the art these days.
I had my buddy over today, who flies pretty much nothing but the latest 35 to 50 percent 3D machines and jets, and he agreed with me 100%, the airplanes don't fly right. In the 3D or high alpha regime, they don't behave like the actual models. Just who is this buddy of mine and why is he qualified to make such a judgment? I won't mention his name, but let's just say he was flying "3D" before the term was invented. He's one of the best RC flyers in the country. How good is he? I've seen him hover a Kaos.
2) There is a huge, glaring deficiency in the program: You can't set the maximum deflection of a control surface in degrees. Yes, you can change the percentage of servo throw, but that may not be enough. An example would be the Extra 260, which is the only model that flies remotely like the real thing. Even with 150% servo throw, the max elevator deflection available is not enough. I would estimate it at around 30-35%. This is insufficient to throw the airplane into a wall. It climbs every time.
My old Windows AFPD lets you set control throw in degrees of deflection. It also allows me to set the CG graphically, in other words it gives me a picture of the airplane and lets me put the CG wherever I want it.
I thought the new Aerofly 5 would be an upgrade of AFPD, but in reality it appears to be an entirely new program, and in many ways a step back. Where is that great flying Giles?
A major patch is needed for this program. It cost me 300 bucks and, quite frankly, I believe I not only got a bum deal, but got a worse program than my old AFPD.
