Spacey

Uhhh yeah you can do it with AFP. You can even hang the plane up by its wheels on some stuff.

SAS902

From the Tower Hobbies news page mentioned above:

"From park flyers to 3D aerobats, slope soarers to Reno racers, plus helis and gliders, there's a wide variety of models to appeal to every modeler's tastes.
*RealFlight G3 heli functions are available to all G3 purchasers as a free update! Software will be available Spring 2005. "

In other words, there seem to be helicopters included but not from the start.

Krister

ChrisAttebery

My Feedback: (15)

Yes, it's the December issue.


Chris

DTB

My Feedback: (15)

I think one very important issue is being overlooked with the new G3 for former G2 and g2 Lite owners.

The system requirements is going to be heavy for the new G3 version. This software is really going to need a newer computer system which everyone doesn't own. The G3 requirements aren't listed yet but if the system is parallel to, if not better than Reflex XTR, then the computer system is really going to need a make over for older G2 owners using older (3-4 y/o systems). Below are G2 and Reflex XTR minimum requirements. I'm sure nobody wants to buy a new computer to be able to use one software program. Remember, these are the minimum requirements.

G2 Minimum System Requirements

•Windows® XP*, 2000*, ME, 98 (Local administrator access required)
•Intel® Pentium® 300 or equivalent
•Dire X™ 8 (or above) compatible video and sound card
•3D accelerated video card with 8 MB (or more) RAM (VooDoo 1 and VooDoo 2 video cards are not supported)
•64 MB RAM
•500 MB hard drive space
•4X CD-ROM drive

Optimum System Requirements

Optimum System Requirements
•Intel Pentium 600 or equivalent
•3D accelerated video card with 16 MB (or more) RAM (VooDoo 1 and VooDoo 2 video cards are not supported)
•128 MB RAM

Reflex XTR Minimum system requirements

• 1.2GHz PC Pentium 4 processor
• 256MB RAM
• 1GB available disc space
• DirectX 8.1-capable 3D hardware accelerated video card with at least 32MB video RAM (AGP2x or better; shared RAM is not supported)
• CD drive
• USB port
• RC transmitter with student or DSC socket and at least 4 channels
• Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000 or XP operating system

A older system will probably work, but will not be as smooth.

Time Pilot

When you buy a new computer, you just need the box, not everything else. $400 should easily get you the speed you need. And if you go to a good shop, you can just have the necessary components replaced for even less as long as your current box isn't too old.

If you use the sim a lot, it's a good investment. I'm likely going to upgrade next summer, after the heli upgrade is available, the bugs have been worked out of the program and CPU's are just a little faster.

Mudsurfer1234

i got a 3.2 GHz with 1-24 mb of ram, and a GeForce Ultra 5700 FX video card, run around 400 fps on G2 with 1280x1024 resolution and graphics all the way up. And some people seem to be sayin that G3 is crap cuz you need a new computer,

People have their own opinions and will get it and a new computer, or use what they have, they don't have to go without G3 just becuz they don't have the greatest PC in the world

fpdesignco

My Feedback: (4)

The price is redicilious. Some of the TOP Real flight sims are 50 bucks or less. And if your talking volume www.x-plane.com one of the msot advanced real flight simulators runs 50 dollars a pop with free upgrades.

iflynething

I have also heard of the G3, I forgot where, but I did hear something about it. Not on here though. I wish that I could get it. I did hear that there will be no helis on it.

BTW, I'm looking foward to seeing some screenshots if someone gets it if it's really coming out!

cummings66

As a pilot I can tell you that what you call "top real flight sims" are but a toy compared to the real thing. X-Plane is IMO better than Microsoft FS9 but it's not realistic in all aspects.

X-Plane likes to tout their system as being so close to real life that you can model a plane in it, go build it and fly it the same. Ever hear of the Atlantica, it was designed on X-Plane and did fine in the sim. They company made a big deal of modeling it in x-plane and built it, then crashed it. They never progressed beyond the initial crash which showed it was pretty unstable and nothing more has been heard from them since April of 2003. It did fine in X-Plane, I in fact flew it in X-Plane and it was solid. Real life proved X-Plane was not accurate enough. The flight by the way was not intended to happen, but as I was given the understanding it was so unstable that the thing took off before it should have, or it was going to crash big time. Nice plane and I wanted one.

I have flown personally several of the planes that X-Plane models, they do not handle like the sim portrays. FS9 is even worse than that.

Those $50 sims as you say, and X-Plane is normally more than that and the upgrades are for the version level you buy into, they are not realistic in my personal experience. I own both FS9 and X-Plane, and a Cessna 150, and have flown every Cessna from a C140 to a C182 and they do not fly like the sims as you believe. So if you buy X-Plane 7 now, and it's worth every penny of the $25, you will not get X-Plane 8 for free. Not if Austin behaves like normal. It used to be if you bought into version 6, when 7 come out you had to buy it again. But you got every version of 6 he made, and he made lots of version of 5, 6, and 7. IMO best sim out there, but not accurate enough compared to real life, but it's close.

Sorry, unless you just want to practice flying on instruments and can ignore the unrealistic behavior it's not as close to the real thing as you've been led to believe. I've griped for years to Austin that it isn't modeling a simple slip accurately as have many others, and it got worse with every version until I finally quit buying into the new versions because he was adding eye candy and not fixing the flight model. It for a long time couldn't even do a loop and he finally tricked it out so it could, but it wasn't accurate because he tricked it.

By the way, when I first bought X-Plane it cost me almost $200, and others paid more than that for it. You get what you pay for.

fpdesignco

My Feedback: (4)

As a real pilot I can tell you as well the new x-plane versions are very accurate. Accurate Enough to be approced for FAA FLIGHT SIMULATOR testing for every certificate from private through atp.

Badge

My Feedback: (21)

Just preordered G3 after not being satisifed at all with the other sims looks like Aero3D.net will make a come back when it arrives.

cummings66

BS. The sim does not need to handle correctly to be certified, look at Elite. Real poor software yet certified.

I don't know what kind of plane you fly, but if my Cessna flew like those in the sim did I'd quit flying. Try landing in a 20 knot crosswind in a Cessna 150 in X-Plane and come back here and tell me it handles like the real thing.

Not even close.

fpdesignco

My Feedback: (4)

ARE YOU kidding me
http://www.x-plane.com/
http://www.x-plane.com/FTD.html
thanks,

fpdesignco

My Feedback: (4)

cant find there old news article about it being certified for all the others...

cummings66

This is the first time ANY consumer-priced software has EVER gotten this certification

Notice the way he takes his out, consumer-priced. It's not the first plain and simple, you've been sucked in by Austin. I like the software, I own it, and that's how I know it does not handle like a real plane. The 172 does not fly like any 172 I've ever flown, the C150 does not even come close to how a real one flies.

Look into Elite, it's been around for over a decade and certifed for training purposes. Are you kidding me that you honestly believe Austin has the first out? Not by a long shot.

Keep in mind I like his flight model the best of any out there, and I own them all. But not one of them is realistic when it comes to landing and handling a crosswind, not one.

cummings66

His software by the way has been certified for quite some time now, it's not a new thing, I think version 5 was certified for training.

In any even, what plane do you fly?

I fly my Cessna 150 mostly, and sometimes rent a C182 or C140 now.

fpdesignco

My Feedback: (4)

a C182... Where the the c150 stock??? and and it all depends on the models your using. Ive use a 3rd party Cessna 150 Made by flight 1 software and it was around 90% accurate of the real 152. What other personal flight/consumer priced flight sim has gotten this certification. ALSO I guess the FAA is doing a horrible job with certifications and there experts clearly arnt as experinced as you.
as well as this comment Pilot error came into affect there did you read the report?

fpdesignco

My Feedback: (4)

and version 5 WAS NOT certified the only one that was certified is the new versions 7's.

cummings66

Did you even check out Elite's product and website? X-Plane is not the first flight sim to be certified, you'll notice I said "his out" is consumer priced. The other products are very expensive, costing 10's of thousands in the beginning, but it was a flight sim and only able to be used as a real training aid if you bought the hardware to go with the software. And I do believe Version 5 was touted by Austin as being certified. In any event, if you read the x-plane website you'll see they're using a version 6.12 for the training, not 7 as you believe. Plus you'll notice it's a LOT more than the software, you will not buy a $25 program and be able to use to for FAA training. What you have to realize about Austin is he tends to leave out details. For example, 6.12 is the only version the FAA allows to be used with the hardware for training, so, the FAA has said nothing about version other than the one they looked at. If you've been a long time X-Plane user like me you'll know that he's made many changes during each version and that some changes are radical and changed the characteristics of how the sim runs.

Read this quote from his site if you don't believe me. Now tell me again this is consumer priced for the FAA certified trainer.

Now, actually LOGGING this time requires you to be in a Motus full-motion sim (price tag: about $150,000.00) with an instructor, so this route will only be affordable if you train at a fight training center that uses a Fidelity Flight Simulations Motus platform... but if you want all the accuracy without the cost... then you can have it for $79.99 right here!

I'll add, how do you get the accuracy when you don't have that hardware. The Cheap CH Products do not come close in quality to the Motus hardware pieces. Don't even try to convince me a consumer grade joystick is as good, not even close.

I didn't claim to be better than the FAA, but I have flown the sims they have approved in the past and they are not that realistic compared to the real thing. They do not replicate the VFR environment as you think they do. They do fine as an IFR trainer, but I know of no CFI who claims they do well for VFR flying. Read up on FAA certification before you make claims that certification endorses a flight simulation product's realism. It does not. Also make note of the fact that it's not X-Plane 6.12 that was certified, it was that PLUS the hardware, it was a system that was certified. Not just a piece of software. There's a couple of flight sims such as On Top that are also certified, with hardware for PCATD training. What I am saying is that there are several sims that are FAA certified with the appropriate hardware for usage and that FAA certification does not give it a stamp of realism as you seem to believe. If you don't believe me then call your local FSDO and ask them personally for the requirements for certification.

Maybe it's our hardware we use to drive it. I use CH Products Yoke and rudder pedals and find that the rudder is much too sensitive unless I adjust the controls, then it's too slow to react. For example, in my Cessna if I drop in 40 degrees of flap, use full rudder and enough aileron to do what I want I can get a descent rate and attitude that the sim does not replicate. I can not stall the sim as my plane stalls in that configuration, it does not want to enter a spin as easily as my plane. It does not bounce as realistically as my plane does in turbulence.

I have found no difference between various planes in how they handle crossed controls, they're all pretty much the same for the stock planes. I've tried the downloaded ones as well, and some are better than what Austin provides, which are customer supplied if you didn't know it, and I have yet to find a free plane that will slip or handle a crosswind correctly. That's what I dislike about the sims, they have yet to duplicate that aspect of flight realistically. Maybe the commercial planes are better, I didn't want to spend more money on a plane that wouldn't be better than the free/provided planes.

As to the Alantica, I heard it from the owner. I have heard nothing more as to why he's not continued on. He originally said he'd fix it and continue testing but as far as I can tell it's a dead project now. Maybe you know more since you say it was pilot error, all I know is he said it lifted off early and he didn't intend on flying it then, but he did so in order to save the plane. It was too sensitive in pitch I think he said and ended up crashing on the runway if I recall correctly, it's been over a year ago now.

Lest you think I don't like X-Plane or Austin, let me say it plainly. I think X-Plane is the best PC flight sim on the market today, it's the most realistic one you'll buy. But I'll qualify that by by saying it does not replicate the VFR flight experience in all details such as modeling spins, slips, things like that. Ask Austin, he's admitted that already. Read the forums, you'll see that mentioned there as well.

Good software yes, perfect modeling, no.

440GTX

Interesting Reading
Well Here is my 2 bits on why I will NOT got G3


G3
$ 299.00 list $ 199.00 Sale
Add on packs $ 30.00 each
No helis yet . I fly helis
G3 to G3 Upgrade " Rumors " Not Available
A realistic Graphic for G3 card would be $ 200.00 card.
A realistic Computer p 2400 with 512 ram

This could be an expensive sim if you do not already have the hardware

Physics as good as AFP , AFP is half the price as G3 and requires half the hardware

NOTE this is only what I have herd. So if I am wrong please correct me " NO bashing "

Fred..

fpdesignco

My Feedback: (4)

Again another book from you of ignorance. It was the ONLY consumer priced flight simulator to be certified. And so now you say the pysics are ok!!!! you are full of it. My ch pedals are to sensitive...... Its all calibration buddy. ANd hardware just gives you the feeling you in the simulator. The software is what makes it all happen. I guess now its accurate enough for you eh?

440GTX

That did't take long.

fpdesignco Learn to spell

fpdesignco

My Feedback: (4)

Excuse me why dont you get out of the discussion if you dont know what the hell you are talking about. I think you need to go get your bottle and go back in the corner.

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

440,
I thought the same thing at first but I think fpdesignco was replying to the long post by Cummings66 (one post before yours). I wish the'd take their disagreement (about full scale sims) to a more appropriate forum where someone might actually give a crap.

I think eventually G3 will be the state of the art sim but being a heli flyer it's pretty obvious you'll want to wait to jump on the bandwagon.

I think it's great that GP saw the need to upgrade their present system and the competition has driven these three companies to push each other, it's a win-win for the customers. So far all three sims have their stong points.

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

Why don't you go back to pissing off the ProBro's? What's with the aggressive attitude?