MicroSoft FlightSimulator2004. It's very accurate in terms of real flight. It has lots of different aircraft to choose from. The terrain and graphics are very good. It has flight analysis. You can plan flights just like when flying people-carrying airplanes if you want. You can customize the weather. If you want to pretend that you're flying an R/C plane you can use the view from the control tower to fly. You can fly "outside" the plane with a view like you would get with a chase plane. The aircraft react very much like real planes do. It's MUCH cheaper than any of the R/C sims, and doesn't require a special cable or box to use it. Anyone agree with me? Could anyone possibly disagree with me?

Lachlan

How about the controller? Do you use a joystick, or can you rig an RC transmitter, to practice with?

Dave Olson

Jeepindog,

You may be interested in R/C flying using X-Plane. I don't suggest you use the R/C plane provided in the sim (it flies badly). Pick the Cessna for starters and, while sitting on the runway, choose the Flyby view. This will place you above the plane as if it were a scale model. I think you'll find that the flight model lends itself well to R/C flight using full scale airplanes.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but I've tried this in both MS FS2004 and X-Plane. X-Plane "feels" like R/C flying.

You can download a demo verion of X-Plane at http://www.x-plane.com/

I've been using MS Flight Sim since day one and have owned every version since for last 20 years. MS Flight Simulator is not even close to actual flight physics. It's way off. But, it's great for learning simulation of flight while in the cockpit of a plane. It's great for staying proficient on Private and Instrument. It also has a ton of great plug-ins and addons. Price can't be beat, but you have to buy a new version every 2 years, the price does become an issue. For RC flight it's only good for circles and just barely good for that.

Now I'm not trying to sell AFP over it, however MS Flight Simulator is not for RC'ers. I think FMS has better RC physics and it's free.

I'm a huge advocate of MS Flight sim. However it just doesn't work well for RC. I don't know if you have ever used the top 3 sims, G2, AFP and XTR. But if you have, it would be hard for you to say that MS Flight Sim is the best for RC.

I don't recall ever saying that MS FlightSim was the best for R/C, but I did say that it was much cheaper, and that it was a good simulator. You can use a regular old USB joystick, and have a ball. I have flown some of the R/C sims, mostly, G2, and I was hardly impressed. It was fun, but more like a game or a toy than actual flying. I guess that's why they call it a simulator... They are all fun and I'm sure they all have unique advantages and disadvantages. Enjoy.

Lachlan

How foolish of people to assume you were comparing to R/C sims on RCUNIVERSE!

Dion is right, i try to do a flatspin or a snap roll and i get thrown around the sky like there is a rope tied to the tail. the only realistic thing is maybe the ground handling or weather. i like the sounds, looks, details, nothing else really, no physics

Can you read? Then read between the lines, dude. I never said that it was the best R/C simulator. I did infer that it could be used as one if you choose the view from the Control Tower. It is pretty good for practicing scale flight. Not so good for aerobatics. As a matter of my opinion, it's really not even good for practicing aerobatics. You just go ahead and play with your $200 video game, and I won't kick your ugly dog. Enjoy.

Lachlan

Nice to get a reading lesson from a guy still on his second plane, it's amazing how smart student pilots become when they start taking full scale lessons.

You'd be well advised to get an RC sim if you want to become a better rc pilot, G2, G3, AFP, Reflex...pick one and use it. I have flown them all and they all have their good points. I don't have experiance with MFS so I can't compare other than to know a joystick isn't training your thumbs.

If you want to fly full scale than use your computer to finish ground school because that is what holds most people back.

If you want to talk crap about my dog your barking up the wrong tree, you don't want to be on my bad side.

What's with the attitude, Jeepindog?

200 dollar videogame? Ok lets all go and buy some microsoft products....... FMS is free!! MS flight sim is not!! I fly with AFP and it is amazing.

He is having a hard time accepting that he is wrong


and BasinBum, that is a pretty cool dog from the pic it kinda looks like a Corgi what is it? looks like a buddy to have at the field to go catch the crashed planes or foamies.


I think the only thing Flight Sim is good for is maybe orientation when you use the Tower view. that's about it, or makin videos of scale flight, like with the boeing, that is the other good thing, learning with GPS and ILS

Jeepindog, I'm not trying to start another sim war. Hey where is my ol' buddy WSN anyhow???

Anyway. You said that Actually they react almost nothing like real airplanes do, except straight and level flight and non aerobatic flight. Non aerobatic to the FAA means a bank greater then 60 degrees while in a turn.

Which means that I disagree with your viewpoints using MS Flight Sim for RC. This is a RC forum, not full scale flight simulation.

It seems like you want to have discussion on MS Flight Simulators for scale flying. If you do then I would agree that MS Flight Simulator 2004 is one of the best for full scale flying. But it's not the best. X-Plane blows it away and the FAA agrees with me too. It's an official FAA certified program that can be used for dual instrument training.

These $200 toys you call them save people thousands of dollars every year in non-crashed airplanes. So to bash them is not too cool. These are tools, not toys. Just like MS Flight Simulator saves me thousands of dollars every year in staying proficient with my instrument flying. Heck if you think these sims are toys what are the actual rc planes, helis, cars and boats ... seems like bunch of toys to me.

The real funny thing is that you asked for people to agree or disagree with you. When they disagree you want to attack their cool dog? It seems more like your jealous becaue we have AFP and MS Flight Sim and you only have MS Flight Sim. Heck I even have G2 and XTR.

]

MFS sux! obviously you do not fly real airplanes! Its ok though, you are not the first NON-PILOT to stand up and say that it is "accurate" and "flys like real" ( I always wonder how they knwo if they have never flown Full Scale!)

On another poitn, I agree with other in saying that MFS is absolutly USLESS in learning to fly RC.... I would say it will do next to NO good.

although i dont think much of FMS, it is free and MUCH better than MFS to learn to fly R/C.

There are some really good points here. First, I'm a dog lover, and would NEVER mistreat anyone's dog, regardless of how I felt about it's owner. Second, I *DO* fly "full scale" airplanes, as some of you like to call them. Third, if someone disagrees with me about one thing or another, and their argument is (in MY opinion) flawed or inaccurate, I like to respond. Some people are probably even going to vote for Bush. That's their problem, and their choice. Seriously, we all have fun with different simulators for different reasons, and that's great. But for thirty measly bucks it is hard to beat MS2004.

Austin, you really are a piece of work. Why don't you come to Denver sometime and we'll go flying. I'm only rated in a C172, but it's still a rating. Come up any time. I always like to fly with anyone who likes to fly!

BasinBum, sorry to have struck a nerve with you. I was just joking, but I obviously didn't convey that at all, and I apologize. And, for what it's worth, I have a few more than two r/c planes. More like 6. Enjoy!

Lachlan

MS 2004 is $30 now. When it came out it was $69.95. Plus MS never has offered an upgrade for Flight Sim from year to year. Basically they tell you you must buy a new version if you want to use our state of the art program every 2 years.

AFP is state of the art out of the box. Heck it came out almost 2 years ago and was released before it's time. There have also been free patches and downloads for AFP direct from the manufacturer for the last 2 years as well. Over 550 free downloads. None of which you have to pay for. To get the best downloads for MSFS you have to pay for them.

So basically for $139 you get everything you'll ever need with AFP, never spend another dime.

X-Plane easily beats MS 2004 and you can get it for $30 too. So in that case MS 2004 is easily beaten.

Anyone had the honour of flying G3 at Hobby Visions ? How's the physics compared to G2 ?

Yes Rajul, I flew G3 at Hobby Visions, talked about it in another thread a little. I also flew Reflex and AFP and I own G2. I spent quite some time going between the three to get a comparison. Reflex is still the prettiest, AFP has good physics but looks the most cartoonish and G3 has as good or better physics and while not the video of Reflex has some graphics characteristics that are very impressive. Overall I think G3 has the most promise once the planes are tweaked out the same as the stuff I was flying on AFP. G3 has an almost CAD like interface for modifying aircraft and a huge flying site that is easy to manuver around. You can actually see the background reflected off the monocote when you fly up close and the glare of the sun if you fly through it. All in all I think G3 is the most realistic, a virtual reality compared to the others.

For practice they are all good and you can learn to fly or new advanced manuvers on any of them but G3 has much more to explore and grow with than the others and once the final version is out (I was on a beta version) I think it will set the standard for the next few years.