If you really see it that way then you are using your sim the wrong way my friend.
I use mine to learn some very advanced stuff and never let up.
There is always something new to learn.

There's a sticky thread on the Knife Edge forums on how to download and import--I'm just a newbie, so if my instructions don't work for you you may want to poke around there instead...

For me it worked like this:

--In C:\Program Files\RealFlightG3\, create a new folder called something like "G3x downloads".

--Go to the appropriate post on the G3.5 aircraft swap thread; for the trainer version of the H9 P51, it is:
http://www.knifeedge.com/forums/down...o=file&id=2218

--Click on the file link "PTS-51-1- Trainer EA"; save the file to the folder you created.

--Launch RealFlight, and from the menu bar click on Simulation, roll down to Import, and then highlight and click on G3X.

--This will launch an "Open" browse window. Browse to the new folder you created, select the file named "PTS-51-1 Trainer_EA.g3x", and click the "Open" button. At the bottom of the RF simulation window, you'll see text that says something like "H9 P51 successfully imported."

To fly it:

--From the RF menu bar, click on Aircraft, roll down to and click on Select Aircraft
--This will open a "Select Aircraft" window. On the left-hand side is a file hierarchy; at the top should be a folder called "Custom Aircraft".
--Click on the "+" to open up that folder, and you should see the H9 P51 listed.
--Click on H9 P51; the first time, you'll see an alert that says "Creating DDS". It's generating the 3-D model.
--Once complete, click "OK".

Again, I'm a noob, so if this doesn't work for you please do spend some time in the KnifeEdge forum where I'm sure better instructions already exist.

Good luck and happy flying!

All good stuff here. DaRock nails it with the comment that there are no philanthropic sim designers out there that would not have a slant to a particular brand. I fly more E- Flite models, yet I have found RealFlight to be the one sim I prefer at the moment. I think FS1 looks great and in time should be deeper. If I want to fly something like my Mini-Ultra Stick, I can go to the KnifeEdge swap pages and find a similar plane.

Some people don't like the landing or lack of flight realism in the sims, but I think those posters may have not gone in and changed wind speed, direction, gusts, and other elements that would make the experience more realistic. I crank up wind speeds to about 10 mph more than what I fly in. I change gusts and turbulence and wind direction frequently. By time I have monkeyed around with the settings it is less than a picnic to fly in, but when I am able to smoothly react to those settings and deal with cross wind landings it does what the simulator should do for practicing pilots. Have your kid hit the F key while you are flying to create a flight failure. My 10 year old and I beat each other up on that a lot and they think it is hilarious when dad can't handle a reversed elevator servo

When any of these start seeming like you are flying on rails, shake it up a bit and make it a little more realistic. I know that I regularly take a RCU Bipe foamy plane and fly it around in my northern OH back yard in winds others wouldn't bring out other planes in. It is a blast and makes a calm day all the better. You can get real good by practicing this stuff on the sim, even though it is not the same as flying.

Having the zoom (Z) key set up is also a good idea. keep the ground in view for take offs and landing, hit Z and have it set up for more or less closeness for aerial maneuvers to practice, and hit it again to reorient when the plane turns to a dot. That also helps .

I was hesitating on G4as I have very little issues with the G3.5. Lots of swap planes on the way from the knife edge site being written for G4 and you essentially get expansion pack 1 when you buy it. I have all the G3 add ons and will put that on the laptop for use with the family and during boring conference calls

either sim you get is fine, do yourself a favor and screw with the climate settings to make it the educational tool it was designed for, otherwise you get what another poster stated, "perfect engine, perfect trim, no wind, and unrealistic landings"

Thanks for the discussion and research comments to help me consider the upgrade

Wow. I even learn more each time I use it. went out over lunch because I talked myself into G4.

Saw this great tool "gadget" called binoculars on G4 that allows you to keep the ground in view on the main screen, yet keep a small window wherever you want it that allows you to see the orientation of the airplane in a close up view no matter how far away it is. what a great selling point for G4. Came home and wondered about G 3.5 and that gadget exists on it as well. I have been doing the zoom switch game (quite effectively) for the longest time and it is really not necessary.

Have flown G4 for a few minutes and it is very nice. I like the landing gear flex and some other graphical differences. The float plane details and physics on the water are very good. It may be the only time I fly a sea plane, but it looks good. G3.5 sits on the computer right next to it, and I was able to load the expansion packs twice, once for each version. works very well

having the zoom in, in is a bad bad idea...i don't know..some people have superman vision i guess.

OMG....what the heck is an Aerofly scene doing in FMS ??.lol
yeap..right at 80 mb to cram all those pixels in.

Oh no..look ma.... what is this in the FREE sim ?

a par. software....i dunno...
maybe it has to do with adjusting parimeters and stuff like that when it don't feel right.
Imagine that.....lol

Many thanks. I printed that out and will try it today.

.