PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

Hello all,

I have the RF G3.5 and I have been dedicating quite some time practicing in the sim trying to learn torque rolls and other 3D manouvres.

But in the mean while I wonder: Is it really worth it? let's imagine that I become an expert in the sim, I guess this will be like any other computer game and it will only be a question of time! the true is that I can not do it YET...

But when I can do perfect torque rolls in the sim and when I have a perfectly set up plane for real, It will be the same thing? does anybody felt this experience already? learning something in the sim and then put into practice!

Or it is just a waist of time, the best thing to do is catch up the plane and go to the flying field?

I see everybody doing torque rolls in the internet, but MAN this is really difficult for me... and I am a fairly experienced flyer for the last 6-7 years (off course just regular flying, no 3D!).

What you guys think about this?

Regards,
Folgado

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

Even if the sym is only 80% accurate you are able to saturation learn the correct stick movements to go get better at the real flying when you go to the field. I know I've gotten MUCH better at helicopter flying in the ONE year I've had AFPD than I ever did in the 10 years of owning, crashing and fixing real helicopters.

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

Agreed Major

practising on the sim is all about "grooving" instant control responces without having to think about them, NOT realism of flight.

I would have to say though that the 95% realism of a good sim (I have AFPD) does make for more enjoyable and realistic flying.

Some models are harder than the real thing and some are easier. The Weston Hype 3d on AFPD is very realistic and I use it a lot.

The Giles is too easy and the Shockies are more difficult than the real thing.

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

One thing I've done on my RF3.5 is dial up the stall sensitivity and dial down the durability on a couple models. Also, some have programmable wind "gusts" -- better than nothing. These sims are meant to be messed around with a certain amount.

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

agree with all of the above , sims and especially the G3.5 are great tools for real rc flight and worth the time and practice

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

I've found practicing a little on the sim (RF 3.0) on weeknights and real flying at least 2 times a week keeps me in the right learning groove. Less "real" time and I start getting worse no matter how much time on the sim. The best part about the sim is I can try things I wouldn't dream of attempting with my actual plane.

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

I received RealFlight 3.5 for Christmas and had been using it religiously practicing with the Hobbico Electristar until the weather cleared here in Cleveland, OH (last Saturday). The simulator gave me enough confidence to try to fly my real Electristar without an instructor. I was very nervous until the plane took off and proved it could "fly". After that, it was surprisingly easy. The best part about the simulator is seeing the plane fly in every possible attitude, over and over, and learning how to move the controls. As Piroflip mentioned, I did not have to "think" about how to control the plane. It was automatic. On the second and third flights, I was not nervous at all - just completely enjoying the experience and wishing I had 5 sets of batteries! I estimate spending about 100 hours on the simulator with every possible combination of wind speed, direction, and turbulence. Plus, I've always been very good with video games; the hand-eye coordination translates directly to flying. It's hard to imagine people learning to fly (instructor or not) without the help of a simulator. I can imagine some very nervous flight time without the extra practice. Plus, they're fun to use when the weather doesn't cooperate, which happens a lot in Cleveland.

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

during the winter if i practice on the sim as the weekend approaches i turn up at the field "combat ready" and fully grooved.
if i miss practice i feel slow on the sticks for the first couple of flights.

the most important thing is to treat the sim model as the real thing, otherwise you are wasting your time.

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

The Electristar in the G3.5 sim seems to sink a lot faster and takes more throttle than the real Electristar. I noticed this after going back to the sim having flown for real which I'm not going to do anymore now that I've gotten used to flying for real.

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

Using G3.5 is your first mistake... either go back to G3.0 (you'll lose some "features" but the physics are better), or get FSOne for planes, or Phoenix for Helis. I dont think i am biased to any of them because i own all three of the ones that i mentioned. G3.5 is a game not a sim, G3.0 was a pretty good sim. FSOne is awesome for airplanes, especially 3D, but its crap for helis. Phoenix is awesome, as close as it get for helis and the planes are decent as well. That said, using any simulator will help, if not with the physics than at least with the orientation you can learn. Just my .02

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

Piro, that's a good point that I believe isn't stressed enough... I for one find myself slamming the bird into the air then trying to softly land it but find that in real life that gets me in trouble, as recent crash has taught me:(

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

My experience was the sim helped immensely. I practiced helis in PhoenixRC for about 1.5 months, until I could hover in all orientations and fly circuits and figure 8s comfortably with wind and gusts turned up in the sim, without crashing or landing hard. My first day out with a real heli, my Falcon 3D, I was able to do all the same things by the second or third battery. It really worked that well for me. I never even had a crash until 15 or 20 flights in, and that was just me being stupid. So while no sim is 100% realistic, it was a HUGE improvement as far as reducing real-life crashes over learning without a sim. You would of course still want to take it very slowly on your first flight with your real aircraft, since it will certainly be different than in the sim, even if the sim contained the same model.

It's really key, as another poster said, to practice in the sim as if it were real. Don't pat yourself on the back because you do all kinds of cool stuff in the air, if a large percentage of your flights end in a crash. There's no reset button in real-life, so make sure you develop good habits in the sim, like staying high enough to complete all your maneuvers without a crash, being able to keep the aircraft in a limited area because in real life you'll often be flying in a confined area, being able to land roughly where you intended to land, etc. I also found it useful to remind myself of what it would have cost in real life each time I crash in the sim.

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

As a newby flier with a new, just out of the box, Alpha 40 by hanger 9, and a Real Flight G3.5 sim, I land (the NextStar trainer) routinely with no trouble on the G3.5 sim, but I had the occasion to fly the FS-1 sim at Hobbytown today and was dismayed to see that the same landing moves on the FS-1 Alpha trainer resulted in critically bouncy landing experiences over and over.

So the queston is 1. which physics is correct? 2. Can sims be tweaked to make trainer experience more like reality?

Thanks all.

RE: PC Simulators vs Reality...
 

hey i have g3.5 and noticed hovering is really difficult... i can do it in real life. but the sim just dosnt seem to have the correct prop wash.
and can you dial down the durabiltty on g3.5?
scott