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"A simulator is just about essential, and will certainly save its cost in repairs very quickly." Colin

"I can honestly say that [realflight] has saved me hundreds (thousands?) of dollars in junked heli's - more than likely, I would have gotten frustrated and given the hobby up, and gone back to flying fixed wing." MLofgren.

"Getting the 'best' version software and the 'baadest' computer isn't the goal. Learning proper hand to eye coordination is..." Tony.

R/C airplane sims

Sims in two major camps: freeware and commercial software. The best free sim is arguably FMS. The best commercial sim is said to be Realflight G2.

FMS (Flight Model Simulator)

Pro: free! Open model definition setup so many people make and give away FMS models and landscapes. Will run on slower comps and lesser vidcards (my p400 w/8mb vid card does fine). Loads quickly: 11 seconds from clicking the icon until the model is moving forward. Massive internet support on the web and in the newsgroups. Use your own radio via buddy cable adapter to the joystick port. Real terrain interference logic (you can hit terrain features that rise above ground level).
Con: Flying physics in general and landing physics in particular are a bit optimistic. No weather or smoke trails. I am looking for FMS models of a Lockheed Constellation ("C121"-based aircraft).

RealFlight classic/deluxe

Pro: Good physics engine. Can be bought used for about $50 on eBay if you are persistent. I got my copy for $35+shipping. Will run ok on slower systems like the one described above.
Con: Slower to load than FMS; took 53 seconds. Graphics a little better than FMS, certainly not as great as the g2 below. Proprietary model definitions mean you may have to buy other models and terrain in upgrade packages, even to use user-customized models. (can someone flesh this out for me; I want to represent the software fairly). Shop eBay for these, too. No terrain interference.

RealFlight g2

Pro: Astounding graphics and physics. The closest think to flying R/C you'll probably find. Most people are familiar with this sim so you can get advice on the net.
Con: Seriously expensive, depending on the setup. Generally north of $200. Interlink (USB controller) versions will not allow you to use your own radio without going through the interlink. CDs are generally not copyable for your own backup purposes (unforgiveable). Requires CD in the drive to run. Requires 500MB of disk space. A real hardware hog: takes forever to load and requires a modern machine to run smoothly. Virtual Flight Instructor, multicam, multiplayer connections, flight recorder. Onboard software update tool.

Others

$Id: sims.orb,v 1.8 2003/11/19 15:41:14 mouse Exp $

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