My Bday is coming up so the wife is allowing me to get my own present this year. I need to know who make the most realistic sim for the cost. I have heard differing opinions about the FS One and, have heard good things about Great Planes. Who has what and, what is your opinion?
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- Thread starter Karl M
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ohmygahitscoby
Hardcore RCTalk User
The one at my LHS is the FS One, it's fun to play with 
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I can only speak from experience with one sim. I have Reflex XTR. I happen to like it but I really can't compare it to anything since I've never used anything else. One thing I like is that I can use my own Tx when I sim so it all feels the same when I'm out flying. The physics of each plane are fully programmable so you can tweak whatever you're flying to suit you. There are a lot of free planes and helis available online from various sites so you can grab some cool stuff it you want. And the company that makes Reflex offers their periodic upgrades free when they come out. Here are a couple pics:
And I just found a cool vid on YouTube. Not sure where the scenery came from, but the night scene looks awesome. I'm sure there are tons of scenes available online which is cool.
And I just found a cool vid on YouTube. Not sure where the scenery came from, but the night scene looks awesome. I'm sure there are tons of scenes available online which is cool.
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Very cool, I'll have to check into system requirements, my computer isn't all that great. I looked into the great planes sim, my computer can meet the minimum requirements but may be choppy. You said that you can alter the physics, I have no flight experience. I assume there are default settings, how close are they to the real thing?
I've been pretty pleased. Considering I'm a very very very novice pilot it's hard for me to tell how far off the actual plane the physics are. But most guys say they feel pretty true.
I got mine at some small online shop that I think is out of business. And I think they actually had it drop shipped to me directly from MRC. They're the sole distributor in the US.
I think you should be able to buy it without the controller. But you have to make sure you get the USB link and the proper cable for your transmitter. Unless you don't have a transmitter. that iVol is pretty expensive and I'm of the mindset that I'd rather use my own transmitter so I can transfer my skills easier to my planes.
I think you should be able to buy it without the controller. But you have to make sure you get the USB link and the proper cable for your transmitter. Unless you don't have a transmitter. that iVol is pretty expensive and I'm of the mindset that I'd rather use my own transmitter so I can transfer my skills easier to my planes.
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You need to check out Great Planes Real Flight G4. Photo backgrounds, 1st rate renderings. Planes jets and helis of all kinds. You can alter and adjust them any way you like. You can do your own custom paint jobs on them if you have a photo program.
G4 has added (FINALLY) sea planes and a float heli.
It comes with a USB 6 channel stick controller. The controller is also fully programmable within G4, so you can set it up like a computer radio.
The earlier, G2 and G3 programs were so accurate that a lot of people didn't like them. They thought they should be more like a video game instead of a flight simulator trainer. If you could fly a heli on G3, you could fly the real thing.
G4 is a lot more forgiving, and now those of us who fly real R/C planes and helis are a little disappointed.
Either way, you'll get endless hours of enjoyment out of it.
I think it was right around $200.
I got mine at HobbyTown USA, so check there if you have one in your area.
G4 has added (FINALLY) sea planes and a float heli.
It comes with a USB 6 channel stick controller. The controller is also fully programmable within G4, so you can set it up like a computer radio.
The earlier, G2 and G3 programs were so accurate that a lot of people didn't like them. They thought they should be more like a video game instead of a flight simulator trainer. If you could fly a heli on G3, you could fly the real thing.
G4 is a lot more forgiving, and now those of us who fly real R/C planes and helis are a little disappointed.
Either way, you'll get endless hours of enjoyment out of it.
I think it was right around $200.
I got mine at HobbyTown USA, so check there if you have one in your area.
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I really haven't done that much research, but the only one from Great Planes I have seen is 3.5. I am seriouly considering this one, just not sure how my laptop will handle it. Candy, I agree with using your own controler, the only one I have is for my heli, I don't think it has a connection on it.
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Let me clear that up. By 'forgiving' I meant that you get away with harder landings when you're learning. Other than that, it's as real as it gets.
And yes, you can use your own radio.
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You can turn off a lot of things like trees, shrubs and objects. It's that much less that the program has to render and it will help it run smoother. I do all of my heli flying in a barren field. No need for scenery to run into when your doing 3-D flight.
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You can custom build your own airfield if you want, complete with planes and cars on the ground, buildings wherever you want them.
You also have the option to remove anything you don't want, and still keep the original field. You just edit and save as...
give it a name like 'open field'. You'll always have the open field to fly in, plus you'll still have the stock airport with it's given name. That way, you won't lose anything.
You can also scale up the size of the planes (I do all of them at 2X) but you will also need to adjust the physics. Again, you can't edit the original file, but you rename it ie. Cessna 172R as Cessna 172R-2. That way the original plane is always there to start over again.
The owner's manual is a .Pdf file that I printed out and it's 325 pages. (I recommend printing odd numbered pages in reverse order, then flipping it and doing the evens)
You really don't need it unless you really enjoy designing some extensive fields, or totally changing the physics of a plane to fly like a real one instead of RC.
You also have the option to remove anything you don't want, and still keep the original field. You just edit and save as...
give it a name like 'open field'. You'll always have the open field to fly in, plus you'll still have the stock airport with it's given name. That way, you won't lose anything.
You can also scale up the size of the planes (I do all of them at 2X) but you will also need to adjust the physics. Again, you can't edit the original file, but you rename it ie. Cessna 172R as Cessna 172R-2. That way the original plane is always there to start over again.
The owner's manual is a .Pdf file that I printed out and it's 325 pages. (I recommend printing odd numbered pages in reverse order, then flipping it and doing the evens)
You really don't need it unless you really enjoy designing some extensive fields, or totally changing the physics of a plane to fly like a real one instead of RC.
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- Messages
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Sorry, I missed your previous question. Any radio with throttle stick on the right is the European model. I hope you got the left throttle stick.
Did you buy on line or in a LHS?
Did you buy on line or in a LHS?