Flight Sim Choice
- Thread starter C-YQK
- Start date
I was about to ask a question on simulators also. I have been gifted what I think is enough and thought I know what I want, a flight sim. I have a budget of 10k and wanted to get something as realistic as possible but have never used one and dont know the first thing about them. I am following and welcome any suggestions also.
RVBottomly
PATRON
Asotin County Washington (KLWS)
For that kind of money, you might as well look at Redbird: https://simulators.redbirdflight.com/
They have "affordable" ones that will allow you to remain current for IFR, if that's what you are after. TD2:
https://simulators.redbirdflight.com/products/td2
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Crash Jr.
Registered User
Anchorage, AK
VR headsets and a good HOTAS setup will get you a long ways these days on not much money. Main investment is going to be into a PC that will run simulator software in high definition.
For the actual software, the new Microsoft Flight Simulator that just released this summer is pretty hard to beat. Real time weather, extremely accurate aircraft models, incredibly detailed terrain, and perhaps the best is you can land off airport without it freaking out. Old simulators you would fall through the "ground" as it was just a texture mesh and not a landable surface. Now it's all solid and detailed. Look up some videos of the Zlin Savage flying on MS Flight Sim on youtube.
For the actual software, the new Microsoft Flight Simulator that just released this summer is pretty hard to beat. Real time weather, extremely accurate aircraft models, incredibly detailed terrain, and perhaps the best is you can land off airport without it freaking out. Old simulators you would fall through the "ground" as it was just a texture mesh and not a landable surface. Now it's all solid and detailed. Look up some videos of the Zlin Savage flying on MS Flight Sim on youtube.
So when looking at Redbird is it all inclusive with the software, monitor, controls and such. Has anyone here actually used the Redbird sim.
I see the Microsoft software but does it just run on your computer and I assume you would buy yoke, pedals, and panel separate ?
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I see the Microsoft software but does it just run on your computer and I assume you would buy yoke, pedals, and panel separate ?
Sent from my iPhone using SuperCub.Org
Speedo
FOUNDER
TN
This looks like a possibility. It would need a slight refit. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2...e=dm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020-11-13
RVBottomly
PATRON
Asotin County Washington (KLWS)
Best to just contact them. I thought it came with everything you need to get started, but I noticed they were offering pedals as something else to buy.
I used a older flight school version long ago. It didn't have the graphics they have now, but it was useful for practicing IFR.
RVBottomly
PATRON
Asotin County Washington (KLWS)
Yes, buy the yoke and pedals if you want to really use MS or other computer flight simulators. You can get by with a joystick to mess around with. Some of the gaming type joysticks have extra buttons and sliders that you can map to being throttle or rudders.
I'm not an expert at all, but I looked these over in the past. The only reason I suggested the Redbird model is because it is a BATD that allows for recurrency in IFR.
But Microsoft's latest looks more fun and realistic.
That looks like a awesome find if it can be fitted with aviation controls. it looks to be selling for 10% of its cost
This just arrived in my email from Sportys. I registered and hope to gain some insight into how to purchase and best use of a sim.
https://register.gotowebinar.com/re...n=A20112C&utm_content=Fast+Five+-+November+14
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https://register.gotowebinar.com/re...n=A20112C&utm_content=Fast+Five+-+November+14
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supercub1999
Registered User
before spending a ton a money on new stuff, pick up a copy a ms flightsim 2004, old but best bang for buck if you are just wanting to practice instrument procedures, no pedals needed just cheap joystick. any computer will run it, and you can land anywhere, you dont fall through the terrain. I still run it once in awhile to keep ifr sharp, set the vis down to 1/2 mile and you wont see the approach lights until dh just like real thing
Fun VFR also, I just flew into johnson creek last week with it in a barron, fun stuff and mountains are realistic.
Heres a copy 10 buks on ebuy
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-...-Flight-PC-4-Disc-Set-Metal-Case/363093694616
Fun VFR also, I just flew into johnson creek last week with it in a barron, fun stuff and mountains are realistic.
Heres a copy 10 buks on ebuy
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-...-Flight-PC-4-Disc-Set-Metal-Case/363093694616
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Farmboy
MEMBER
Middlebury, VT
For the inexpensive end, and highly customizable, just download FlightGear, models and maps.
I’ve not used it in some years but the good models were designed for real flight characteristics. Had many user hangars to source from.
Open source software, and was quite good.
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I’ve not used it in some years but the good models were designed for real flight characteristics. Had many user hangars to source from.
Open source software, and was quite good.
Sent from my iPhone using SuperCub.Org
RaisedByWolves
FRIEND
Tx
There’s also prepar3d which Boeing bought FSX and continued with it.
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supercub1999
Registered User
Crash Jr.
Registered User
Anchorage, AK
The real problem with flight sims is peripheral vision or just being able to see left and right to visually coordinate turns. Whichever sim software you get it's advisable to either get a head tracking setup, multiple monitors, or a virtual reality goggle setup so that you can look around better.
supercub1999
Registered User
A thumb on shift key and whichever way you want to look, 8 views. almost as quick as real flying, works fine for me
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Aeronut
Registered User
Kittery, ME
I haven't used my flight sim in a bit but before I went to rotary wing flight school in the military I spent a lot of time with MS Flight Simulator and tweaking that rig for realistic flight dynamics in helicopters. The most important things are to have the controls setup to those on the actual aircraft, a large range of vision, and the aircraft flight dynamics file tweaked.
Flight Controls - I took a regular old joystick, removed the stick and made a new one out of PVC so that it would reach the floor. You will need to recalibrate the stick for the increased stick length but this is very easy. Since you're building motive skills that will need to be intuitive on the controls I believe that having controls that are in different places than real life or a pivot point on the stick that is much higher than normal will affect your skill transfer if that's your goal. Grab some pedals and make sure your throttle is positioned correctly relative to the real aircraft. All of this should cost you well under $300. Make sure your control parameters are tweaked in Flight Sim for realistic performance. Sometimes they're less sensitive which I believe makes it's harder to fly as well as less realistic.
Vision - I recommend the IR tracking system from TrackIR. It allowed me to use one monitor but still move my head around the cockpit and look around outside the aircraft when doing things like traffic patterns. You can even lean forward to look past a structural member. It's great software and much cleaner than having a wall of monitors.
Aircraft Flight Dynamics - You can go into the aircraft text files and edit their performance parameters. For helicopters this was particularly important as they were way dumbed down. I actually tweaked them to be slightly more difficult to fly and I was hovering an after market sim Bell 206 (DoDo Sim) after about 50 hours of practice at home. This transferred to hovering a real 206 on the first try at school without any prior real world experience which took about 10 hours on average for my classmates. If this level of realism can be done with a helicopter it can be done with a Super Cub.
As a side note, you can make flight sim as realistic as possible. In doing so it is a very powerful training tool that can allow you to practice. But your quality of training will only be as good as the environment you create in flight sim (wind, controls, etc) and how seriously you take your training.
Good Luck!
Josh
Flight Controls - I took a regular old joystick, removed the stick and made a new one out of PVC so that it would reach the floor. You will need to recalibrate the stick for the increased stick length but this is very easy. Since you're building motive skills that will need to be intuitive on the controls I believe that having controls that are in different places than real life or a pivot point on the stick that is much higher than normal will affect your skill transfer if that's your goal. Grab some pedals and make sure your throttle is positioned correctly relative to the real aircraft. All of this should cost you well under $300. Make sure your control parameters are tweaked in Flight Sim for realistic performance. Sometimes they're less sensitive which I believe makes it's harder to fly as well as less realistic.
Vision - I recommend the IR tracking system from TrackIR. It allowed me to use one monitor but still move my head around the cockpit and look around outside the aircraft when doing things like traffic patterns. You can even lean forward to look past a structural member. It's great software and much cleaner than having a wall of monitors.
Aircraft Flight Dynamics - You can go into the aircraft text files and edit their performance parameters. For helicopters this was particularly important as they were way dumbed down. I actually tweaked them to be slightly more difficult to fly and I was hovering an after market sim Bell 206 (DoDo Sim) after about 50 hours of practice at home. This transferred to hovering a real 206 on the first try at school without any prior real world experience which took about 10 hours on average for my classmates. If this level of realism can be done with a helicopter it can be done with a Super Cub.
As a side note, you can make flight sim as realistic as possible. In doing so it is a very powerful training tool that can allow you to practice. But your quality of training will only be as good as the environment you create in flight sim (wind, controls, etc) and how seriously you take your training.
Good Luck!
Josh
This is what I want to create as close to my cockpit environment as I can get. Once I get myself a set up I will ask here for advise and share the experience.
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Since I couldn't start building a Super Cub for a while I decided to make a simulator. I didn't find much for "stick" simulators and the nice simulator products are very pricey. I went with a Logitech yoke/throttle to start with and then made a set of Cub rudder pedals (see pics below). Designing and making the rudder pedals was fun and they work awesome. I used the exact Super Cub geometry for the pedals and heel brakes. There is an adjustable shock built in that gives it a realistic feel. The Logitech throttle is fine, the yoke is not so great. I recently switched to Microsoft Flight Sim 2020 and would highly recommend it. It requires a pretty sporty machine to run it in Ultra definition but I run it on an older machine at a reduced resolution and it's fine. You really need a head tracker, multiple monitors, or better yet a VR setup to get the most out of any simulator. I'm waiting for the MS 2020 release that supports VR (in beta testing now). When that is released, I'm going to buy a HP Reverb 2 VR setup along with a good graphics card and think it will be beyond amazing. Once that is all working I'm going to make a realistic stick controller with force feedback.
