Great Planes

"RealFlight" Generation 3 RC Simulator

by Francis DiNovio

As an instructor, it is getting easier to recognize when a very new student pilot has been spending time on an RC flight simulator. Without some simulator time, those first few flights are very tough for a student pilot. The controls are very new with effects that are difficult to interpret when the pilot has yet to learn just what a model airplane is doing in the sky.

During the first flights, the student pilot usually sees only two things – all blue and all green (or brown in treeless locations), might hear something moving in the sky and may occasionally spot a formless blur moving against the blue/green background. Most new pilots do well to keep the airplane’s wings within 20 degrees of level on that first training flight. They have yet to learn to watch the wingtips, nose and tail as the key indicators of their aircraft’s future flight plans. Making a level turn yet remains a few flights in their future.

But the very new RC pilot with simulator time has an advantage. The controls and their responses are familiar after some hours flying around the virtual skies. The new pilot’s usual tendencies to over control are not as evident. Best of all, the pilot has experienced watching the airplane and coordinating its movements with the control sticks.

While it sometimes happens that a brand new RC pilot can go directly from the simulator to real-world flying, this is usually not the case. Bad things happen fast in the real world, wind changes and gusts alter approach paths, aircraft are over-banked leading to graveyard spirals and new pilots make mistakes. There is no reset button in the real world. However, even though the skills learned on the simulator are usually not sufficient for a brand new pilot to get a real-world airplane up and down safely, the instructor knows immediately that this student has had simulator experience. The real-world learning process can be accelerated a little as the new pilot has a better understanding of the instructor’s directions and is better able to follow them.

Finally like all learned skills, learning to be an RC pilot benefits from the student being able to practice often. But most new pilots are only able to practice actual model flying on the weekends and even that is subject to inclement weather. Long gaps between practice flights mean that the student must often relearn skills practiced last time rather than moving quickly on to the next challenges.

Having a good RC flight simulator enables the student pilot to practice everyday. That is, assuming the pilot can get the “kids” away from the computer for a while. If the simulator accurately reflects real-world RC flying, the frequent practice sessions results in less “re-learning” during actual flight sessions.

In the end, initial and continued simulator flight time speeds the learning process on several levels. As a guess, and this is just an opinion, a good simulator will shorten the learning period by about 25%. But whatever the actual advantage might be for an individual pilot, a good simulator makes learning easier while adding to the fun.

 
Photo 1      Photo 2

Before the original Great Planes’ “RealFlight” simulator was introduced several years ago, I got my first one in the mid-to late 1990’s, the few RC simulators available used illustrations for graphics and were not all that realistic regarding flight characteristics. Real Flight was the first RC simulator whose aircraft actually flew much like their real-world counterparts.

The best part was that the graphics were photo quality. The flying fields were actual model airports; complete with all their foibles like trees near the runway, hills and obstructions. The aircraft looked and flew like the real thing. True, there were some shortcomings. The pilot could fly outside the “world” for example. But on the whole, the first Real Flight simulator was ahead of the other simulators.

RealFlight’s excellent graphics and realistic flight simulations caused the other simulators to upgrade their systems. The result is that the RC pilot today has many excellent simulators to choose from. But Great Planes also did not rest on their first achievements either. They have also continued to upgrade Real Flight and to introduce various expansion packages over the years.

Photo 3

The latest RealFlight RC Simulator is called the G3, for Generation 3, and is by far the best RealFlight yet. Photo 3 shows just a few of its abilities. The basic package includes 42 different aircraft, from the original Wright Flyer to turbine-powered jets and even a TwinStar to practice engine-out twin flying. The graphics are outstanding and the airplanes fly exactly like the true models.

There are ten new airfields that cover 5,000 square miles of territory presented in TrueLife Terrain™ detail that includes elevation changes like mountains, valleys and rolling fields. Five flying fields, the most popular ones, from the previous G2 edition are also included.

The basic package includes a 7-Channel transmitter with dual rates on the elevator and ailerons. The sixth channel is proportional using a rotating knob. It is primarily used for flaps. The fifth channel is the usual on-off switch used for retractable landing gear. The transmitter has a USB cable that will work with USB 1 or 2 systems. Your computer should have a USB port to best work this simulator.

That subject brings us to:

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS                         MINIMUM                                             OPTIMUM Windows XP, 2000, ME 98                                 Windows XP Intel Pentium 1.0 GHz or equivalent                    Intel Pentium 3.0 GHz or equivalent DirectX 9 or better                                             3D Accelerated Video card 128 MB RAM 3D Accelerated Video card 38 MB RAM             1 GB RAM 256 MB RAM 1.3 GB Hard Disk space Multilink Internet operation – 56.6 kps modem     Broadband Extra USB port for using your own transmitter. Cord for Futaba, Hitec, JR, and Tower Hobby Systems included. Optional cord available for Airtronics/Sanwa Full system requirements, options and details about Internet Multiplayer operation available at www.realflight.com

The G3 RealFlight simulator always includes its own transmitter. But using your own transmitter is possible as connecting cords are enclosed. However, the hassle involved in using your own transmitter doesn’t make it worthwhile in my own opinion. If you do not have a computer transmitter, then the trims may need resetting, as may the control surface travel directions. Using a computer transmitter allows the simulator settings to be stored in a separate “model” memory.

With either type transmitter, you must be certain to reset everything before going to the real flying field or disaster may await you there. There is also the matter of charging the transmitter batteries. While the battery drain during simulator use is not that great, the RF circuit is usually not activated when using a trainer cord, it is still present and the transmitter always seems to lose power just when things are getting interesting.

Are all these hassles, and possible model loss, worth it just for the dubious advantage of having the same “stick feel” while flying the simulator and the real world model? First, most beginner transmitters all feel about the same. The G3 InterLink™ controller feels exactly like these transmitters. Second, when the feel is different, so is the pilot’s perspective simulator to real world. Fly real world and simulator for a while and your brain automatically adjusts for stick feel based on your perspective. But if you insist, by all means use the provided cord and your own transmitter. Just remember to reset everything before leaving the virtual sky for the real one.

Simulator Usage

Flying Fields

There are seventeen different flying fields in the G3. Five are from the older G2 version but are still very challenging. These fields are far smaller than the ten G3 fields and the two photo fields. The simulation ends if you fly outside their boundaries. The five fields are:

Black Rock – A dark, overcast sky with forbidding clouds that top out at about 17,500 ft. I reached them in a turbine powered F-86 Sabre Jet. Above the clouds, the Black Rock entire world can be seen using the cockpit view. The runway is gravel and short.

Fun Fly – A small field full of people and tents. There are lots of cameras and obstacles. Fly past the mountains and the simulation ends.

Green Valley – A nice field in a tree rimmed valley with some other fliers and lots of livestock you can scare.

Rainbow Canyon – This is the field used in the limited simulator supplied with the NexSTAR basic trainer. The rainbow is there, but the river valley is far more interesting. Unlike the NexSTAR simulator, you can fly through these valleys. Don’t get caught in a blind one though unless you have plenty of climb power. The big Ultimate biplane is a good airplane for exploring this unique terrain.

The RealFlight Park – Another limited valley airport with a few tents and lots of trees to make sure you stay on the straight and narrow approach.

The graphics for these fields are excellent but the area is limited. They are great for RC practice and each offers challenges to any pilot. The runways are short and the approaches narrow. Flying RC from these airfields will never get boring.

G3 Flying Fields

Photo 4

These airports are the heart of the new G3 simulator. The RealFlight Ranch field shown above has an open approach and a good-sized runway. But it is over 4,000 ft. high. Your airplane will not have as much power as it would at sea level nor will the propeller work as well or the wings develop as much lift. Good practice to learn how altitude affects flight performance.

 
Photo 5     Photo 5A

The Castle field has a long runway but the approaches narrow on one side. Yes, you can land a helicopter on the castle roof if you wish. Don’t let the airplane get behind or the trees will hide it.

 
Photo 6       Photo 7

You can fly any RC airplane off Observatory Hill. But you can also slope soar an Eagle (Hawk?) or any glider from this field as well. It is a good learning experience to fly the Cap 232 or Ultimate Biplane off this milder cliff as well.

Photo 8

If you want a real slope soaring experience, plant your virtual feet on the stone overlook of the Sierra Nevada Cliffs; 8,000 feet up with winds blowing from 35 to 58 mph. Here you can slope soar all the many gliders and even most of the power airplanes. Just don’t get caught downwind trying to get back to the landing area cause you just ain’t gonna to make it back.

 
Photo 9    Photo 10

The Palace (photo 9) has a runway just made for jets and the larger scale airplanes. You can even fly small electrics inside the stadium. Joe’s Garage is a wide open flying field. This airport has a few “Easter Eggs” located in and around it. In fact, several of the airports have hidden aircraft or representations of the people who created this great simulation if you taxi around looking for them.

 
Photo 11    Photo 12
 
Photo 13     Photo 14

There is an obstacle field as well. Called the “Obstacle Course” (a coincidence no doubt), this field features limbo flying over varying height limbo bars (photo 11). There is also a circular course of rings at different heights and curvature rates that is a real challenge to fly (photo 13). Probably one of the most fun courses to fly is the cross country tube course. This challenge runs about 50 miles over wooded mountains and plains and uses tubes about 40 feet long suspended at varying heights and curvatures that the pilot must fly through...

However, you cannot fly any of these obstacle courses “RC”. That is, you cannot fly through the ring circle, over the limbo or cross country through the tubes using the regular “pilot on the ground” RC position. Flying these obstacle courses means that you must either be in the cockpit view mode (photo 14) or flying chase above and behind the aircraft (photos 12 and 13).

 
Photo 13A      Photo 14A

However, the G3 does contain the more traditional limbo bar flight that can be flown “RC” as well as spot landing, pylon racing and auto-rotation for helicopters. These 3 events can be flown online as well in the multiplayer mode. A nice feature is that these events can be placed at any of the airfields in the G3. The airplane in photos 13A and 14A is the famous Bulldog pylon racer designed by Robert Hall after he left the Granville Brothers (of Gee Bee fame) design team.

In all, there are actually 17 different airfields in this version of Real Flight. The box says 15, but there are two more pictorial fields available as well. With all the different flying fields and various activities, plus the cross country flying available on the 10 G3 fields, you will never get bored with this simulator.

The Airplanes

 
Photo 15     Photo 16