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PC Flight Sims

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T-handle

T-handle

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 27, 2001
Posts
344
For those that just can't get enough of flying in reality, any virtual reality junkies out there??? What flight sims today (if any) are popular to play? especially online multiyplayer? I may dust off Falcon 4.0 and install superpak 4.... and probably have to sign up for an F-16 refresher clinic at my local AFB.

Is Pacific Fighters good? Lock on Modern Air Combat? Any good helo sims lately?
 
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MSFT Flight Sim

I often practice IFR on Microsoft Flight Sim 2002 and 2004. I've heard great reviews about Lock On but have never played it myself.
 
I used to be quite the Flight Simulator adherent until I started instructing. Now I'm more into my XBOX...

But then again, a few bad wx days in a row and I'm back on the FS juice. I'm such a nerd.

-Goose
 
I used to play F4... just when I had learned enough for it to start being fun, I stopped having enough free time for computer games :(
 
Falcon 4 w/Superpak 4 and X-Plane are the bees knees of PC sims in my book!
 
I use MSFS2002 and now 2004 to help me with my learning. Not in the flying portion really, but with other things. I found that going through the preflight checklists in the sim(I bought a C152 add on) was just as effective as being in the plane. Also, I purchased pedals, and this helped me greatly with taxiing, as well as getting my rudder controls straight when in the air. One rule I have is to only perform things I have already learned, I don't want to learn bad habits. SO basically right now I will just practice taking off, getting into the pattern, and then landing...the sim does help me with the visuals of lining up to land, but obviously not the true feel.

Overall I think it is cool, and had a ton of fun flying around in jets before I even started taking Real life lessons. Adding on things like the SR-71 and Concord make it really fun. I do recomment picking up a nice Yoke and Pedals to really enjoy it. I have a dedicated computer with a yoke a pedals for flight sims(I swap out for a stick when playing IL-2 Sturmovik...a good combat sim).
 
Microsoft FS 2004 is yesterdays news, I am sorry to say.
If you "really" feel the need to test your skills in a realistic and incredible sim, that has flight physics that does loops around MSFS2004, head over to http://www.x-plane.com and see what all the hype is about! You wont be disappointed!
 
The_Russian said:
I would never purchase a plane for MSFS. Never. You can get the best ones for free here.....http://www.flightsim.com and here http://www.avsim.com


Linky---->http://www.lockonskins.co.uk/linkcounter.php?LID=158
Click to expand...

I used to say the same thing. But then I purchased a few airplanes and they are way beyond any freeware that is out there.Capt. Sim has an awesome F-104 and MiG-21, and Real Air Simulations has a Marchetti sf.260 that is about as close as it can get (I used to fly one for a living). The best freeware out there is FSD-International's T-38, tho I did have the tweak the fuel flow numbers to get them closer the real thing.

IL-2 is super cool. The most realistic I have played with for formation flying.

Falcon 4.0 with the SP4 patch is a good one, but the enemy AI airplanes still perform a little better than the real dudes do during a fight. But eh. whaddya gonna do.

The sad part is, the hardcore flight sim market (with the exception of MSFS) is dead.

Oh yea....cool video...
 
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Owen_FSD said:
BoDEAN,

You haven't tried a Steve Small flight model then ... he makes MS FS rival X-Plane in physics!

Regards,

Owen
Click to expand...

The REAL answers----
Now that this is turned into a flightsim forum!

X-Planes physic's model will give you an idea of what the plane might fly like. Unfortunately, because of it's smoothness, some believe this is more like flight. I don't!
Someone else once decscribed it's smoothness as having no character, and that many planes seem all alike. I agree! MSFS aircraft have character, and you actually develop a sense of feel. It's a faking of the senses, but it works.

MSFS uses lookup tables, which is usually closer to exact performance, than you'll get by designing an aircraft within X-Plane. Sim "smoothness" depends on complexity of scenery, and more bells & whistles than X-Plane has. Topography ( elevation mesh) available for MSFS is much more accurate than what's available for X-Plane at this time.

Next fact (according to my 15 years of flight sims). There are three or four 3rd party flight dynamic designers for MSFS (and more I'm sure) who have been in the business for many years. They have elevated MSFS models to perfection! Most are payware, but worth it. Steve Small (FSD) is one of these people. Some others that I'm familiar with for excellent products are DreamFleet & RealAir Simulations. All these designers are also licensed pilots. In fact many pilots & aircraft owners are also into flight simming.

I also own X-Plane, but never bought into the "myth" of it's superiority. It's mostly hype,IMO. Can be fun, but certainly not superior.
 
Ill Mitch said:
The best freeware out there is FSD-International's T-38, tho I did have the tweak the fuel flow numbers to get them closer the real thing.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words, Mitch. We are in the process of revising the T-38 for FS 2004, and will be realeasing it with the C-17 I originally released thru POSky for FS 2002, revised as well.

http://www.fsd-international.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=1197&mesg_id=1197&page=4

http://www.fsd-international.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=1224&mesg_id=1224&page=3

http://www.fsd-international.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=1135&mesg_id=1135&page=5

Best regards,

Owen
 
mtrv said:
Next fact (according to my 15 years of flight sims). There are three or four 3rd party flight dynamic designers for MSFS (and more I'm sure) who have been in the business for many years. They have elevated MSFS models to perfection! Most are payware, but worth it. Steve Small (FSD) is one of these people. Some others that I'm familiar with for excellent products are DreamFleet & RealAir Simulations. All these designers are also licensed pilots. In fact many pilots & aircraft owners are also into flight simming.
Click to expand...

mtrv,
I totally agree. Rob Young and Ron Friemuth are very talented flight modellers as well. The really tough thing about designing FM's for MSFS is that it is not disclosed in any SDK. It is certainly an art designing an MSFS flight model. Steve has been known to spend well over 500 hrs. on a single flight model (which is what he spent on the Pilatus Porter).

Best regards,

Owen
 
I haven't tried the latest and greatest, but I enjoy EF2000, Janes WWII fighters and USAF. The best one I have is Red Baron 3D (old school - circa 1998). The flight model is very realistic (near as I can figure - you really have to plane your climbs to catch the baddies) and it lots o' fun too!
 

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