just how realistic is FMS?

[sobamaflyer]

I've been playing with this for a few weeks and have found dozens of planes a few of which I've really enjoyed. How realistic is the simulation. I have found some to respond better and some I just can't handle at all (which I assume is probably a reality).

Thanks, Travis

[watt_the?!]

bluntly, not very realistic. good for orientation and perception, but flight dynamics arent great.

[flyranger]

Fms will help you get over the "is it going away or is it coming back" panic that we have all experienced. After you feel you have mastered the model, add about 2kps wind with 1kps gusts and learn more about flying in the real world!!

[frvrngn]

How do you add wind? I have vers 2.0 beta 7 and I dont see anyplace to add wind. I would really like to just to see what happens with certain models.

I agree its not very realistic, but can help with orientation and getting used to controls.

[sobamaflyer]

You may need 2.0, version 8.5. Under simulation it has the wind options. for those of us stuck in the non-metric world here's a couple wind values I managed to calculate (I think)

2mph=0.894m/s
5mph=2.235m/s
7mph=3.129m/s
10mph=4.470m/s

_________________

Thanks, I guess what did I expect for free huh :) I will say that it has done wonders for the problem I first experienced of fumbling which way to turn the stick when my plane was coming at me. It has helped a lot w/ stick movements on my elec. heli as well.

Guess I was just too excited to have found a bunch of the planes & helis I would like to have to play with for real :D

[Foamiesrfun]

yeah for you to learn left is left and rights right then coming back its right is left and left is right and up and down and all that together its good, but other then that its really not all that real. I have FMS cause wanted to teach my gf to fly w/o any luck.

[k-vette]

I find that it depends on the airplane. I just downloaded quite a few that will do pretty good 3d, including torque rolls.:cool:

[zappedalaskan]

I like FMS. It is nothing special by any means, but it does the trick, and there are thousands of free model downloads for it. For $200.00 dollars I can buy a new heli or plane. Having the free sim (givin not nearly as good as a spendy one) I can never bring myself to buying one in favor of another aircraft. But that is just me. Other opinions may vary :)
Regards,
Jay

[TManiaci]

Yea, for basic orientation training, it's a good tool, use it. Price is right. But, when you are ready to start learning acrobatics with physics realism, you'll need to cough up the bucks, or buy used (ebay works). I have Realflight G2, Aerofly Pro Deluxe and Reflex XTR. Don't waste your time with Realflight G-anything, they suck when it comes to generation upgrades, no upgrade allowance is provided, and you gotta pay for additional planes. AFPD and XTR are both very good. Lots of free downloadable aircraft available. I lean toward XTR a bit for true 3D areobatics, slightly better stalled flight physics, but not as elegant with aircraft and scenery.

My opinion...

[inconel710]

The thing I like about FMS is that I didn't need to buy a whole new computer to run it. My three year old laptop handles it just fine.

[TPS]

I think Sir Isaac Newton would have been disappointed. Gravity does not seem to play much of a role in FMS. For a free program however I think it is a very good learning tool.

[watt_the?!]

.... I have FMS cause wanted to teach my gf to fly w/o any luck.


i tried this also....i think it is analogous to ''herding cats''.

[Foamiesrfun]

The thing I like about FMS is that I didn't need to buy a whole new computer to run it. My three year old laptop handles it just fine.

yeah thats for sure, I seen and used the new FS1 yesterday but you have to have XP to run it. heck of a deal for 179 but my computor has ME on it and im not upgrading anytime soon oh well.

BTW I know noone has posted in this thread for a while but oh well.

[ggunners]

I think Sir Isaac Newton would have been disappointed. Gravity does not seem to play much of a role in FMS. For a free program however I think it is a very good learning tool.

Gravity in FMS is directly proportional to the weight in a hover. If you've not edited the .par file for FMS 2 alpha 8.5 with Mr. Masuoka's paredit program, you've not really experienced the newer flight physics in 2.8.5. Adding a little wind and it becomes very realistic. The ground physics are quite good too. If you catch a wing tip you can flip the plane. Are there bad models, you betcha. There are also some very good ones.

-- ggunners

[Bgnome]

yeah..there are assloads of crap models out there. there are assloads of tight models..
I personaly love FMS givin the limitations of computer hardware.. its an excelent simulator for what I want to do with it.. I even went out of my way and got a PIC cord for my computer controller just to run it properly..

and I gotta get a little fan boy and say thank you GGunner for your park flyer mods :) now speed up that stryker model :D

[ggunners]

Bgnome,

So how would you like to make a Stryker C model? That would be cool. Anybody got some photos of the top, bottom and side fins to share? If so, post them up. Then we will need someone to help tweak the .par file. The original I created with my brother's input on flight characteristics. He said it was very close to his stock Stryker on low rates but rolled a little fast.

All we need to tweak the file is feedback and a .par editor.....

-- ggunners

[Bgnome]

see.. I allready tried to sneak into the .par of the mod I have downloaded and couldn't figure where to adjust the thrust and type of moter..
now AFAIK, and styker fans don't flame me.. the C variant is the same model but its stock power plant has been brought up to line with a lot of modders transplants, i.e. big haunkin brushless moter with a corrisponding prop with little changing physically with the model itself...
you ust get a lot more with the stock setup in the C than say, the B

I think the controll rates were fine.. but the thrust was too slow

and isn't a good .par editor notebook? or am I missing something?

[ggunners]

I like Mr. Masuoka's .par editor. It rocks!

http://rcp.web.infoseek.co.jp/fms_e.html#A8Editor_Converter

The fastest way to more thrust is to increase the cell count. Also, make the prop bigger.

-- ggunners

[NightlyNinja2006]

The physics just aren't as good as compared to the ones you have to pay money for. :(

BTW, I have come across another free one this morning:
http://www.rc-sim.de/wbb2/thread.php?threadid=3784

but I haven't had time to check it out.

// *****************************
// Regards,
// Nate
// NightlyNinja2006@wikichat.com
// *****************************

[Bgnome]

tried to download it ninja, but the site they had kept crapping out on me. no download yet on it.. if there is a way for you to post your download file directly here it would be helpful.. other wise check my profile and shoot it to mee via Email..

but I agree.. I have Real flight V.1 rocking on my W98 legacy computer and its great! un fortuantly.. I find real flight to be a "bloat-ware" I meen.. really.. don't these people realize that this is a niche product thats only going to appeal to people that are already blowing scads amounts of money on the real thing!?! I inhearted my RF PP TIA and program from my old school RC pilot father who thought the Physics SUCKED!

I meen real flight G3 is asking for a 3.4 GHz processor, some 256+ of ram AND a 3D accelerated video card with at the very bare minimum of 32 Megs on onboard video ram

hell.. at those specs..dumb it down a bit a put in on the X-box! worked for Halo, it can work here.. just have a interlink controller with pass thru for your normal comp controller I'd bet they'd sell a lot more units that way!

I've ran the Real flight G3 at my LHS Kiosk.. and I love it..all the kids wana fly the jets.. but I'll bring up the ugly stick and funk around the basic stunt flying and wow them.
my winters don't get too nasty here in virginia..

I'm in Richmond BTW Gunners..

so my flying season is basicly dead winter and dead summer.. with spring and fall being the change times that bring the winds.. but y'know.. anything around 9am is fine


in any case.. I don't want to spend upwards of $2K on a new computer and the soft/hardware to run these latests gen sims, at the moment, I'd rather sink that cash into my physical fleet.. so if the free sims are fairly realistic with a minial outlay.. I'm damn happy with them.. I also like how the open endness of FMS is allowing people to come along and just program files for it.. the fact that I'm flying GWS models at the moment and GWS corporate websight links directly TO the FMS sight is also a glowing indorsment.

but what I love most of all is that with out stick time in eons I was able to load up FMS, plug a side winder joystick, and knowing the proper orintaion bring it all back to me.. in fact.. useing that config allowed me to maiden my slow stick, the first real flying I had done RC since 1989 and take that thing around ROG to grass gentle landing in 2MPH winds with a mode two transmitter
then I got my dads Futaba TX6A and a PIC interface cord..
world of difrence.. and my times out at the field reflect this..
and becouse of this I realized that any time of stick and wing variant is just going to piss me off becouse I need something thats small, electric and has good wind penetration becouse of where, and when I'm able to fly so I'm looking heavily at a Rapid RC mini-stick modded for ROG. and servo'd to take advantage of all my mixxing options on the T6XA, y'know.. with full rudder controll and replace the aileron servo with two micro's to achieve flap action for floating?
I was raised on kitting.. my first plane. the .40 trainer hanging above my head. my father And I built together.. theres just something about the emotional attachemnt that comes with building up..

I use the Sims to learn me from bashing in my builds..

get it?

[Radbuster]

My USB joystick won't control turns--only elevators. Calibrated the joystick, but no luck. Don't know how to use the Mapping checkboxes. Right now, none are checked. Have tried checking Aeliron, Roll, etc. Keyboard will turn the plane tho. Anyone help?

[Bgnome]

where are you calibrating the stick? within your windows joystick config? or within FMS?

try both and see if they jibe..

also try re-installing the drivers for the stick..

my personal set up is a GWS Parrallel Port PIC interface running into my Futaba TX6A computer TX. beore that I was useing a MS sidewinder pro 3D serial to run all joystick stuff on my computer.
I recomend the latter for running and RC sim ;)
but considering all my experience is with PP type controllers, I couldn't tell you about anything USB, but a stick should be a stick if its all set up right..
with USB even more so.. but.. like a lot of windows stuff.. if at first you don't succede, reboot and re-install :D

[Radbuster]

Thanks Bgnome. The control panel checked out fine for the joystick. It was the Channels in FMS; it was set for 4 and I only have 3. I put the aileron, rudder and tail all on channel 1 (some were on 4) and she steered just fine (Vtail ABX). Elevator is on 2 and throttle on 3. I'm having fun running up the wind speed. I thought ABX was good in wind!?! :rolleyes:

[Bgnome]

hey Rad! good to see I was of some help!