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View Full Version : Discussion I like FMS!


sammy
May 25, 2009, 02:45 PM
For anyone wondering if FMS sim is worthwhile, This is my opinion!
First, I appreciate Roman and Michael Moller for developing this program and for making it available worldwide as freeware. And, I appreciate the many who have made model aircraft and landscapes available for free.

I have been into RC flying since the single-channel days, and electric models since 1980 (Estes and Astro-Flight). I've had many fuel planes of all types, including pylon racers. For years, I've been flying aerobatic; loops, rolls, a little inverted. What I never mastered was using the rudder for more than taxiing. For models with adverse yaw, I just mixed in rudder with the ailerons, in the TX.

Recently, I decided I should really learn to fly aerobatics, including high-alpha 3-D. I tried a profile Ultimate, and discovered how difficult it was. I went back to the FMS sim, and spent many hours learning to do hovering and 3-d aerobatics. It was very difficult at first, since I had to train my thumb on the rudder stick, and learn to manage the throttle. There are wind and thermal effects in the program that are fairly realistic.
Eventually, I learned to hover a variety of FMS models. My actual flying has improved a lot, and I probably prevented a lot of crashes in learning 3-D.

I know that there is a difference between sim flying and the real thing, but the hours spent on the sim has greatly reduced the learning curve on the real 3-D models. I wish I had had this sim when I learned to fly real models by trial and error, and crashed many of them.

Yes, this is a basic sim, and the store-bought sims are more realistic. If my computer could handle it, I'd have a better sim. But I much prefer the real world, to a monitor screen, and would rather be outdoors flying real models.

For newbies, and those wanting to learn new flying techniques, I recommend this great program.

Many popular arf models are available on the site
FMS Downloads (http://www.rc-sim.de/dl_engine_eng/index.php?subcat=50&PHPSESSID=d83a34bc50ab607ba8d5ff417c9dffbb)

A zip decompressor program, like Win Zip, is necessary to download models and scenery.

dbroc
May 25, 2009, 11:38 PM
Agreed. I keep going back to FMS even though I have "better" sims.

Here's my thoughts. I learned to shoot and hunt starting with a BB gun. Are they the same? No. Does a BB gun teach the basics (esp. safety)? Yes. Does it teach everything? No.
I still have my 1960's era BB gun and I can shoot targets in the basement or backyard and have fun! I think FMS is the BB gun of RC flight.

sammy
May 26, 2009, 08:36 AM
Good metaphor!

Sammy