Is a Simulator worth the money to learn 3D on?

[skid_68]

So Im sitting here ready to purchase Aerofly Deluxe because I want to learn to fly 3D. But want to do it without killing a plane. ;) Is it even worth it, or should I just spend the 200 bux on a plane, and go out and do it. Or do it without worry on Aerofly? Arrrghghgh I need some advice guys. Just dont know what to do.

[tridim]

In a word, Yes.

Reflex XTR was the best $139 I've spent in this hobby.

[AirNerd]

this is a big topic, HUGE and it is up to you if you want to soend the money.

I am sure it will be an extreamly GREAT investment for you.

I peronally have Aerofly pro deluxe and LOVE IT and has drasticly improved my piloting skills.

click here for a ton of info...http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_138/tt.htm

Good luck!

Christopher

[ki0qm]

No doubt you will either (a) be able to learn moves faster or (b) be able to learn them cheaper. :)

[Armin Mangelmann]

Go for the afp deluxe!
i own both reflex and afpdel....so i know the difference between them...
afpd has better airplane performance, the reflex just looses in this special part...reflex indoor is nice too fly and good for practice but so is afpd.
Outdoor the reflex is not really reallistic!

For 3-d just go with the afpd and fly with the matt extra....

Especially if you are into 3-d a sim will always help you getting the fingers running, you can improve with daily training..
i even run my aero musical routines with it...it helps me hit the rhythems good. New maneuvers can be practiced without the fear of crashing....

So, no doubt a sim will help you increase your flying skills, must use it of course...

KR
Armin

PS: reflex is very good in heli stuff...but that is not really my business..

[[ o ] cap]

[QUOTE=Armin Mangelmann]
Outdoor the reflex is not really reallistic!



Hogwash! What he meant to say was in his opinion... it's not realistic. I too have both and think that AFPD is not as realistic as Reflex. Of course I have learned the aerodynamics of them and re tweaked planes to fly more accurate in Reflex than in AFPD. "in my opinion!" AFPD feelks more like a "GAME " than a serious simulator...IN MY OPINION. Baloon popping?....please! truth is you wont be dissapointed with either. More to the question that was actually asked....YES! A simulator more than anything can help prevent "dumb dumbs" when it really matters.

[big bird]

I got aerofly pro when it was the best there was ... now there is pro deluxe and many people maintain that Reflex XTR is even better

Short answer: best money I spent in this hobby too. It will DRAMATICALLY improve your skills, as you trash 100's of airframes with NO repairs, and you fly as often as you like, night time, day time, rough weather etc.

I cannot reccomend it enough

big bird

[Ron Williams]

I wonder if [ o ] cap can fly as well as Armand? That would make him world famous, too! Check out the "top five" action:

http://www.rcgroups.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=26363&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

[777]

Having a sim is fantastic for so many reasons...

- Practicing 3d w/o the concerns of crashing. Once you learn to do some basic moves, you can practice all sorts of other moves and continue to progress.

- If you have an itch to fly, but can't make it to the field, you can scratch that itch for a few minutes and restore you sanity.

- You can teach friends & family how to fly.

I'm very happy with mine.

Brad

[skid_68]

Thanks for all the great replies guys! :D Ordered AFPD last night, and cant wait for it to get here. Its really crappy weather, and I only get time to fly on the weekend due to the short days now, and thats if the weather is good enough to fly on, on the weekends. So this is the next best thing. I can practice 3D flying all winter long, and come spring. I should be ready to go. Thanks again guys.

[Ron Williams]

There's a gas powered Giles (IIRC) on AFPD, (it's gray and it has an American flag decoration on the wings) that is set up to perform in 3D. It is a great trainer for 3D set up at 60% - after a few sessions it becomes almost too easy but it sure helps with other planes on the sim. You can also alter the trim on other planes with your Tx and with the "edit" utility, moving the CG around and setting up endpoints, etc.

[workdesk12]

I have only heard good things about AFOD.. Not sure what area you are in, but I’m currently in Manchester, won't get into specifics.. But, basically my job as an aerospace engineer is to design programs that can recover after part of the wing, or the full thing is blown off. Needless to say, we use pretty cool simulators to test out the finished product. I heard through the grape vine, that some excellent simulators are going to be tested out on eBay or Nabit, depending on what everyone’s preferences are these days.. If you don't know what Nabit is, then I suggest you download it and find out. Other then that, if you want to know more, I’ll be on periodically.

[Artemetra]

Let us know how you like the AFPD!

I'm learning 3D now and I found the new "Best Plane Ever." (IMO) It's the Extra 300e (for AFP or AFPD, can't remember which) from the RC-Sim download site. This thing hovers so perfectly it's unreal. Smooth, no bad habits, won't snap out of knife-edge. I've been practicing landing on the roofs of buildings. Boring color scheme (blue with green wings) on the plane, but flies perfectly without any tweaking.

Has anyone else tried the Extra 300e?

http://www.rc-sim.de/index_en.htm

[Artemetra]

I looked up that Extra 300e it's titled "Elektro Extra300" under the AFP Planes section, works fine in AFPD. Page 6.


It's the best flying plane I've found yet, in 3 simulators - AFPD, Reflex XTR, and RF G2.

The best I could find for XTR was a Patty Wagstaff Extra.

Note: one german guy said:

Ich finde die Maschine ist zu leicht und fliegt
zu gutmütig.
7.9 kg ist ja auch ein bischen wenig für die Größe.

I find the machine is too light/easy and flies too good-naturedly. 7.9 kg is also too light for a plane this size.

(maybe that's why it flies so well!)

[tridim]

The best I could find for XTR was a Patty Wagstaff Extra.
Try the Freedom 3D from http://w3.wehner.cc
I had to increase the throws, remove some aileron damping and tweak the power to weight ratio a bit, but it's a blast to fly and 3D's wonderfully. None of the planes in Reflex snap enough, and most fly too well dead-stick, but that's not W3's fault.