Simulators....

[osterizer]

Here's a conversation that always comes up. Best first heli? It's a simulator! What's the best way to learn a new maneuver? On a sim! So let's chat. I know there are plenty of viewpoints about it.

Some people have spent months or years on the sim learning how to fly helis before buying one (not naming any names :) ), and from what I've heard they had crash costs on the low end of the spectrum, but most of us (me included) don't have a sim, or don't think to use it to learn, get a heli, crash a few hundred times, and then realize- I could do this on the sim and it wouldn't cost so much....

I learned, and the process I've gotten into is that I don't try much that is new IRL. During the flying season I fly on the sim a fair bit, crash a lot and learn. When I'm flying the real ones, I don't usually try to do something new per se, but rather, I pick up more complicated flying that I've done on the sim already. I've just gotten so comfortable with this or that on the sim that it is just natural to do it with the real helicopter, and crashes are few and far between. It's not that I don't get adventurous with things, but that part gets done on the sim, and it doesn't involve real world dirt farming, ordering parts, ...and I can just keep on flying.

I have RFG4.5, and it was a bit of $, but it's saved me many times that in parts I would have ordered so I'm good. But I know there are other good ones out there that are much less expensive.

So what do you think? How do you relate sim time to flight time? What sim do you use? Or do you not fly a sim at all? How structured (or not) do you get? And once you have it, how successful are you, moving your sim skills to the real world?

[jasmine2501]

I practice with my simulator, I don't just noodle around. I pick a move and practice it. Lately it's been backward circuits, in both directions, and I try to keep a steady altitude and speed. I'll do it with slow speed and fast speed until I can control both the speed and the altitude. I practice turning and leveling out, then I practice circles and figure 8s. I try not to get to where I'm better at one direction than the other, and I practice at different angles - clockwise circles on the left, then on the right, then in front of me - then the same thing counter-clockwise. I fly the same way I do at the club, that means stay in front of the flight line and don't fly over the spectators, don't fly through the camera which would result in injury IRL, and always try to have a good landing. I find that this translates fairly well to the real world. I have learned light 3D and only had 3 crashes - 2 of which were due to mechanical failure. This is ALL due to simulator practice.

This is my first real world flight of a CP helicopter. It is a testament to the power of simulators.
http://www.vimeo.com/1816679

And here are some things to practice in the simulator and IRL, in order to get started on the basics.
http://www.vimeo.com/2561213

[Mike_Then]

I have noticed an improvement in my RL flying when practicing things on a simulator. For example, I was always scared to knife edge from right to left, but I don't have a problem doing it from left to right. Once I felt I did OK with it on the simulator, I tried it with my Reactor and was able to do it (it needs work of course).

It has also helped me with orientation in heli flying. The simulator has helped me grasp the nose first orientation flying that has translated to the flying of my Blade mCX.

There are those that look to R/C flight sims as a video game, and others that view it as a tool. To me, it's somewhere in-between... some nights I want to just fly around and others I want to try some new maneuver or practice others. Thankfully it does both.

[osterizer]

Yes, there's an important thread there- practicing, not just tossing around. I can spend hours on the sim in one setting, practicing one maneuver until I get it down.

[Skarn]

I try out all new things on the sim first. If it weren't for my sim, I wouldn't have learned nose-in. Well...I wouldn't have learned it without crashing!

I use FSOne...it's ok.

Skarn

[dan c]

Hi all, Nice thread!.
I got Pheonix rc along time ago, before i even had a "real" heli, at the time i had a contra-rotating Twister medivac. The sim helped me SO much, don't get me wrong, i still had plenty of crashes when i moved up to a 400 size,(twister 3d).but i think half of them were due to setup issues as i've had to learn every thing about this hobby on my own.I did'nt even have internet access up until 6 months ago! All my setup advice was from magazines and my LHS. But now i know how to tweak a model from all the info on the net, coupled with all the VALUBLE sim time, it's improved my flying no end. I see a sim as a brilliant tool for learning and practising, but as we all know there's no substitute for real stick time to get over the nerves! Since i've had my Mini Titan i've yet to crash it, and i've recently started doing loops,flip's and inverted hovering, which i think is all down to sim time. Dam, now i've said that i know a crash is on the cards!! :D

Dan. :)

[Balr14]

Has anyone managed to do funnels and tick-tocks with RF G3.5? I can get a funnel started, but I can't hold it. I have no idea how to do the tick-tocks.

[jasmine2501]

Has anyone managed to do funnels and tick-tocks with RF G3.5? I can get a funnel started, but I can't hold it. I have no idea how to do the tick-tocks.

Yeah it can be done, but you have to use the right helicopter... the Dominion is a nice one from the 'stock' list of helis. Ticks are harder IRL - the G3.5 doesn't seem to simulate head bogging very well.