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Great Planes® RealFlight G4 RC Flight Simulator Review
By BARNESJONR
Jan 14, 2008, 09:18 PM
Introduction
You've probably heard someone at the field say, "I've been practicing it on my simulator" or "I need to spend some more time perfecting it on the simulator.” Perhaps that someone was even you! Many radio control pilots, both new and advanced, have found that an indispensable part of learning to fly and in continuing to develop their RC skills is a radio control flight simulator. My first RC simulator was one that ran on the Atari ST and was called RC Aerochopper. (Click on the link if you'd like to be transported back to 1989 and see what RC simulators USED to look like.)
Through that little simulator, I became adept at hovering and basic maneuvers, all without one crash or mishap. I still extensively utilize a simulator to help me learn difficult aerobatic maneuvers or to hone my helicopter skills. Simulators are valuable tools in teaching pilots how to fly without breaking their banks, and they have come a long way since 1989. In this review we will take a look at the new simulator from Great Planes which has also come a lon gway since its release back in the late 90s, RealFlight G4.
This review will primarily focus on all that is uniquely new to RealFlight G4, so if you are new to this simulator, here are some of the other well written and informative RealFlight reviews previously published here on RCGroups.com:
But I Just Bought G3.5 a Month Ago!
In a gesture aimed at helping those caught in such a position, Great Planes has put a rebate program in place. It's terms are as follows:
There are some limitations: you must have a copy of your receipt to take advantage of the larger rebate amount, only one rebate per serial number, etc. See the pdf for complete details: Rebate PDF. The rebate ends early in 2008, so take advantage of it now if you plan on moving up to G4. There are other folks who will be happy to reimburse you some additional simulator dollars by purchasing your copy of the older version. You did save all of the instructions and original packaging materials, didn't you? It will help you to get a better price when you list it here in the RCGroups.com Classifieds.
It is worth noting that RealFlight allows you to sell your previous copy and reset its registration so that the next owner can register it. I have done this before to finance my own upgrades.
Box Contents
There are only a few pieces to unpack when you open the box:
According to the Tech Notes for G4, the connectors on the InterLink Elite cord and included adapters make the InterLink Elite compatible with the trainer jack on most Futaba® and all JR®, Spektrum and Tower Hobbies systems. A special adapter for use with most Airtronics®/Sanwa® and Hitec® is available separately (Airtronics Adapter). G4 includes several adapter cables used to make the connection to many popular RC transmitters. If your transmitter’s buddy box port directly accepts the 1/8” stereo plug, insert this end directly into the radio (this works for most JR® radios). If your transmitter’s buddy box port requires the micro (square) connector, use the squared adapter cord included with the simulator.
The complete manual is located on the CDs and will be placed on your hard drive in the Documentation Folder, located in the RealFlight directory during the installation process, or you can download it from the Knife Edge web site: RealFlight G4 Manual.
The printed documentation that comes in the box will assist you with installation and getting G4 up and running for the first time. However, be sure and spend some time in the full manual; It is a very well written and illustrated manual that is FULL of great information to help you get the absolute most out of G4.
An Overview of What’s New in G4
RealFlight G4 adds a number of new features, many of which were suggestions by users that have been integrated into the software. You have been talking and they have been listening! Some of the new aircraft come with multiple paint schemes or finishes including the Extra 300L, the Catalina and even some of the helicopters. G4 has updated some of your favorite aircraft with new finishes. The L39 and the P51 are two that appear to have new choices in paint or color schemes. New Aircraft
Strangely, I could not locate the Impala .30 Helicopter with floats. The Great Planes Super Sportster on floats is not listed as one of the new float planes, but it does indeed appear within G4. New Airports
Other New Features
One important note: RealFlight G4 is not compatible with the RealFlight Classic or G2 Add-Ons packs. It is, however, compatible with all four RealFlight G3 Expansion Packs. Apparently, the older Add-Ons just couldn't be easily reworked to fit into G4's way of doing things, but they are still looking into some way of making these packs available to RealFlight G4 customers.
Hardware Requirements - Does My System Have What it Takes to Run G4?
Here are the published hardware requirements for running RealFlight G4:
NOTE*: (Some graphical features may be disabled, however, Aerodynamic Calculations will still be high-quality)
Processor
Both Intel and AMD have many choices when it comes to processors that will work with G4. The Optimum specs list a 2.4 GHz Dual Core processor as the target.
Video card
Your video card is one of the two most important pieces of hardware in your system when it comes to running G4. As the developers so eloquently state in the RealFlight G4 manual:
In order to achieve optimum performance and the best flying experience in RealFlight, there are two important components of your computer that deserve special attention: the video and sound cards. RealFlight G4 has undergone countless hours of compatibility testing and evaluation. While RealFlight works well on a wide variety of hardware configurations, it offers many features and functions that are designed to take particular advantage of the latest video technology. If you have an older computer, or a newer computer with a lowerend video card, you may want to consider purchasing a new video card to tak advantage of these features and functions. This moderately priced upgrade can vastly enhance your enjoyment of RealFlight. Aside from increasing your satisfaction with G4, a new video card will also work with many other games or simulators, improving their performance as well.
Knife Edge maintains a comprehensive Video Card Compatibility Chart on their website. Your video card will require even MORE horsepower to run G4, but it is so worth it. Generally speaking, if your video card is based on the Nvidia GeForce 5500 (or higher) or the ATI Radeon 9600 (or higher), it will run G4. The graphics of G4 are a huge upgrade over G3.5. Some of the screen shots posted on the Knife Edge forums of what this latest generation of video cards will do to this piece of software are amazing.
Memory
After uninstalling G3.5 and rebooting my system, the installation of G4 went off without a hitch. I definitely would prefer the convenience of having the program on one DVD instead of four CDs but they installed quickly enough. Prior to installing G4, it is recommended you first upgrade your video and sound drivers to the latest versions. I tend to stay fairly current on my video drivers, so I was good to go.
Keep your CD jewel box handy, you will need to enter your serial numbers before the program will execute.
A Closer Look at What’s New in G4
Hardware
Interlink Elite ControllerThe new Interlink Elite controller bears a striking resemblance to Futaba's 6EX system. The most notable new features of this new controller are its digital trims and the array of push buttons on its bottom quadrant. Just as on the previous controller, if you prefer to use your own transmitter, the InterLink Elite has the interface built in to it. You can even use both the Interlink and your own radio simultaneously with a multi-mode feature that lets you and a buddy fly at the same time via a split screen. All of the new controller’s various switches and dials are clearly labeled.
I REALLY like the buttons on the controller that now allow you to make any and all changes from the controller instead of having to use one hand to grab the mouse and navigate the Windows menus. The same side bar menu that appears when you click the "Menu/Select" button will also appear if you bump your mouse cursor into the left side of the display. You can also steal a quick look at the windsock now without having to look at the keyboard and then jab at the appropriate key, simply by pressing the "Data Lever" key up.
Track IR
Though this feature was also available in G3.5, it is notable and worth mentioning. Track IR is an amazing little product that frees up your hands and enables you too use your head to pan, zoom and tilt the views in software applications, much the same as you do in everyday life. It is marketed as providing unprecedented gaming immersion (which may be an understatement). In G4, enabling this feature allows you to look around while you fly! Track IR lets you keep your hands on your primary game controls and use your head to naturally look around.
Software
With its many different aircraft, a piece of software like G4 involves a neverending number of changes and bug fixes. Don't believe me?! Take a peek here at the Version History for G3/G3.5. It is a good indication that the developers have an "open ear" policy to reports on inaccuracies or problems with the software. There is continual tweaking by the programmers to improve the final product. As of right now, there has already been one minor version upgrade to G4. (Reminder: Upgrades are made from within the program itself, by clicking on the "Advanced" button in the RealFlight Launcher dialog box.)
New Graphics Engine
Many of the graphics engines used in high end computer games end up being used to create other games and perhaps even simulators like G4. At least that was my theory. I had several guesses as to which engine RealFlight had licensed to make G4, but the only way to find the answer was to go to the developers and ask. Their answer surprised me: It turns out that Knife Edge has developed their own proprietary engine. The trees are rendered with Speedtree Middleware, but everything else is coded in their development shop!
Water, Float Planes and Helicopters on Floats
The water sites, in conjunction with the float flying planes, are perhaps one of the main new features on the software side of G4. The water is incredibly real looking. It ripples and shimmers in the wind and sunlight. Any floating objects you encounter are dynamic and will bob up and down. If they are small enough, you can push them around with your aircraft. The float equipped aircraft and the sole sea plane, the Seawind, bob and bounce in the waves. Head into the shallower water, and the floats will rise a little, and the resistance to forward movement will drastically increase. Though there are about a half dozen or so float planes that ship with G4, I have had specific experience with only one of them: the Great Planes Electric PBY Catalina. Having done a review of it for this site some months back, I can definitely comment with some authority on the accuracy of its physics and the way it has been modeled in G4.
The power provided by the twin electric motors is pretty accurately portrayed in the simulator. There is not a huge reserve of power available in either model, but both planes fly around at the same fairly scale looking speed. I do think it is a little harder to get the G4 version up on step and ready to rotate free of the water. It seems to want to "stick" to the water a little bit longer than the review plane I flew. Landing either one requires that you modulate the throttles to control the descent and flare. Try and slow the approach too much and flare with only the elevator, and you will end up bouncing the PBY in a series of increasingly worse hops until it runs out of airspeed and plops to a stop. The one large difference I observed is that the G4 PBY is almost indestructible. Slam dunk it into the water at almost any angle, and it will simply shake it off and continue completely operational, appearing to say "Thank you sir, may I please have another!”
My favorite float plane has to be the amply powered Big Stik. It is quick to get on step in the water and even has enough power to take off from any non-water, paved surface. It provides a nice blend of both aerobatic and high speed flying. It tracks very well, and though I have never personally flown one, I find myself thinking about adding one to my hangar if only based on how it performs in G4. The most difficult of the new float planes to fly has to be the Seawind (and I am somehow not surprised, as the mere appearance of its design would suggest to me that it could be handful to fly).
But just like a difficult to fly radio control aircraft in real life can serve as a challenge and a stepping stone on the path to improved skills, I find myself consumed with trying to perfect its challenging takeoffs and landings, and isn't that what a simulator is supposed to do? The Piper Cub is another great float plane included, and it is fairly easy to fly off water or land. It comes equipped with floats that also have gear protruding out the bottom for land based operation as well. This flat-bottomed high wing can be flown inverted, and it seems to exhibit the same characteristics that a flat-bottomed model would, especially with the weight and mass of those floats above the airframe.
Another interesting programming feature in connection with the water is that pieces that break off of your aircraft when it crashes will slowly sink into the water. The larger pieces will sometimes also eventually take on enough H©˜O to sink to the bottom.
All in all, the beautiful graphics of the water sites and the number of water based aircraft will themselves provide many hours of enjoyable practice to get your RC thumbs in tip-top shape.
Flying Fields
PhotoFields are just that, photographic quality rendered flying fields. The 3D fields are not photographic quality but they are very detailed environments that have both dynamic and interactive scenery objects. G4 brings several new fields of both types to the table.
The new water flying sites are really beautiful. I really like the Alpine Lake site, as it seems to have miles and miles of shoreline to explore. The Marooned site is pretty desolate. It is the proverbial small patch of sand with one palm tree and nothing but open water all around (well, the one difference is you do have your transmitter and an RC aircraft of your choice to keep you company. Gilligan never had it so good!). The Shipwreck site has an old masted ship and another ship lying near shore in ruins. The Sandy Point site has quite a few islands in the area, some of which have inland lakes that you can try to finesse your sea plane or float plane into.
Better sailplane support, including a variometer, better thermal support, and dynamic soaring.
I am not a glider or sailplane pilot. However, I am happy to inform you glider and sailplane friendly folks that there are a few new features added to G4 just for you: a variometer, as well as a new slope soaring site and better thermal and dynamic soaring support.
It would appear no new aircraft were added to G4 for sailplane enthusiasts, but you do benefit from the addition of a really scenic looking site named the Alpine Ridge DS soaring site.
Console System
Another of the new features of RealFlight G4 involves something called a console. It is a way for the user to gain more control of the program at a quasi-programmers level. According to Joe Tiebel, one of the Administrators of the Knife Edge forums, there are several immediately interesting and valuable things you can do with the console. He has established a G4 Console Sticky to list, track and discuss these console functions.
So why do we need all of this you may ask? One of the most obviously beneficial ways to use it is to use the "Bind" console command to link any console command to a key, or combination of keys, on the keyboard. Pressing that key will thereafter instantly execute the command without having to enter the console to do so. So, you could configure G4 to assign a hot key to all of your favorite aircraft or flying fields, and if you place these commands in the startup file, "startup.rfscript", they would be assigned every time you load up the simulator.
For a complete list of all of the console commands available, type "help exec" while in the console. Or, for more specific help with any console command, type "help [command]" for documentation. The purpose of the console is to lay the groundwork for implementation of future planned G4 enhancements. And don't forget to head on over to the above listed Sticky Post to share any cool console functions you may discover or create! While perusing the complete list of console commands, one particular command that caught eye was the non-ambiguously named "destroyvehicle". Hmmmm, I wonder what THAT command does? Of course, I had to try it and even went so far as to conveniently bind it to the "F1" key. Another appropriate name for it would have been the "Rekit" command.
Photo and Video Gallery
Questions? Need Support?
The folks that bring this simulator to the market really want to help you if you have any problems installing G4 or getting it to work on your PC. Great Planes provides technical support, and you may take advantage of it in one of two ways:
(Please note that Knife Edge does not provide support via the forums or elsewhere. Support for RealFlight is handled by our publisher, Great Planes.) Those are the "official" channels through which you can seek support. However, you can also spend time reading the many threads in the Knife Edge G4 forums HERE. Another excellent place to look for answers to any questions you may have is in the RCGroups.com Simulator Forum.
Conclusion
There are so many features that I have not even touched upon in this review: With the AccuModel aircraft editor and the FlexiField flying site editors, you can tweak or modify any airframe and also alter the landscape and layout of any of the included non PhotoField flying sites, the training lessons, with spoken word instruction from many industry notables including John Glezellis and Jason Schulman, will help you perfect numerous maneuvers, MultiMode means you can fly with a buddy, either right at your computer using a split screen or with a another G4 user who could be half way around the world, via the Internet. There is just so much depth to the RealFlight G4 simulator: The more you use it, the more ways you discover to benefit from it, or to just have, well, fun with it! With a total of over 60 aircraft to fly at over 25 different flying sites there are so many ways to improve your RC flying skills without ever having to leave your computer chair. And with the added features of water and float flying, G4 becomes even more useful and fun. Pluses
Minuses
Disclamier: Jim Bourke is the owner of both RCGroups and Knife Edge software. This product was provided to me for review purposes from Great Planes. Although I did contact Knife Edge software for technical questions that arose during the composition of this review, I was neither advised nor instructed regarding the content of this review. I have endeavored to present an honest appraisal of this product, as I do in all reviews that I author. Last edited by Angela H; Jan 23, 2008 at 09:38 PM.. |
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Jan 14, 2008, 10:15 PM
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#2 |
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"Have Glue - Will Travel"
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Ft. Worth, Texas
Posts: 2,407
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Excellent review, Jon!!
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Jan 15, 2008, 12:31 AM
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#3 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Bishop, CA
Posts: 10
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Miserable Mac
Great review. Do no aeromodellers use a Mac, though? It's as if we don't exist in aeromodelling software. Music's a different story.
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Jan 15, 2008, 12:33 AM
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#4 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 8,381
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You folks definitely have a leg up on us PC folks when it comes to other software though, as you mentioned.
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Jan 15, 2008, 02:04 AM
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#5 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 1996
Location: Sebastopol, CA, USA
Posts: 378
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I've got a Mac and a leg up all right, but it's not gonna teach me to fly a heli without a Mac flight sim. Somebody -- let's have some Mac action!
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Jan 15, 2008, 06:25 AM
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#6 |
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I do this for fun!
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Bribie Island, Australia
Posts: 512
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Is the controller available in Mode 1?
I use a Mac too and would love to see a Mac version. In the meantime I have Boot Camp... |
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Jan 15, 2008, 07:09 AM
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#7 |
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Dr. Dave
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Howard County, MO
Posts: 861
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Nice review John, You took me places I did not were there, I bought a 3.5 after the May 1 deadline and easily filled out and sent in the rebate worth $100. I use mine all the time, especially in this cold, snowy, and windy Missouri winter. I too agree with the Mac, but also recognize that newer systems are duocore and have both with bootcamp. Might make sense to not invest in mac platforms.
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Jan 15, 2008, 08:43 AM
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#8 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 8,381
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I am not sure who distributes it n your neck of the woods but Tower hobbies does list a Mode 1 version on it's web site.
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Jan 15, 2008, 09:29 AM
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#9 |
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We shall serve the Lord
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TEXAS
Posts: 1,661
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Great Review Jon. I'm glad I waited for G4, but I need to check the site to be sure my graphics card is up to the task. I've been wanting a new duo core processor machine with a hopped up video card and this may just be my ticket to a new machine and a new SIM.
Think I'll get G4 on order first, then work on the computer. OH Honey, I need to go to to the computer store today. Where did we put the credit cards? Mike McD |
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Jan 15, 2008, 10:46 AM
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#10 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Metropolis/North pole
Posts: 3
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Great review. I love all of the video and pictures, it give a very complete picture of this great product.
I'd like to add to your "Pluses" column if I may? You left out the great many User created planes and airports that are available for free download on the KnifeEdge site. Although, to be fair I should also add to the Minuses column; The location of one switches and the knob on the controller is contrary to the norm for heli pilots and has been discussed at length - it is a major flaw! |
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Jan 15, 2008, 11:06 AM
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#11 |
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UnReGiStErEd U-ZeR
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SOAR Chicago!!!
Posts: 1,325
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What, if any sailplanes are included with the package?
Steve |
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Jan 15, 2008, 11:23 AM
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#12 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 8,381
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Steve,
Here is a list from the manufacturers info: Sailplanes DynaFlite™ Bird of Time™ Great Planes Fling™ 2-Meter Great Planes Spirit™ 100 Hawk Mistral 3 Meter Shuriken 60" Sloper |
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Jan 15, 2008, 11:25 AM
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#13 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Stockton, Ca. USA
Posts: 6,628
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Would you like weapons as an option for military planes?
Very nice review Jon.
At the AMA show RealFlight gave some very nice seminars. They have thought about adding some options for military planes that would involve weapons but are concerned it would make the product seem more toy like and distract from the real purpose of the flight simulator. If like me you think such an addition would make RealFlight even more fun and enjoyable to operate, please send KnifeEdge an e-mail and let them know that. If you disagree with my position, please disregard this notice and don't send a negative e-mail.  Seriously, let them no what you think about the possibility. Mike Heer |
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Jan 15, 2008, 11:48 AM
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#14 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 19
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All I can say is not being able to upgrade from 3.5 is a total rip-off. Just another way for GP to suck every last dollar outa the hobbist they can.
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Jan 15, 2008, 02:09 PM
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#15 |
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must have been a glitch !
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Calgary, Canada
Posts: 922
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With all these fantastic new features available on G4, it's good to see they have maintained some of the classic values from G3, such as this girl squatting by the bushes at the Alpine meadows photo field.. Great job guys !!
 more info here Luke |
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