Pre-Flight Simulator

[RC_Ranger]

As I mentioned in a previous thread, I found out that I can get a copy of the Pre-Flight r/c simulator (no specific heli) for about $40.00. The downloadable demo isn't working for me, and I have yet to hear from anyone who has actually used this sim.

The three features I like about it are: the capability to hook up with other flyers over the internet, the ability to begin by using a joypad since I don't yet have a radio, and the cheap price tag ( I can save up for a good machine instead of blowing $200-300 on a simulator ).

So, what I'd like to know is this: has anyone had experience with this particular simulator? Is it worth getting for someone who considers more than $100 or so to be too expensive for a piece of software?

.

[Felony44]

Well i can tell you that you get what you pay for i have G3 and it was tough spending that $200 on something i thought i would sell on ebay after i learned to fly. That did not happen i feel i would be stupid to get rid of the sim now because the sim really starts helping when you know how to fly, sure it helps you get the controls down at first but it has been invaluable in my progress since i have learned to hover. I have gotten into some situations where i would of crashed had it not been for the sim i just revert back to what i learned while flying on the sim and i have been able to pull out of some bad situations.Also using a joypad will do you no good at all a joypad is nothing like a radio and you will find its easier to use the radio. Helis are hard enough to fly as is dont make it harder by not using the proper equipment.

As for cost this hobby is not cheap and if you think you can cheap your way thru it you may never learn properly. Look on Ebay for a G2 sim yea it may still be more than you want to spend BUT everyone here will tell you spending $$$ on a good sim now will keep you from spending $$$ on parts later.

This is just my opinion.

[blax1]

Well all I can say to that is, well said Felony44 :) I to have purchased a G3, and at the time it cost me $339.00 Aust- and I thought WOW :eek: I could buy another heli- with that money, but the logical side of me said, yes! So what, you still won’t be able to fly it properly, so the investment for me was the difference between just shelving this hobby or getting on with it and learning how to operate a heli- safely and getting a lot of enjoyment from it. :p
Cheers, Happy Landings.
Ralph

[Cncguy]

I also purchased a G3, I know that I would have spent more money on replacement parts than the $200 I spent on the Sim trying to learn to fly without it and would problably be so frustrated by now that my Raptor 50 would be on Ebay.
Every time I try somthing new I perform the maneuver on the Sim until I am comfortable and then try it on the real thing. The mistakes you make on the sim and have to recover from are the same mistakes you will make in life and have to recover from.
I fly my Heli twice a week, I fly the Sim almost every day.

[RC_Ranger]

That's well and good, but none of that answers my questions. Except for maybe 'no' on three counts. It seems to me most people who purchase G3 do not offer any comparisons as to why it's better than the cheaper sims. Except for the graphics... but that doesn't tell me much, really.

Is it because most people haven't tried the other sims and therefore have no basis for comparison? Just wondering.

:D

[Felony44]

I guess any sim with a radio can teach you the basics of heli flight the bells and whistles add "realism" which is also important to a point and yes i have tried a cheaper sim and it just doesnt give you the "feel" of flying a RC Heli. IMO if your gonna train to fly a heli on a sim and your goning to be spending big money on a heli you should want the experience to be as close as possible to the real thing because no matter how much you train on the sim when it comes down to your very first flight you will learn that the sim only taught you what the controls make the heli do. The pucker factor cant be reproduced on the sim but if the sim feels real the translation to real flight should be less surprising for a lack of a better term. Anyone who uses any sim willl tell you the sim "aint" real flight and although G3 is close as im sure reflex is too there is no comparison to the real thing and i think thats why you see alot of people recomending G3 or reflex they want the closest to the real feel as you can get.And i think somne people have tried the cheaper ones and were not happy with them.

With that said use any sim you want as long as your training with a transmitter then you will learn to fly a heli it just may feel more real with all the bells and whistles.

and to answer your questions G3 not sure of Reflex has internet connections to fly with others. Yes you really need a radio to learn the joypad wont do. and the price is the issue at hand $199 is a hefty sum of $$ to spend on a program. And yes the program your looking at will do but you wont learn without the transmitter also check to see what it will cost you to get cables for the transmitter to hook up to the computer.

[RC_Ranger]

Hmm,

Seems a bit odd. I figured I'd want to spend time on the simulator first, but I still need to know what radio set I'll be using if I want to get the right feel for simulation. The price of the higher-end simulators is starting to make sense, then, if they come with a radio-style controller ( like G3 does). If that's the case, I'm going to hold off and just putter around with FMS until I know what I'll be flying. Maybe I can get a more realistic sim after I understand what radio and/or heli I'm buying it for.

By the way, I fully realize that this is quite an expensive hobby. That's the reason I'm so price-conscious now... not that I'm trying to cheap my way THROUGH it, just trying to cheap my way INTO it until I know whether I'm going to be in it for the long haul. I guess I'm just not quite sure what I want out of it, other than the thrill of making actual rotary flight happen.I might even be happy enough starting out with a 3-channel rig and flying that around for a while. Somehow, though, I'd doubt I'd stay happy with that for long. I'm not sure.

Thanks for the thoughts, and happy landings!

[tdswan]

That's a very calculated and well thought out approach. A sim with a nice radio controller will be an immense help, though. It's not in knowing what radio you'll be using, once you're flying it's ust two sticks. You can adjust them all to "feel" the same or similar to whatever radio you get.

I managed to learn without "incident" and without a sim. I now have one and have seen a great improvemet. Not everyone takes to it so easily. We've got one guy in my club that just started in FF and has been flying for at least 2 years. He doesn't do it very often, so he's only holding himself back. As a side note, he's also got EVERY metal upgrade on his Raptor you can buy, so naturally HE'S AFRAID OF IT! Don't put yourself into that trap!

We all start from different points in this. I migrated from fixed wing. I was already pretty much commited to RC, so I jumped in feet first. Since I started flying helis, I've sold off my fixed wings and haven't looked back. I may still get or build another fixed-wing in the future. Something like a foamie to toy around with, but my heart is with hearing those blades beating the wind!

Good luck in whatever route you take!