X-Plane 11 & Helicopters!

[redtail]

As a longtime, user of X-Plane, as well as MSFS, the latter always sucked at rotary wing flight. X-plane on the other hand, was impressive from the very first time I tried it.

The default helicopters in XP9 and 10 were just so much more controllable and even simulated VRS, which was interesting to experience for the first time (wondering what the heck is happening) but I was never motivated enough to actually purchase a pay-ware helo, until recently when I heard of this one, just updated to a new XP11 version.

Man, this thing is amazing! I have never flown a real helicopter but I'm told that this one is about as close to the real thing as possible on a PC.

Just thought I'd share this with all of you X-plane users out there looking for a little fun when taking a break from serious practice. This thing is a blast!

I'm using a Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog stick and throttle for Cyclic and Collective. I mapped the right half as engine RPM and the left as Collective (reversed axis).

Also have the switches mapped so that startup is done completely on the unit itself, instead of with mouse and keyboard. Saitek PRO Flight Combat Rudder Pedals.

Here are a couple of reviews:

http://xplanereviews.com/index.php?...craft-review-bell-407-by-dreamfoil-creations/

https://www.helisimmer.com/reviews/dreamfoil-creations-bell-407-x-plane-11-2/

 

[Velocity173]

Wow, they went to great lengths in the detail of that thing. Looks better than the actual FAA approved sim we go to...minus the 10 ft screen.

 

[GeorgeC]

Wow, they went to great lengths in the detail of that thing. Looks better than the actual FAA approved sim we go to...minus the 10 ft screen.

An Oculus will fix that...

 

[redtail]

Wow, they went to great lengths in the detail of that thing. Looks better than the actual FAA approved sim we go to...minus the 10 ft screen.

Yes they did. The sounds are incredible as well. How close is the FAA sim to the actual helicopter that you fly?
I've always had a fascination with helos but now I find myself reading more about how they actually operate. I'm still trying to grasp certain concepts and terms such as NG (gas producer).
I think I have the basic idea, but why is it called "gas producer"? Need to study more about turbine engines, I guess.

 

[redtail]

An Oculus will fix that...

The next toy, big addition to my virtual hangar!
My wife's gonna kill me LOL

 

[GeorgeC]

I'll just leave this here... https://pro-flight-trainer-com.myshopify.com

 

[Velocity173]

Yes they did. The sounds are incredible as well. How close is the FAA sim to the actual helicopter that you fly?
I've always had a fascination with helos but now I find myself reading more about how they actually operate. I'm still trying to grasp certain concepts and terms such as NG (gas producer).
I think I have the basic idea, but why is it called "gas producer"? Need to study more about turbine engines, I guess.

It's pretty close to the real thing but it's not motion and there are some limits on the visuals. For instance, through the chin bubble screen, it's difficult to judge altitude. Sometimes it'll bring a red screen when in reality you most likely would have survived. Another thing, the SAS / autopilot is like dead on. There's no lag or oscillation to it. When you turn it off (simulated failure), it's incredibly hard to control in IMC.

There isn't a reason why it's called the gas producer in the book. I would say it's called that because it's taking the high velocity gases from the combustion chamber and throwing them into the power turbine (Np). Basically converting gaseous energy into mechanical energy. I can tell you at 100 % on the 407, the Ng is spinning at 51,000 rpm. It's a free power turbine so it's not mechanically linked to the Np. We also get cabin heat and engine anti-ice from the compressor portion of the Ng (555 F).

 

[redtail]

I'll just leave this here... https://pro-flight-trainer-com.myshopify.com

DON'T YOU DO THAT!!!
haha, yeah I saw that a few weeks ago when I read Joe Hudson's review.
https://www.helisimmer.com/reviews/pro-flight-trainer-puma/

You and Mr. Hudson are trying to get my wife on an episode of "Snapped" LOL

 

[Velocity173]

I'll just leave this here... https://pro-flight-trainer-com.myshopify.com

That looks expensive.

 

[Velocity173]

This is the one we use at Shreveport every year. I forgot, you can see the screen through the chin bubble but it is still hard to judge altitude. Just feels artificial.

Will make you motion sick in heart beat too. Doesn't affect me at all but I know guys who get out and they're like white as a ghost! Dramamine, ginger, the wrist watch shocker, etc. None of that crap works. My friend used a prescription this last time and that worked.

http://www.helis.com/database/news/b407_hftc

 

[redtail]

This is the one we use at Shreveport every year. I forgot, you can see the screen through the chin bubble but it is still hard to judge altitude. Just feels artificial.

Will make you motion sick in heart beat too. Doesn't affect me at all but I know guys who get out and they're like white as a ghost! Dramamine, ginger, the wrist watch shocker, etc. None of that crap works. My friend used a prescription this last time and that worked.

http://www.helis.com/database/news/b407_hftc

THAT looks expensive .

Yeah the PUMA looks impressive and I'm sure it is, but I'm not ready to plop down a grand for it. I'd rather use that money for a new GPU and a Rift.

However, now I have a reason to pull out my old Saitex X45, dust it off and remove the centering spring. That should get me a better feeling cyclic control. The Warthog is an amazing stick, but not for helicopters. I do prefer the split throttle (which I have mounted to my seat) over the Saitek throttle.

So my plan is to only use the stick portion of the X45 for cyclic and the Warthog for collective (both mounted to my seat).
Should be an interesting project.

 

[redtail]

A little update on the cyclic.

Tried the old X45 with a PVC extension that I made, but the old pots were too worn. Just couldn't get it calibrated well, so I gave up on it.
Then it hit me. The Warthog is an excellent stick, which uses Hall sensors (magnetic field transducer) instead of the old style potentiometers, which are prone to dirt and mechanical wear and tear. Which will eventually introduce spikes/noise, just like an old worn-out volume control on a radio.

So the Warthog stick & throttle is extremely precise, doesn't need as much frequent calibrating in sim and last much longer than your standard joystick (also cost a lot more).

Great for fixed wing (DCS A-10C is why I originally bought it).
Problem is, for helicopters it too stiff for the fine control inputs required (PC sims. I have zero real-world experience).

Solution 1: Many sim pilots reported great results using stick extensions with the base stationary on the floor. But I like how I have mine mounted to my seat already. Plus I can detach the stick from it's base and get it out of the way whenever I want to use my Saitek yoke.

Solution 2: Open up the joystick base and remove that big a$$ monster spring.

Results of solution 2:
Amazing precision/accuracy, smoothness and finesse. My control has improved a lot. I'm finally able to maintain a decent hover and make the thing go where I want it (even in IMC). The beauty of X-plane 11 and the Dreamfoil 407 is even more evident than before. I'm having too much fun .

 

[redtail]

Learning this baby and tweaking the checklist found on xplane.org
Wasn't happy with all of the mispronounced words, so I edited it so that NAV, COM, TRANSFER, STANDBY and a few others sound as they should. Added a few other checklist items as well. Maybe I should change "prepare for hot start" to "Prevent hot start!"

I don't really know what I'm doing, but it's FUN

 

[Velocity173]

Lol! That's some good stuff man. I'll chalk that up as a training vid for my annual 135 ride next week.

Pretty darn accurate but just a few improvements could be made. Looked like you had the throttle in idle upon turning the battery on. The FADEC won't do a complete BIT test in idle. Should be off for that test. Not a big deal but it's a checklist item. Startup took about half the time as the real thing. Blades and engine light off looked like they took place a couple seconds after starter switch on. Blade movement and fuel intro generally doesn't occur until at least 10 % Ng. That takes maybe 5-6 seconds to reach. Manual FADEC check should include a throttle increase to check Ng response. That's one powerful rotor brake! Usually takes around 10 seconds to bring the rotors to a stop.

Other than that, mirrors the real thing pretty well. You need to practice autos and hydraulics off next.

 

[Cpt_Kirk]

Learning this baby and tweaking the checklist found on xplane.org
Wasn't happy with all of the mispronounced words, so I edited it so that NAV, COM, TRANSFER, STANDBY and a few others sound as they should. Added a few other checklist items as well. Maybe I should change "prepare for hot start" to "Prevent hot start!"

I don't really know what I'm doing, but it's FUN

Man, I'm jealous of your fps. I'm struggling to get 30+ continuously over here.

I have a couple of payware helicopters for 10. The R22 is a guaranteed crash. Too much fun.

 

[redtail]

Lol! That's some good stuff man. I'll chalk that up as a training vid for my annual 135 ride next week.

Pretty darn accurate but just a few improvements could be made. Looked like you had the throttle in idle upon turning the battery on. The FADEC won't do a complete BIT test in idle. Should be off for that test. Not a big deal but it's a checklist item. Startup took about half the time as the real thing. Blades and engine light off looked like they took place a couple seconds after starter switch on. Blade movement and fuel intro generally doesn't occur until at least 10 % Ng. That takes maybe 5-6 seconds to reach. Manual FADEC check isn't a daily thing. The maintance manual specifies to check it in X number of hours. For training manual FADEC we always check it on the ground to make sure it will go into manual though. That's one powerful rotor brake! Usually takes around 10 seconds to bring the rotors to a stop.

Other than that, mirrors the real thing pretty well. You need to practice autos and hydraulics off next.

Really appreciate your analysis sir! This thing is too much fun, but I do want to do things as close to the book as possible. I've been searching the web for info and checklist as well as real world vids.
Funny you mentioned the rotor brake because it seemed a bit too strong to me as well. Hopefully Dreamfoil will continue to improve the model.

Thanks again.
Edit: I've read up a little on the Particle Separator but noticed this version doesn't appear to have it modeled. Is that just an oversight on the part of the developer or is it an optional item?

 

[redtail]

Man, I'm jealous of your fps. I'm struggling to get 30+ continuously over here.

I have a couple of payware helicopters for 10. The R44 is a guaranteed crash. Too much fun.

I recently updated Windows 10 to the "creators update" and noticed an immediate increase in FPS! So you might want to give that a try. Also updated XP to the latest release 11.02r1

 

[Velocity173]

Really appreciate your analysis sir! This thing is too much fun, but I do want to do things as close to the book as possible. I've been searching the web for info and checklist as well as real world vids.
Funny you mentioned the rotor brake because it seemed a bit too strong to me as well. Hopefully Dreamfoil will continue to improve the model.

Thanks again.
Edit: I've read up a little on the Particle Separator but noticed this version doesn't appear to have it modeled. Is that just an oversight on the part of the developer or is it an optional item?

I heard the computer voice call out particle separator. You should see a slight rise in MGT when you flick the switch.

If it doesn't have it, it'll use an inlet barrier filter (IBF) instead. I'm told the IBF is a bit more effective over the particle separator for both reducing debris while preserving power. The particle separator is about 85 % effective, so some of the smaller micron stuff is getting through. Still, unless you're operating in an extremely dusty environment and you're not doing periodic engine flushes, there shouldn't be much of a difference in engine performance.

 

[Cpt_Kirk]

I recently updated Windows 10 to the "creators update" and noticed an immediate increase in FPS! So you might want to give that a try. Also updated XP to the latest release 11.02r1

Eh, Windows 7 Ultimate over here.

 

[redtail]

Eh, Windows 7 Ultimate over here.

oh, I switched from 7 as soon as 10 came out. Didn't notice much difference at first because 7 was great. I also recently built this rig solely for flight sims. You might want to give that a try

 

[redtail]

I heard the computer voice call out particle separator. You should see a slight rise in MGT when you flick the switch.

If it doesn't have it, it'll use an inlet barrier filter (IBF) instead. I'm told the IBF is a bit more effective over the particle separator for both reducing debris while preserving power. The particle separator is about 85 % effective, so some of the smaller micron stuff is getting through. Still, unless you're operating in an extremely dusty environment and you're not doing periodic engine flushes, there shouldn't be much of a difference in engine performance.

Ok, that makes sense. The particle separator doesn't appear to be modeled in this addon. The checklist was written by a different individual and uploaded as freeware, so he probably didn't realize that. I was thinking of editing it out, but I kind of like having it included.

 

[redtail]

This was a fun little project that I added to the sim recently. Got the switch panel online and connected it via USB (gutted an old joystick). Until now, I was only using it in fixed-wing but it works great as Fuel valve, horn mute pushbutton, Left and Right fuel boost/xfer switches. So in addition to the multitude of switches and pushbuttons on the HOTAS Warthog, as well as my GoFlight equipment which includes a basic autopilot, com/nav, flaps/gear......I rarely have to reach for the mouse and keyboard.

 

[redtail]

More practice over Manhattan.
This is probably the closest I’ll ever get to flying a real Bell helicopter, so when I get an Oculus, my wife will probably have to put a lock on the man-cave to either lock me in or out, LOL.
This thing is amazing and the night lighting of X-Plane11 is incredible!
Ha..don’t know how I managed to survive the landing. Hopefully the guy who developed the Manhattan scenery (http://www.drzewiecki-design.net/prodNYCity_XP.htm) will add lightning to the helipads in a future update.
Having flown this area numerous times in fixed wing, all I can say is...wow, he did an awesome job recreating the virtual world!

Edit: After viewing the video on my laptop, I realized that my PC monitor brightness is way too dark, so as I was flying, it appeared to be much darker outside than it actually was.
I'll have to adjust that.

 

[Cpt_Kirk]

oh, I switched from 7 as soon as 10 came out. Didn't notice much difference at first because 7 was great. I also recently built this rig solely for flight sims. You might want to give that a try

Convince my wife that a new $1,000 pc is totally a great investment with a baby coming in July. lol

Ive been wanting to build another one for a loong time. But, ill have to be happy just upgrading mine now. I'm hoping grabbing another 8gb to make it 16 makes a difference.

 

[Velocity173]

More practice over Manhattan.
This is probably the closest I’ll ever get to flying a real Bell helicopter, so when I get an Oculus, my wife will probably have to put a lock on the man-cave to either lock me in or out, LOL.
This thing is amazing and the night lighting of X-Plane11 is incredible!
Ha..don’t know how I managed to survive the landing. Hopefully the guy who developed the Manhattan scenery (http://www.drzewiecki-design.net/prodNYCity_XP.htm) will add lightning to the helipads in a future update.
Having flown this area numerous times in fixed wing, all I can say is...wow, he did an awesome job recreating the virtual world!

Will it let you do a rooftop helipad landing? Those are always fun downtown at night. Also, is the GX version modeled?

 

[Velocity173]

Ok, that makes sense. The particle separator doesn't appear to be modeled in this addon. The checklist was written by a different individual and uploaded as freeware, so he probably didn't realize that. I was thinking of editing it out, but I kind of like having it included.

The part sep and the IBF are optional so maybe it's not modeled. I've never seen a 407 operate without one or the other though. The reduction in performance is negligible and not worth not equipping with one or the other.

 

[redtail]

Convince my wife that a new $1,000 pc is totally a great investment with a baby coming in July. lol

Ive been wanting to build another one for a loong time. But, ill have to be happy just upgrading mine now. I'm hoping grabbing another 8gb to make it 16 makes a difference.

I feel your pain
I've been at this for decades and I usually upgrade individual parts between major new builds. Even then, I wind up using a few existing parts. In fact, my existing GPU is four years old from my old PC. It's a GTX 780ti, which is performing rather well as you can see. However, I will be upgrading to a 1080ti soon (I want to crank the graphics up to max and have enough processing power for VR).

Yes 16gb should give you better performance as far as texture loading (less stutters/pauses), not necessarily frame rate. I'm using 16gb and still occasionally get a few stutters as the textures load. You can see that in the video up near midtown. So I'll probably at least double the ram.

Congrats on the baby! I love babies

 

[redtail]

Will it let you do a rooftop helipad landing? Those are always fun downtown at night. Also, is the GX version modeled?

I think so, but only on certain buildings, which are a lot fewer than in previous versions. In fact, I haven't actually looked for any yet. I remember XP9 had them all over the place, lol. That was unrealistic in NYC because there are no more. It would be so cool if there was a way to recreate the old Pan Am heliport on the current Metlife building!

I have tried the oil rig platform in this version of X-Plane and it's really cool.
I was hoping for a GX as well. According to the author, it's on their drawing board but probably won't be ready for a couple of years.

 

[redtail]

Version 2
Updated with live comms from one of my actual real world flights over NYC in a Cessna 172SP (G1000)!
Yesterday I remembered that I had video from that flight a couple of years ago, where I circled the Lady counter-clockwise at 900 AGL. That was an absolute blast! Talking about keeping your head on a swivel, wow! After a couple of orbits, I departed southbound to the VZ. After crossing the bridge, I made a 180 while contacting Newark tower for the Skyline Route northbound in the Bravo.
I took part of the audio and used it for this virtual flight video. You can hear the Downtown Heliport comms as well as a few of my traffic calls on the CTAF.
On another note, this past weekend I had the pleasure of seeing one of my favorite jazz artists (violinist) in the city. The great Jean-Luc Ponty! He played at BB Kings in midtown, which was the final leg of his 2017 US tour before heading back home to France. A fan of his for about thirty years now, it was a real treat to finally see him and his incredible band at a live concert. The other night I was listening to him on my drive to work and it occurred to me how well his music goes with a flight like this (real or virtual). Yeah I know, I know... but I think it worked out really well.
Trust me, I have no intentions of getting into making YouTube music videos. Just did this for the fun of it.

 

[redtail]

Ok this is a short one. From the Brooklyn bridge to Downtown.

KJRB was in need of a major overhaul and I just don't have the patience to wait on an update to the scenery package. This is strictly for MY own use, with no intention of distributing it.

However, I did reach out to the author, but this didn't sound like something on their priority list. Probably due to the fact that the real heliport no longer conducts night ops after 1900 local (noise concerns).

Soooo.....
Though not as intensed as the real world airfield lighting work I did at EWR and LGA (4160 volt, constant current regulators with steps 1 thru 5)... this was still a fun little project.
Took a lot of trial and error though. I'm sure I'll be modifying and rearranging the strobes. This is just a test. Stuck a much needed windsock up there as well!

Now we have to find out who the heck parked their Cessna up here, while I was doing the wiring over at the switchhouse!

 

[redtail]

Will it let you do a rooftop helipad landing? Those are always fun downtown at night. Also, is the GX version modeled?

Unfortunately they didn't include rooftop helipads because they no longer exist IRL.
Sooo...I had to make my own. Well I just placed a prefab heliport on top of the building. Didn't make any other alterations to it. All of the buildings are hollow, so their rooftops are not solid. If you attempt a landing, you will just fall through, lol.

Presenting KMET. The MetLife heliport, formerly known as the Pan Am heliport.

Although the startup procedure is enjoyable, in the interest of time, we will start in the air. Land and then make a quick hop downtown to checkout a few improvements to my
"RT enhanced lighting system", for the Downtown heliport.

Yes this is just a sim, but... boy was I sweating bullets. Need to work on my hovering skills and I barely survived VRS. The sense of actual height near the building is really convincing!!!
And that's on a regular monitor. This is going to be wild in VR.

 

[Velocity173]

Unfortunately they didn't include rooftop helipads because they no longer exist IRL.
Sooo...I had to make my own. Well I just placed a prefab heliport on top of the building. Didn't make any other alterations to it. All of the buildings are hollow, so their rooftops are not solid. If you attempt a landing, you will just fall through, lol.

Presenting KMET. The MetLife heliport, formerly known as the Pan Am heliport.

Although the startup procedure is enjoyable, in the interest of time, we will start in the air. Land and then make a quick hop downtown to checkout a few improvements to my
"RT enhanced lighting system", for the Downtown heliport.

Yes this is just a sim, but... boy was I sweating bullets. Need to work on my hovering skills and I barely survived VRS. The sense of actual height near the building is really convincing!!!
And that's on a regular monitor. This is going to be wild in VR.

You were actually quite stable at a hover. Don't know if you had winds selected but that brings a whole other dimension to it. The wind can whip between the buildings and create some interesting wind shear.

Approach angle was dead on as well. It's different than say FW where you have the luxury of seeing the runway over the nose at a 3 degree angle. Landing in an urban area or confined areas where you don't have things TERP'd out for obstacles, it's critical to come in steep and use your chin bubble to see the landing area. The problem can arise as you said for VRS. People have come in too steep and too slow (<ETL), got fixated on the LZ with a high rate of descent and gotten into VRS. Personally, I shoot the approach around 1/4 mile out at maybe 60 kts. Decrease speed so I'm just coming up on the edge of the pad and just starting to get below ETL (15-20 kts). Wanna stay above ETL as long as possible, best case until getting IGE but that's not always possible. Lack of power isn't usually an issue for the 407 but even when I'm light and low DA, I generally fly it as if my power margins are critical.

 

[Velocity173]

Downtown Atlanta the other night.

 

[redtail]

You were actually quite stable at a hover. Don't know if you had winds selected but that brings a whole other dimension to it. The wind can whip between the buildings and create some interesting wind shear.

Approach angle was dead on as well. It's different than say FW where you have the luxury of seeing the runway over the nose at a 3 degree angle. Landing in an urban area or confined areas where you don't have things TERP'd out for obstacles, it's critical to come in steep and use your chin bubble to see the landing area. The problem can arise as you said for VRS. People have come in too steep and too slow (<ETL), got fixated on the LZ with a high rate of descent and gotten into VRS. Personally, I shoot the approach around 1/4 mile out at maybe 60 kts. Decrease speed so I'm just coming up on the edge of the pad and just starting to get below ETL (15-20 kts). Wanna stay above ETL as long as possible, best case until getting IGE but that's not always possible. Lack of power isn't usually an issue for the 407 but even when I'm light and low DA, I generally fly it as if my power margins are critical.

Chin bubbles....Oh, so that's what they're called. Yes, I'm starting to notice how important they are for keeping the LZ in sight! As you stated before, peripheral vision is everything. On a single monitor it's not good at all, even using TrackIR. No fault of TIR (which is great), just a limitation of 2D monitors. So you have to zoom out a little far, which makes it harder to read the instruments.
It's a lot better with triple monitors, but I'm only using one at the moment, until I upgrade the GPU.

The winds were set to update via the internet. I forgot what it was, but was over 10kts. Although I doubt that winds actually interact with buildings in X-Plane, since they're hollow. Trees as well.

Speaking of high winds/wind shear, I used to think it was the cause of the deadly Pan Am accident in 1977 which lead to the final closure of that heliport. It was actually due to the landing gear collapsing from metal fatigue, which caused a rollover.
This is a cool shot I found.
"Many questioned the safety of skyscraper landing pads in Manhattan. The Pan Am Building had ceased using the heliport in 1968 because it wasn’t profitable, but had resumed helicopter service on Feb. 1, 1977—just three and a half months before the crash."

 

[Velocity173]

Chin bubbles....Oh, so that's what they're called. Yes, I'm starting to notice how important they are for keeping the LZ in sight! As you stated before, peripheral vision is everything. On a single monitor it's not good at all, even using TrackIR. No fault of TIR (which is great), just a limitation of 2D monitors. So you have to zoom out a little far, which makes it harder to read the instruments.
It's a lot better with triple monitors, but I'm only using one at the moment, until I upgrade the GPU.

The winds were set to update via the internet. I forgot what it was, but was over 10kts. Although I doubt that winds actually interact with buildings in X-Plane, since they're hollow. Trees as well.

Speaking of high winds/wind shear, I used to think it was the cause of the deadly Pan Am accident in 1977 which lead to the final closure of that heliport. It was actually due to the landing gear collapsing from metal fatigue, which caused a rollover.
This is a cool shot I found.View attachment 54677
"Many questioned the safety of skyscraper landing pads in Manhattan. The Pan Am Building had ceased using the heliport in 1968 because it wasn’t profitable, but had resumed helicopter service on Feb. 1, 1977—just three and a half months before the crash."

Wow. I've never read about that accident before until now. That landing gear must have been abused in its life to fail at that exact moment. Generally they're pretty robust and can take a beating. Metal fatigue or corrosion I guess.

http://m.nydailynews.com/new-york/helicopter-flips-park-avenue-1977-article-1.2214161

 

[redtail]

Yeah I remember hearing about it back then. I was a kid and hadn't paid too much attention to the details, which is why I thought it was caused by high winds. Yep, metal fatigue.
https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=57237&key=0

 

[midlifeflyer]

just updated to a new XP11 version.

Man, this thing is amazing!

Not about helicopters, just an observation about X-Plane 11. I've had every MSFS version since it appeared in DOS, but never really got into it. Same for most X-Plane versions. Tried the demo, found it very unrealistic and way too touchy in control and other flight characteristics - at least I never committed the time to learn to fly a computer rather than an airplane - and put it aside.

So, as I have done in the past, I downloaded XP11 and took a simple flight in a 172. In flight, as soon as I went to adjust the mixture, the engine quit. I realized immediately it was calibrated backward, but rather than enrichen and fly, figured, what the heck, I'm near an airport. Let's do a forced landing.

Now, understand, landing in MSFS or XP is something I have never, EVER, done well. Never got that proficient and found "looking over my shoulder" artificial and cumbersome. Visual path and maintaining visual profile, mission impossible. So, expecting to crash...

WOW! This time, from getting to best glide to flap deployment, to the view out the window, to touchdown at the point on the runway I wanted, it acted so much like the real thing I was truly amazed.

 

[redtail]

Not about helicopters, just an observation about X-Plane 11. I've had every MSFS version since it appeared in DOS, but never really got into it. Same for most X-Plane versions. Tried the demo, found it very unrealistic and way too touchy in control and other flight characteristics - at least I never committed the time to learn to fly a computer rather than an airplane - and put it aside.

So, as I have done in the past, I downloaded XP11 and took a simple flight in a 172. In flight, as soon as I went to adjust the mixture, the engine quit. I realized immediately it was calibrated backward, but rather than enrichen and fly, figured, what the heck, I'm near an airport. Let's do a forced landing.

Now, understand, landing in MSFS or XP is something I have never, EVER, done well. Never got that proficient and found "looking over my shoulder" artificial and cumbersome. Visual path and maintaining visual profile, mission impossible. So, expecting to crash...

WOW! This time, from getting to best glide to flap deployment, to the view out the window, to touchdown at the point on the runway I wanted, it acted so much like the real thing I was truly amazed.

Indeed! The default planes have come a long way. I've been using X-plane since around version 4 or 5 (still have the blue binder it came with). Similar experience with the earlier versions, way too touchy/twitchy default planes (never bought payware until version 10). So I've always gravitated back to MSFS/FSX/P3D. As for payware fixed wing, one of my favorites is the Baron 58 by Carenado. It's one of the best handling planes I've ever flown in a sim. Coupled with the Reality Expansion pack (REP) from SimCoders, it's a dream.
https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/cont...renado-Beechcraft-58-Baron-For-X-Plane/view/3

If you want the best Cessna, I've read that the C172SP by AirfoilLabs is as close to the real thing as there is. Also, TrackIR does wonders for your visuals. It just feels so much more natural to move your head than flipping views with a joystick hat or keyboard. Once setup properly, I find it hard to fly without it.

XP11 is simply amazing! So much, that I've actually deleted FSX/P3D off of my hard drive and have no desire to return to that platform (not even the 64bit P3D v4). It's even inspired my to tinker with airport/scenery design/modification. Now if we could just get ORBX to change their minds and get on board with their awesome scenery and airports. They disappointed a lot of us when they canceled development plans for X-plane a few months ago.


Have you seen that ridiculous looking rotating beacon that they STILL haven't fixed in P3D version 4 ??? Drives me nuts! http://www.prepar3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=115684

 

[midlifeflyer]

Indeed! The default planes have come a long way. I've been using X-plane since around version 4 or 5 (still have the blue binder it came with). Similar experience with the earlier versions, way too touchy/twitchy default planes (never bought payware until version 10). So I've always gravitated back to MSFS/FSX/P3D. As for payware fixed wing, one of my favorites is the Baron 58 by Carenado. It's one of the best handling planes I've ever flown in a sim. Coupled with the Reality Expansion pack (REP) from SimCoders, it's a dream.
https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/cont...renado-Beechcraft-58-Baron-For-X-Plane/view/3

If you want the best Cessna, I've read that the C172SP by AirfoilLabs is as close to the real thing as there is. Also, TrackIR does wonders for your visuals. It just feels so much more natural to move your head than flipping views with a joystick hat or keyboard. Once setup properly, I find it hard to fly without it.

XP11 is simply amazing! So much, that I've actually deleted FSX/P3D off of my hard drive and have no desire to return to that platform (not even the 64bit P3D v4). It's even inspired my to tinker with airport/scenery design/modification. Now if we could just get ORBX to change their minds and get on board with their awesome scenery and airports. They disappointed a lot of us when they canceled development plans for X-plane a few months ago.


Have you seen that ridiculous looking rotating beacon that they STILL haven't fixed in P3D version 4 ??? Drives me nuts! http://www.prepar3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=115684View attachment 54698

No. I haven't looked at P.3D at all.

Truthfully, I still don't get into simming that much. At most, I might fly a few instrument approaches to get some procedures down or pre-fly a planned trip. And, for most of those, I'm more interested in the procedures (IFR) or the geography (VFR) than in aircraft control, so it's pretty much autopilot all the way. FSX does that just fine (I've been very surprised when doing an instrument fight for real, ATC did the same things as the simulated guy, like keeping me high over and approach path and then telling me to expedite the descent - that one was downright creepy) so I'm not sure if I'm actually going to buy it, let alone invest in a payware airplane, although it would be a Bonanza or Mooney. But when I saw this thread, I figured it was a good opportunity to express my amazement at this new version.

 

[redtail]

Yeah I understand what you're saying. For some, flightsims are only a game, for others... only a tool. Nothing wrong with either as far as I'm concerned.
I'm somewhere in the middle I guess. It's really nice to see how far they have come over the years, as PC's have become more powerful.

For me, this started as a hobby when I was a teenager and bought my first computer (a Commodore-64), desperately wishing I could afford flight lessons and real flying.
That didn't happen until several years later.

However, I know without a doubt that, other than picking up a few bad habits that I had to unlearn, I owe a lot to MSFS (SubLogic, Bruce Artwick and those guys) for keeping me engaged and excited enough to finally get my PPL at 32. Over the years, it's become a passion.

Oh yeah, I took lessons in a steam gage 172, so the first time a saw a G1000 it was in FSX (albeit very limited functionality). When I finally started flying the real one a few years later, it was instant love!