Free Sim for everyone

[Thomas B.]

Go to www.n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html to get FMS. You can get hundreds of planes and fields off the internet. Just go to links on fms homepage and find the stuff you want. You can also do a search and find a lot of great stuff.

[Thomas B.]

Here is a pic of the sim. This plane doesn't come with the stock download. Also let me know how you guys like the sim.

[Thomas B.]

Heres another pic for the cub lovers.

[nitrothugg]

i'm no expert but i find it fun, especially cause its free

[Thomas B.]

Yeah it great something of this high of quality is free.

[468/f]

Interested

What is needed to use the SIM? Any other programs or ....

Thanks,

468/f

[2NG]

***What is needed to use the SIM? Any other programs or .... ***

Hello 468/f,

All you need is to build an interface for it, the webiste shows you an diagram on how to do it, you can get all the stuff needed in RadioShack, cool eh? .

No other program, just download it, unzip the FMS and your ready to fly.

[468/f]

2NG,

So you end up making or modifying a joy stick? Right?

468/f

[2NG]

***So you end up making or modifying a joy stick? Right? ***

468/f,

You can either control it with a joy stick, or you can make an interface that plugs to the printer port and to your radio's trainer output.

2NG

[retro00guy]

Hi 2NG,
Guess you are a very experienced flyer. Well i do have a question for you.
How different (in your opinion) is FMS from the real r/c flying in terms of flying control and the airplane response? Do you think by using the sim can help a beginner learn 'how to fly' and an intermediate flyer can improve his skill?

[Thomas B.]

It helped me. Yes I feel it is very realistic to how a model airplane controls and flys.

[retro00guy]

thanks thomas for your reply...

As a matter of fact, i've been using the FMS with lots of models from *** website, and i've even made the simple to build interface control cable.

You'll be surprised to know that u can even config the various response and control entities of the model to make it fly the way u want eg, rubber slowflyer, soarer, pattern, jet, trainer etc.) .

But the biggest question i wanna ask pros like you is...."Is it useful to improve your skill in controlling an R/C plane after using the sim?" well i think thats the purpose of a sim in the first place right? Well if one is going for trill and fun, there are plenty of flight games avaliable in the market!

retro00guy

[2NG]

***How different (in your opinion) is FMS from the real r/c flying in terms of flying control and the airplane response?***

First of all, I would like to answer this question in an out pitch answer, and then get back to your question.

As side from my day job. I teach Martial Art, If someone could make a virtual reality, close to a real fight sim's. A fighter's sense of confidence and his drive will perish. Why for the only way to learn is to brings the true essence of feel touch and emotions.

I have all five sim's. GreatPlanes, FMS, Backyard, and Cockpit Master.

It can help, but not close, flying is a 3D experience. Think about it, you are in the comfort of your chair, flying a 20" to a 90"(jk) airplane.

My first plane was a FBXL, and then I vowed to stay on in this fun hobby, and was searching for a new level of flight and excitement.
I bought all, thinking, that I could avoid crashing if I where to practice them before flying and buying the real thing.

I love to fly Cub's, and have flown all the sim's Cub's. Not close to the real thing. I bought a Cub. CRASHHING:( first flight.

Back to the o'l FMS and sim's, I can fly, WOOOhoo.

But the real lesson of flight and my teacher, was the good O'l TigerMoth. Now that's as close as you can get to a real, virtual, 3D experience. Remember feel, touch and emotion? Will there you go. By the time, I gathered enough courage to get back into my balsa airplane (Scary...) I did had that butterfly in my tummy, but then as the bird took off, remembering from the TigerMoth experience, I flew my Cub in it's first real flight.

And now, I think, I can fly any plane. Though it take practice and patience. Flying is fun, crashes is not the enemy of flight, but a teacher of it.

I can sell you my copy of the Backyard flyer, CockpitMaster and it's interface. I will guarantee, that it will collect dust underneath your computer desk.:D

***intermediate flyer can improve his skill?***

intermediate flyer, will be too busy looking for his next plane, similar to the plane, that has taught him how to fly, but this time, he will be looking for looks, Wings Span reach and.... Speed baby, speed.

Kind'a like this crazy newbie (my new Super Cub 400sp)

[2NG]

***Well if one is going for trill and fun, there are plenty of flight games avaliable in the market! ***

Bingo!!!!!!!

Never hear flyer's in the field talking about their FMS or comp. sims, and how great they where practicing for their morning or late afternoon flight. Have you? I usually hear about the crash and how this time, one bounced back and pulled a thrilling aerobatic stunt.:cool:

Save your money, buy glue, build, fly crash, do whatever, the main thing is your having fun. If you fly you crash, all good things, must come down:) REALITY check:)

[Thomas B.]

2ng is right about you will crash. Everbody crashs their plane. It will get you experience from your crash. But the sims do help me. The flight of the tigermoth in backyard edition is very realistic in my opinion. Before I ever flew an aileron plane I practiced on the aerobatic planes on the sim and learned how to react to the controls of ailerons rather than rudder. So then I flew the real aileron plane and flew it fine. Also the plane was an under wing plane and its not a trainer for ailerons. So in my opinion they do help out a lot and their fun. I think their very realistic. I have owned some of the planes on the sim and they flew almost just like the real thing. So in all maybe around 80 to 85 % realistic. Its impossible to get graphics and planes to fly like the real thing on a computer. You just cant do it, but its realistic for the techknowledgy of computers.

[2NG]

****Before I ever flew an aileron plane I practiced on the aerobatic planes on the sim and learned how to react to the controls of ailerons rather than rudder. ****

Really? When I first flew aileron winged controlled airplane, my buddies airplane the extra 300s, with astro 10 brushless. little small aileron ship. My first reaction was OOOOOHHHHH!!! ##@**!!*# WOW!!! I have to bring it down right away and change my pants, fast, fun, aerobatic, fun. Nothing like the FMS, or any sims around. not close to the real thing, remember 3D emotions?

***The flight of the tigermoth in backyard edition is very realistic in my opinion.***
My opinion, realistic in a way, that it's boring, realistic in it's graphical design, and the scenic graphics of the Backyard flyer is 55% close to being real. The stick is dead on. You have to intintionally crash the plane, due to boredom. The plane can almost fly by itself.

***So in all maybe around 80 to 85% realistic. Its impossible to get graphics and planes to fly like the real thing on a computer. You just cant do it, but its realistic for the techknowledgy of computers.***
80% to 85%? Man you got yourself the military's version of sim, in terms of its functional capabilities. :p

***So in my opinion they do help out a lot and their fun. ***
SIM's did not help me any, in my own opinion. I wish, at the time, when the SIM fever was burning through peoples head. I wish someone like me, have told me the same thing that I am telling you now, an honest point of view. A critic that is not afraid in stepping on other peoples toes, and not riding on with the fad.

Bottom line. Greatplanes I and II sims, BackyardFlyer, Cockpitmaster, is not worth the money. Why? It limits your mental, and flight physical one to one experience, lacks the 3D emotions of flight.

Money is wasted if you think, that these tools is your key to learning flight, then if you think it is, go for it. Or you can sum, add your money. Instead of buying a sim, invest it an a kit or a plan, that you can get you hands wet down the road, once your ready to advance.

I apologize for being a hard critic, for I believe in the simplest things in life. Don't always follow, what everyone is saying. FMS, and other SIM's, was EZONE magazines fad, now it's the thing of the past and with very little review and some have somewhat negative review. People don't wanna talk about it anymore.
Why? Cause sim. games got a dip on their money, and so did I, I got lowered into believing, that sim flight is a tool for a newbie...

Although. Free FMS is a way to go. Same as the rest of them and it's free. The interface to the printer to your trainer port, only cost you below $20- to make. Not bad...

Good luck and let's keep this on the real.:cool:

[Thomas B.]

Thats ok we all can be hard critics sometimes. Such as I dont like ford cars. Or the Djaerotech roadkill models are a bit weak. Its all about opinons. You do make some good points though. Its not a learning tool. Your right about that. I think of it more of a enhancer to make you understand the flight caracteristics. No it doesnt really compare to flying the real thing. I never learned on a sim. I learned on fb and fbxl. Great planes but get boring. After I got more experiance flying I bought be and cm. I also found FMS. I found sims now more of fun on windy days and nights when I get bored or cant fly. They will, I think, can help beginers out on flight controls. No you shouldnt learn to fly with them. You will lack experience needed to become a good pilot.
Nice cub. I never owned one. Plan on gettin one someday. You put it otgether quick. You done a great job. Almost as good as my Lil Poke:D just jokin. When do you plan to fly it. I hope to see a flight pic soon. Im gona have my Lil Poke ready to fly by this sunday or monday.

[2NG]

***I think of it more of a enhancer to make you understand the flight caracteristics.***

Yeah, a tool secondary to flight, somewhat a reference, or a modeling science. Getting close to the flight characteristics of each, for in the real world of flight it has it's tantrums. ---- battery, lack of power. The most important thing of all, that almost, to always will have you tinkering is the system, and the CG, once it was said, that:
" You can fly wings and it fly's, you can fly all fuse and it fly's, you can fly almost anything now a days, but you can't get anything off the ground without proper CG"

***I learned on fb and fbxl. Great planes but get boring. ***
I feel ya! I learned from that fun airplane :D when I got soo... bored with it, I flew it straight down, on a spiral to the ground, fixed it and it still fly. I guess, that's due to our confidence, that build up and the know how, have just learned tricks and tips.

***I also found FMS. I found sims now more of fun on windy days and nights when I get bored or cant fly.***

Thomas B,

Get off it man:( I'm telling you, you can spend your time building, that's the real fun on the rainy and windy days. I think your going to like kit building more. And, I honestly think, that's the reasons, that I lost interest in my sims, cause of building kits.

***I think, can help beginers out on flight controls. No you shouldnt learn to fly with them. You will lack experience needed to become a good pilot. ***

Sim, provides a superficial belief in flying. Broke my heart when I first fly the TM, can't get my TigerMoth flying, but by using the sim. Man, I'm a master. To become a good pilot, or a person is when one overcomes and understand the theory of how things work, on a hands on application. Kind'a like love and relationships (heheheehe.... Get my drift?)

***When do you plan to fly it. I hope to see a flight pic soon. Im gona have my Lil Poke ready to fly by this sunday or monday.***
Thomas B.

You cool:cool: and I think you can really be a great flyer. I fly my Cub on the weekends, haven't been doing it lately, due to broken arm.

Thomas B.
I suggest you get yourself into balsa, it's frustrating to at first, but the it's also fun. I learned to put balsa and glue them together by getting my hands wet in one of those rubber 20" guillow airplane, Man they are fun to build:)

Get off the sims, and start building.
Keep FMS, you can use it for doing color schemes on an airplane and see it first hand of how it will look:)here a cool program, I think, you might already have it. Check it out, you can really do lot's of things with it, concerning FMS, I like how you can change colors to the airplane http://www.interq.or.jp/japan/cyber/fms/Metasequoia_e.htm

[Thomas B.]

I do build balsa planes. I even built several homade models and some of them were my own designs. Last night instead of playing on my sims;) I started to do a little research on corsairs. The way they look. I plan on making a homemade corsair. I want to put a speed 400 in it to make it go fast and I feel a 300 would fly it well but you know how fun fast planes are.
I just got done with my Lil Poke, see pic forum, and started on a balsa seaplane. It sorta looks like a Pond Baby desinged by Dave Robelen. When I finish it I will post a pic. I have the fuse done now if your interested in seeing it.
I have built many Gwillows models.Their fun to build.
The reason I dont build all the time is because I work on my car and havent bought a kit in awhile.
Go see my plane at the pic forum and tell me what you think. The name of the thread is Lil Poke pics.
O I almost forgot, it must suck to have a broken arm. You cant fly.

[Basketcase]

Well... all righty then. :D

Hi 2NG,

Hope you don't mind another point of view.

IMHO the FMS sim is a GREAT tool for beginners and intermediate pilots to learn new skills. :)

It seems the hardest part for newbies is learning and getting used to control reversal. Where the plane turns right when you turn it right going away from you and left when you turn right coming towards you. The sim is perfect for getting the hang of this basic R/C control phenomenon.

And the same for more intermediate flyers. After I got a better plane I practiced for hours flying inverted. Which is another control reversal. You must remember to give it down to go up. After using the sim it is much easier to fly the actual plane inverted.

Same with aerobatics. Loops, spins, stalls, rolls, and all the combinations with names. They are all much safer for your plane when you practice on the sim first. :p I'm trying to learn how to do a rolling circle and still don't have it figured out. If I spent every second of my actual flying time trying to learn the same thing I wouldn't have time to practice the aerobatics I already know how to do. :) (much less a plane to practice with)

The variety of the planes is another major selling point for me, I get to try all sorts of planes without having to buy them.

And for an added bonus it is not very difficult to make you own plane using Metasequoia. And it's a blast to fly your own, detailed airplane around on your computer.

For more FMS planes and Metasequoia info (and a tutorial) this is a good place to start:

www.hoops.ne.jp/%7Ekimagure-hikoki/index_e.html

Just my 2 cents. :D

BC

[Basketcase]

Here's my FMS plane:

[2NG]

Hello BasketCase,


You don't fly here much anymore:( Welcome back. I don't know if you remember this, for sure you won't. You were the one who gave me all FMS programs website, when I was just a rookie, newbie.

-- I'm sure that you have taken FMS into a new level of it capabilities, it terms of creating and changing exponential configs. to get the birds flying to how you want them too.

Honestly, and honestly speaking. It's a tool for getting your thumbs warm. But not a tool to level up in flight, the only tool that can level you in flight is your experience with it.

I'm not totally putting all SIM program down, but the major one's is not worth the money. FMS is something to consider about, but then again. You have more experience in flight than I do. After flying my TM, I proceed on flying bigger ship. No Sims helped me out in that one, but my experience in all the crashes that I have gotten myself into did, and made me a flyer, to what I am today. Regret to buying Major brand sims. It's not to real for me, and the planes, doesn't have the tantrums or you heart don't beat, how it beats for thrill, no real emotion in Sim. (emotion, sometimes can play a factor)

hehehehehe. Learning aerobatics, with a SWITCHBAAAAACKKKK:p

----cent to a dollar advice---

[burdgeb]

For access to over a hundred FMS planes go to http://www.interq.or.jp/sun/cyber/fms_e.html

I've been using an Axis gamepad with FMS - $19 and it's got two proportional joysticks..

Brady

[Dave Robelen]

Hi All,
One major feature that I have not seen mentioned is the ability to modify the model and test the results. Maybe it's only available in Real Flight, but it is possible to change almost any thing to the point that you have a whole new plane. I have even asembled a canard model similar to the Long EZE with fine results. As a test tool I have gotten a lot of mileage out of my sim. My kids can fly a model on the sim as in a game, but out in the field it is a whole "nother ball game. Learning the skills of R/C flying seems to come most rapidly in the field with a gentle model and a knowlegeable friend.
My $.02 worth, Dave

[Basketcase]

Hi everyone. As Dave mentioned the adjustability of the models in Real Flight is a great feature. The same ability is available in FMS by adjusting the .par file. There is a .par file for each plane in the hanger.

And if the plane you want is not available among the hundreds available on the 'net it's not very hard to make your own using Metasequoia.

The Switchback posted above I made from scratch following the directions on Shinichiro Nishiya's website.

Here's the Switchback it is supposed to represent.

If anybody would like a .zip file of either the Switchback Sport or 3D for FMS drop me an email at waynel@tampabay.rr.com

BC