New programs at Toledo '98

Model Airplane News, Aug 1998 by Ryan, Jim

Last time, we completed our series on using CAD to design a scale model, beginning with a paper or scanned 3-view and ending with a light and utilitarian airframe. Judging from the volume of email I received, this seems to be a topic ol interest for many readers. The common experience seems to be that a modeler buys a CAD program-often at a trade show-takes it home and then says, "Now what?" Like the vast majority of you, I've never taken a formal course in CAD, but my job required that I pick up the basics on my own. Much like any other skill, mastering CAD is a function of familiarity and repetition. It's beyond the scope of this column to explore the arcane details of every CAD program targeted at the home user, many of which I have no more than a nodding acquaintance of. The goal has been to familiarize new users with the basic thought processes, cover the mechanics of some proven techniques and, most importantly, pique your interest in clicking that icon and making a start. The first time you complete a drawing is a rewarding moment, as many of you have now, hopefully, found out for yourselves. If not, what are you waiting for?

One of the modelers I've been corresponding with is Model Airplane News' very own Gerry Yarrish. Gerry is an experienced modeler with outstanding building skills, and for some time, he had owned a copy of Ashlar DrawingBoard*. He was interested in using CAD to create his own designs, but like most of us, didn't get over the hump of starting. Now, DrawingBoard and AutoCAD (which I use) are completely different programs, but our CAD series motivated him to make a start, and he certainly hit the ground running! Gerry is now producing designs at a staggering pace. Figure I shows one of his early 3-views, a Messerschmitt Bf-110. By now, he has probably drawn every aircraft in the Luftwaffe!

TOLEDO!

I just got home from the Toledo Weak Signals Expo, the greatest RPC show on the planet. If you've never been to the Toledo show, go! There's nothing else quite like it. In addition to seeing all the new products the manufacturers have dreamed up over the winter and picking up some terrific bargains, I get a chance to see friends whom I only talk to via email most of the year. Perhaps most of all, it has become an annual ritual that marks the end to the hardcore winter flying season and the beginning of the season of taking lawn chairs to the field and really having fun. Space here doesn't permit mentioning all the interesting products I saw in Toledo this year, but I do want to mention some computer-related products that stood out.

REALFLIGHT SIM

Flight simulator programs continue to make tremendous strides, and two simulators were demonstrated at this year's Toledo show (provided you could wait in the long line of eager test pilots!). The newest offering on the market is the Great Planes* RealFlight Simulator (www.realflight.com/index.html). To give you some idea of the realism of the graphics and sound of this program, a friend of mine confided that when he first saw it running, he thought it was just an R/C video. The quality of the graphics and sound is truly amazing.

All this comes at a price, however, and getting the most out of Reallight's capabilities requires a recent-model Pentium computer with at least 16MB of RAM (32MB recommended) and CD-ROM drive. Most importantly, the high-res graphics mode requires a fast Microsoft 3D-compatible accelerated video card. The program still looks fine in the standard graphics (low res) mode, which will run on a 66MHz 486 machine with at least 12MB of RAM. The complete simulator, with transmitter box, is available for a street price of under $200, and the simulator without transmitter is available for under $130. It's compatible with a Dave Brown transmitter box and joysticks, but it cannot be used with an Ambrosia or NHP transmitter. One interesting option sold by Computer Designs* (www.rctrainer. com/) is an adapter that can be used with your existing transmitter. The price is $84.95, and to me, this is worth it, since I can use my own computer radio with the simulator.

I spent a good deal of time talking to Anne Marie Cross, product support supervisor for Great Planes. She not only gave me an excellent overview of the simulator's capabilities and system requirements, but also demonstrated an early version of the Volume I Add-On CD-ROM. This add-on, which should be available by the time you read this for a street price of under $30, adds six new terrains and 12 new aircraft to RealFlight's library. Three of the six terrains use Bryce 3D logic, meaning you can actually fly inside the terrain. The perspective of flying through a hilly Martian landscape is really something, and Great Planes will be releasing more add-on volumes with time.

DAVE BROWN FLIGHT SIM VERSION 5

The Dave Brown Products* Flight Simulator (www.dbproducts.com/ rcfs.htm), long the standard bearer of R/C flight sims, was shown in its new Version 5. In addition to improved flight dynamics and sound effects (which require a Sound Blaster or equivalent sound card), the Dave Brown Sim includes The Hangar, a CD/ROM containing over 500 pre-set models based on actual kits. Furthermore the "shape editor" option allows you to create and edit your own designs, including canards, vee-tails, etc. The flight realism has been improved over earlier versions of this popular sim, and seeing your own plane cruising across the monitor is a nice improvement over a generic sport model. The transmitter box now offers a nicer case and better gimbals.