RealFlight deluxe

Model Airplane News, Jan 2000

Do you constantly dream of standing on the flightline,_but always dismiss the thought because you'd be more likely to get frostbite than to have a successful landing? The snow keeps piling up, essentially burying your chances of flying until the spring thaw. Or do you simply want to learn how to fly a plane or heli, or do a rolling circle without damaging your plane? If you answered yes to either of these questions, Great Planes* questions, RealFlight Deluxe may be the accessory you've been looking for! The major difference between the original Realflight and RealFlight Deluxe is the addition of helicopters to the list of available aircraft. Quite simply, helicopters are more complex than airplanes, and the programming necessary to create an RC heli sim echoes this complexity. Realistic physics enable the environment to interact with the heli and vice versa; even the smoke coming out of the muffler seems real. The DirectX technology the sim employs even allows you to see the wires inside the heli's canopy! As with the planes, you can change the parameters of the model to customize it; with more than 300 changeable settings for the helis alone, you can do more than you could with the real thing!

Great Planes has incorporated cuttingedge technology to create a realistic flying simulation, including variable and controllable physics such as thermals and wind, other RC planes flying at the same time and even that annoying guy at the field who laughs at you when you crash and who eggs you on to try different tricks (you can turn this off). As with almost every option in this program, these effects are at your complete control. Shut off the wind, turn up the thermals, or add a mountain to your airport.

RealFlight Deluxe also gives you the option of altering whichever model you choose to fly. From the PT-40 trainer to the Ultimate Bipe, from the P-51 to the Space Walker, from the Impala .30 heli with training gear to the .60-size Foiler competition heli, each model has unique flying characteristics and special functions such as retractable landing gear (planes) and idle-up (hells). This not only enables you to experiment with various styles of model aircraft, but it will also help you decide whether you're interested in helicopters.

If you're not happy with the setup on the P-51, for example, you can edit its parameters. Make the wingspan longer, change the airfoil shape, replace the propeller and/or engine, play around with your thrust, or modify your plane in any of a hundred ways. You can even do

SPECIFICATIONS

Minimum system requirements

*Windows 95/98

* Microsoft Direct3l)-compatible, highperformance 313-accelerated video card with a minimum of 4MB video RAM

*Pentium 200 processor

*30MB available hard-drive space

*16MB RAM

*4X CD-ROM drive

*Super VGA monitor

Optimal system requirements

* Pentium 11 300+

* 8MB video RAM

* 16X CD-ROM drive

Features: included Futaba controller or interface your own radio; PhotoField graphics technology, Virtual Revolution and RotoSonic sound technologies and RealPhysics technology at work; wide variety of planes, helicopters and airports; add-ons available; can edit crafts and radio parameters; fly using multiple views. Comments: the RealFlight Deluxe RC flight simulator could be just the thing for learning how to fly or how to perform new stunts without worrying about ruining your aircraft, for experimenting with different types of aircraft before purchasing them, or just for keeping your fingers warmed up on stormy days and frosty nights.

Hits

* Many planes, hells and locales to choose from.

* Add-ons available for even more planes and airports.

* Your choice of controller or interface included in package,

* Variable physics such as wind gusts and thermals available.

* Can customize hundreds of aircraft and hall parameters.

Misses * Some computer compatibility problems.

* Can fly through obstacles. major overhauls such as moving the landing gear or changing the leading- and trailing-edge sweep. But beware; making your wingspan 2 inches long won't work in this program, just as it won't in real life!

The manual comes included on the CD, and it can be viewed and printed out. Above and beyond the normal installation instructions, the manual will take you through any modifications you may wish to make to your aircraft or flying field. It also includes a glossary that covers both RC-specific terms for novices and words specific to this program.

When you purchase your copy of RealFlight Deluxe, you are given the option of buying it with a Futaba transmitter that has been converted to a controller for this program, or buying it with a special interface that allows you to use your own transmitter. The special Futaba transmitter is simply plugged into your game port, and the transmitter interface is plugged into a parallel port and into your transmitter. If you use your printer port, you can still plug your printer into the opposite end of the interface; both transmitter and printer will work! The interface allows for up to eight proportional controls (as opposed to the usual four), and you also get every feature of your radio, including programmable mixes.