Flight Sim - Hows it wok?
 

I know this sounds like a petty stupid question but Ive never really used flight sim except for years ago before I could afford to do it for real.

What I was wondering was how do I go about getting a working cockpit for a certain aircraft type (q400). Is it a case of buying the latest version of Flight Sim and then buying the add on type of aircraft? and if so where can I purchase it from?

Sorry again for the stupid question but I figured a few of you might know.

Cheers

AVSIM Online - Flight Simulation, Flightsim, flight sim, flight simulator, fsx, fs10
FlightSim.Com - World's #1 Flight Simulator Site For Downloads, Files, News, Reviews, Add-ons
Simviation Freeware Addons for PC Flight Simulator Programs. Flight Simulator X, FS2004 - Tens of Thousands of free high quality add-ons for Microsoft's Flight Simulator series and other PC Flight Simulators! Quality Freeware Add-ons and support!

those websites have tons of addons for Flightsim 2004 and the latest flightsim X. All of them free

The FlightSim Store: Your Source for Flight Simulation Software and Accessories

Those guys have payware aircraft, generally alot more realistic than the free stuff

If you need a hand adding the aircraft to the flight sim just ask mate

Flight Sim
 

The Flight Sim store is definitely the way to go.

I have recently purchased Microsoft Flightsim X with add on photo realistic scenery. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to use the add o scenery yet as my computer isn't powerful enough.

Heaps of fun doing a variety of missions. Over 24000 airports worldwide, most nav aids in Aus if you are using it for IFR proficiency. One of the missions gave me an AH failure at night in a Kingair in IMC, glad I was on the ground as I completely messed it up :\

Make sure you purchase a control column with throttle quadrant. Too hard to control the aircraft using the keyboard only.

cheers
Omega

Guys, in my opinion x-plane is much better than any version of FlightSim, and now Microsoft have given up on it.

The guy who builds x-plane also flies.

Worth a look I think...

X-Plane

Home of the X-Plane Flightsim Community - New Server

Switching to X-Plane - X-Plane.com

FS2004
 

Hey - has anyone out there found a download of the SR22 with glass cockpit for FS2004? I've searched the sites mentioned but can't seem to find one ...

Ted: Avsim Review

for the SR-22 G2 Here
and the SR-22 Turbo is Here
They are both payware though. Good fun to fly, I once had them for my own flight simulator.

:ok:Pyro

should this be moved to the PC/Computer type forum?:ok:

Good idea! :ok:

Definitely X-Plane.

With the right peripherals, the FAA accepts it as a valid simulator for flight training. MS doesn't come close.

Keef, In Australia CASA accepts many sims that run off MS FSX as valid simulators. :ok:

Thanks for the help guys.

I went ahead and installed FSX just because my friend had a copy. Im now having trouble finding any worthy Q400 aircraft where the cockpit resembles that of the real one. I have an interview in 6 weeks and have to do a sim ride in the Q400 so would like to practice the scan on the Q400. Would any of you guys be able to point me in the right direction for this? Im willing to pay for a good version.

Cheers

Chode1984

G'day, I know someone in a similar boat to you and we are currently looking for a Q400 panel or model etc, we have seen a few around that have pretty exterior models but none seem to have accurate avionics and cockpit layouts.

Just curious if you were able to find anything worth while?

:ugh:

Flight Sim is also used in certified trainers in the UK. I've logged several hours in an FNPTII powered by FltSim.

I use both, FS when I'm on Vatsim and X-plane for fun/curiosity. The idea that X-Plane has better dynamics is not true. It's a complete myth, largely propogated by Mr X-Plane. The sim community at large acknowledges that the dynamics in FS are just as good - but limited by the aircraft designer. You can't add arbitary station loads and custom moments of inertia in X-Plane.

X-Plane derives it's flight model from the visual model using "blade elements" entirely which in some ways is good, but in others is bad. It's simply not possible on a PC to model the huge number of polygons needed to fully model even a simple aircraft with blades. FS flight dynamics are only as good as the model but in theory at least, you can provide a better flight model than X-Plane although the work involved is significant.

Both sims fall short in extreme conditions of flight and near the edges of the envelope, although I would guess that even the beefiest PC would struggle to model an inverted flat spin - especially as eye candy also has to be included. That said, I spend 90% of my time in big iron driven by the FMC so I don't really care about eye candy outside the cockpit or purism of flight models. I fly a PSS777 merge most the time and it has been custom tweaked to fly as real as possible, within a few percent of real world performance in terms of climb, speed, fuel burn etc. In fact, performance is a big weakness of the default X-Plane aircraft - you need addons to get realism. The fuel burns, glide rates etc are terrible in the defaults - even MS did a better job here and they are not good either. RealAir, PMDG pretty rule the roost, especially for systems realism - there is nothing, on any PC sim, that beats PMDG for VATSIM airways flying although I'm looking out for v2 of the Airsimmer bus series ;-) I would say PSS but the way they handle transitions from the runway to the start of the SID can be pretty weird!

At the end of the day, a religious debate and entirely down to personal preferences but absolutely untrue that MS is "inferior" unless you base the argument on subjective rather than objective measures.

Sim Pilot Magazine - Flight Dynamics: FSX and X-Plane battle it out

Flight Simulator Guide :: Articles :: X-Plane vs. Microsoft Flight Simulator

xplane versus fs10 - Page 3 - FlightSim.Com Forums

Sorry,forgot to answer the question. Or rather, ask one in return.

The Just Flight 300 Professional is excellent although for systems realism, it is a little weak. It does have an FMC and TCAS but the comms and overhead are the usual "almost there" implementations. The external model and flight dynamics are top. But that doesn't help, I don't know of a good 400 model.

Maybe you could consider a merge with a 400 panel and a freeware 400 visual model. That would give you 2 Dash 8s in your hangar but you would lose the realism of the flight model in the 400 but if your aim is to practice your scan and procedures, then something like this might help...

http://www.arch-spada.com/panels/dash8400.jpg

Cheers

Has anyone ever tried "Instrument Procedure Trainer" (IP7)?