PC IFR simulators

On 11 Oct 2006 00:11:19 -0700, wrote:

I've been teaching IFR with Elite since version 1.0. No fancy visuals
but good fidelity. They seem to have lowered their price recently to
become more cost-competitive. ($99 fore core package.)

I think Elite is a pretty good way to practice procedures, but I've
been disturbed that the aerodynamic modeling was unrealistic.
Specifically, in a real airplane, I fly the ILS by trimming to my
approach speed in the procedure turn and when I intercept the GS I
just start down by reducing power. Elite doesn't work that way. If you
reduce power, instead of descending like a real airplane, the airspeed
just bleeds off until you stall. To descend, you have to force the
nose down, regardless of power setting. Annoying. I've also been
annoyed that they've continually omitted the LOM on the ILS at my home
airport. In an earlier version, you could add things like that
manually. Now you just have to live with flying an ILS without an LOM.
Like I said though, it is good for brushing up on procedures before
going to the airplane.

RK Henry

Nobody has a PC sim with proper feedback on the trim. You have to
deliberately fly the attitude-power combinations yourself - which are
reasonably accurate. To descend down a glideslope for instance you
reduce power ~500 RPM and lower the nose three degrees.

In a real C172 the nose will drop more than 3 degrees when you reduce
power of its own accord if you let it, but the required attitude and
power change is the same. What's different is the stick force.


RK Henry wrote:
On 11 Oct 2006 00:11:19 -0700, wrote:

I've been teaching IFR with Elite since version 1.0. No fancy visuals
but good fidelity. They seem to have lowered their price recently to
become more cost-competitive. ($99 fore core package.)

I think Elite is a pretty good way to practice procedures, but I've
been disturbed that the aerodynamic modeling was unrealistic.
Specifically, in a real airplane, I fly the ILS by trimming to my
approach speed in the procedure turn and when I intercept the GS I
just start down by reducing power. Elite doesn't work that way. If you
reduce power, instead of descending like a real airplane, the airspeed
just bleeds off until you stall. To descend, you have to force the
nose down, regardless of power setting. Annoying. I've also been
annoyed that they've continually omitted the LOM on the ILS at my home
airport. In an earlier version, you could add things like that
manually. Now you just have to live with flying an ILS without an LOM.
Like I said though, it is good for brushing up on procedures before
going to the airplane.

RK Henry