Best Soaring Flight Sim?

Martin Gregorie s comments read:

That said, the BGA have a demo booth that's the front half of a two
seater (G 103?) with a projection screen for forward view and the
instruments projected onto a blank instrument panel. It uses SFS4,
connected to the original stick and pedals. That means that the trim
must work too. Dunno about the air brake. I saw it in decidedly
sub-optimal lighting conditions, but it seemed to work quite well.

The airbrakes do work although you can't lock them from the back seat.
It is a great crowd puller but has a few rough edges that need ironing
out. Firstly it could do with a minimum of 2000 lumens for bright
conditions and secondly moving the project from directly over the back
seat.
--
Tim - ASW20CL "20"

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 12:40:14 +0100, Tim
wrote:

Martin Gregorie s comments read:

That said, the BGA have a demo booth that's the front half of a two
seater (G 103?) with a projection screen for forward view and the
instruments projected onto a blank instrument panel. It uses SFS4,
connected to the original stick and pedals. That means that the trim
must work too. Dunno about the air brake. I saw it in decidedly
sub-optimal lighting conditions, but it seemed to work quite well.

The airbrakes do work although you can't lock them from the back seat.
It is a great crowd puller but has a few rough edges that need ironing
out. Firstly it could do with a minimum of 2000 lumens for bright
conditions and secondly moving the project from directly over the back
seat.

I think the last item has been done - at least I didn't notice
anything blocking access to the back seat. I think the projector is
now further back.

I agree that more light value is necessary. Its probably OK in an
indoor setting, but outside on a sunny day, as it was, the display was
decidedly dim.

--
martin@ : Martin Gregorie
gregorie : Harlow, UK
demon :
co : Zappa fan & glider pilot
uk :

Martin Gregorie s comments read:

I think the last item has been done - at least I didn't notice
anything blocking access to the back seat. I think the projector is
now further back.

I didn't explain it very well ... we had the simulator the week after
you did ... but the projector is above the instructors (back seat)
head with the hot air venting straight down - an effect just like
being sat under a hair dryer. ;-)
--
Tim - ASW20CL "20"

Martin Gregorie wrote in message . ..

- no glider simulator can give realistic all round views and won't
until there's a good VR helmet available. Looking through the
'letterbox' and flipping it round with the coolie hat is no
substitute.

- no butt feel


I agree, the limited field of view inherent to PC based simulators is
one of the primary reasons I regard them as little more than toys, no
matter how good their graphics and sound effects become. This
limitation may be tolerable for power sims, since power pilots rarely
look out the window anyways, but for soaring it's leaving out an
essential part of the experience. I've been playing with PC
simulators for about 20 years, and in that time there's been
approximately zero progress in this direction. I hope we don't have
to wait for neural implants in another 20 years for this to improve.

Martin-Have you checked out these?

http://www.edimensional.com/products/trackir.htm

I use there 3D system and am quite pleased with it.
Using addon scenery and gliders in FS2k2, I self-launch
and ridge soar at Torrey Pines for a quick flight.
The virtual cockpit in 3D is very good in the ASW28.
I agree that there is still a long ways to go-and
I miss the periphael vision.




At 19:24 15 September 2003, Liam Finley wrote:
Martin Gregorie wrote in message news:...

- no glider simulator can give realistic all round
views and won't
until there's a good VR helmet available. Looking
through the
'letterbox' and flipping it round with the coolie
hat is no
substitute.

- no butt feel


I agree, the limited field of view inherent to PC based
simulators is
one of the primary reasons I regard them as little
more than toys, no
matter how good their graphics and sound effects become.
This
limitation may be tolerable for power sims, since power
pilots rarely
look out the window anyways, but for soaring it's leaving
out an
essential part of the experience. I've been playing
with PC
simulators for about 20 years, and in that time there's
been
approximately zero progress in this direction. I hope
we don't have
to wait for neural implants in another 20 years for
this to improve.

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 16:32:59 +0100, Tim
wrote:

Martin Gregorie s comments read:

I think the last item has been done - at least I didn't notice
anything blocking access to the back seat. I think the projector is
now further back.

I didn't explain it very well ... we had the simulator the week after
you did ... but the projector is above the instructors (back seat)
head with the hot air venting straight down - an effect just like
being sat under a hair dryer. ;-)

Ah ha. Now I understand...

--
martin@ : Martin Gregorie
gregorie : Harlow, UK
demon :
co : Zappa fan & glider pilot
uk :

On 15 Sep 2003 20:01:15 GMT, Stewart Kissel
wrote:

Martin-Have you checked out these?

http://www.edimensional.com/products/trackir.htm

I use there 3D system and am quite pleased with it.
Using addon scenery and gliders in FS2k2, I self-launch
and ridge soar at Torrey Pines for a quick flight.
The virtual cockpit in 3D is very good in the ASW28.
I agree that there is still a long ways to go-and
I miss the periphael vision.


Very interesting and no, I hadn't seen them.

Have you got both the head movement sensor and the glasses? If so,
does it give a smooth scroll or jump as though the coolie hat has been
flicked? I'm guessing that it does the latter from the website
description.

Being picky, I'd want at least 300 degree horizontal smooth scrolling
and 270 degree vertical scrolling combined with the ability to scroll
as fast as I can move my head before I'd be happy. Oh yeah, and it
would need some work in the sim too, to stop it leaving the panel
always in view when you look round - unlike some (earlier?) versions
of MSFS.


--
martin@ : Martin Gregorie
gregorie : Harlow, UK
demon :
co : Zappa fan & glider pilot
uk :

On 15 Sep 2003 22:39:34 GMT, Stewart Kissel
wrote:

Martin-

I do not have this head movement detector-my simulator spending starts up=
in the winter and if I can get a good report on these, I may order some.=
The coolie hat does not jump when scrolling in the VC, it moves smoothl=
y and remains in whatever spot you stop at. I would expect the head dete=
ctor to do the same. Also the coolie hat will pan in a full orbit in all=
directions-so your criteria for this may be met. =20

I think I missed something in that case.

Are you saying that the software for the specs generates a huge
wrap-round virtual screen and also takes over handling of the coolie
hat and other scrolling controls? Do the specs run off a normal
graphics card or do they have their own?

I had not paid much attention to the video-game aspect of PC's, but this =
is a huge market. Maybe flight simulators will be able to tag along on s=
ome of the technology being developed. =20

Sounds like it could be good for simmers. Its about time there was
some movement in display technology.


--
martin@ : Martin Gregorie
gregorie : Harlow, UK
demon :
co : Zappa fan & glider pilot
uk :

Martin Gregorie s comments read:

Ah ha. Now I understand...


I'm still trying to explain the blue rinse to my other half ;-)
--
Tim - ASW20CL "20"