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Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - Printable Version

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Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - smuzz - 21-02-2011

A couple of months ago, Owen was talking to Gazz about flight simulators - Owen learned to fly pretty well using FMS (http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html) but for an industrial-strength simulator, Gazz recommended Phoenix RC.

Having purchased a copy of Phoenix RC a month or so ago, I can only reinforce everything positive thing Gary described about it. I got a copy from a local supplier, Brooknet (http://www.brooknet.net.au/Phxshp.html) and it arrived within a couple of days. Been really enjoying using it - time will tell whether it makes a difference to the skills levels, but it works seamlessly with Spektrum transmitter gear and is great fun.

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - paulj - 21-02-2011

Thanks for the link Steve,
Will investigate and see what I think of it.

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - Lindamus - 21-02-2011

Yup,

I have to agree, pheonix is a realy good sim. Make sure you set up your TX properly, then adjust the TX pitch curves as you see fit. You can get a realy good match to your phisical planes and helis this way.

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - Omarko - 22-02-2011

I have to agree as well. I am a total newbie when it comes to flying and I got the Phoenix Sim pretty much right away. Its worth every cents as the amount of money you save by crashing on the computer vs real life is crazy (especially when it comes to helis).

The simulator itself works perfectly with my DX6i, is extremely realistic and you can set settings like winds and gusts as well which adds an extra layer of realism to it and makes it sometimes really challenging to fly. Over the last 2 months I clocked in at least 30+ hours and practiced with the Cessna and Yak 54 which are two massively different planes. I can now perfectly take off (or hand launch), fly and land.

I know reality is often different though and the setup of the plane is extremely important as on the sim, its already trimmed out.

I bought my phoenix from a LHS however, I ordered the USB dongle as well from Hobbyking and to my massive surprise, they supply a dodgy copy of not only the Phoenix but also Realflight ! I dont think they realize what they are doing here but oh well. Not bad for $7 though Smile

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - Kedumba - 22-02-2011

(22-02-2011, 09:47 AM)Omarko Wrote:  I bought my phoenix from a LHS however, I ordered the USB dongle as well from Hobbyking and to my massive surprise, they supply a dodgy copy of not only the Phoenix but also Realflight ! I dont think they realize what they are doing here but oh well. Not bad for $7 though Smile

Hi,
Any chance of a link to the Hobbyking USB Dongle. I had a quick look but couldn't find it. I think I'd definatly be interested in somethinglike that.
Thanks
Mick


RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - brotherblonde - 22-02-2011

Mick, if you want to buy one here, and save time, RChobbies in Leichardt have them.

Also, Acme Solutions at 6/10 Victoria Ave Castle Hill have them. They also a sell a 5 in 1 Simulator disc for $40..Real Flight, Phoenix, & others that I don't remember.

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - Omarko - 22-02-2011

(22-02-2011, 10:41 AM)Kedumba Wrote:  Hi,
Any chance of a link to the Hobbyking USB Dongle. I had a quick look but couldn't find it. I think I'd definatly be interested in somethinglike that.
Thanks
Mick

this is it :
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=14304

works perfectly with my DX6i but its on backorder Frown

(22-02-2011, 10:46 AM)brotherblonde Wrote:  Also, Acme Solutions at 6/10 Victoria Ave Castle Hill have them. They also a sell a 5 in 1 Simulator disc for $40..Real Flight, Phoenix, & others that I don't remember.

I assume the 5 in 1 is the same as the disc that comes with the HK dongle which has 5 sims on it too.



RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - Kedumba - 08-03-2011

Does anyone know if these USB dongles reconise more than 4 channels? I have one but it will only reconise 4 channels on my DX7, which means I am unable to take advantage of the addition functions like gear or flaps.

Mick


RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - kizza42 - 09-03-2011

Dongle with >4 CH:
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/usb-2-0-almighty-flight-simulator-dongle-51480

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - paulj - 09-03-2011

If everyone wants to wait, I have ordered 1 of these dongles today.
If it works ok I will have Phoenix V3 for $22.
may be a week or so before the dongle arrives.

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - Kedumba - 09-03-2011

(09-03-2011, 06:17 PM)paulj Wrote:  If everyone wants to wait, I have ordered 1 of these dongles today.
If it works ok I will have Phoenix V3 for $22.
may be a week or so before the dongle arrives.

Too late, I've placed an order for one too. If I'd known you were going to place one as well, we could have teamed up and got them in the same order. I think we save a couple of $$'s for orders of 3 or more.
Mick

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - paulj - 09-03-2011

Never mind Mick it's still a pretty cheap way of getting
a $179 simulator(Ultimate Hobbies) or $149 + Postage (ModelFlight).
Let's hope it works ok.
I've already installed the sim software and updated it to latest version and it looks
great.
Just a quick question if I may Mick.
Do you need a camera that takes panoramic photos
or will a series of normal sized photos do to make up the flying site?
Just interested on how it's done Smile

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - Drew - 09-03-2011

Mick,
I've played with RC Deks Pilot also. I'd probably rate:
1. RC Desk Pilot
2. Clearview
3. FMS
for performance and "real" flyability, but the inverse for availability of models!

I strongly suspect, they are all very weak when held against Phoenix though.

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - Kedumba - 09-03-2011

(09-03-2011, 08:52 PM)paulj Wrote:  Just a quick question if I may Mick.
Do you need a camera that takes panoramic photos
or will a series of normal sized photos do to make up the flying site?
Just interested on how it's done Smile

I used a normal digital camera to take the panorama of the field. The way that I did it was to first cobble together a pano mount for my camera from bits of old wood and other leftover bits I had in the shed (see pic below of what it looks like)

The mount is kinda like a very poor mans tripod. What it does it let the camera tilt up and down around the lens which is what is needed for a panorama. This frame is mounted on top of an old broom handle which acts as a rotating pivot. The broom handle is off center as it has to allow the rig to rotate around the camera lens. This gives me both up and down, left and right movement centered aound the lens of the camera.

Next step is to decide where to take the panorama from and place the broomstick on the ground. Next, tilt the camera up so it's aimed at the sky and take a pic. Tilt it down slightly and take another pic, tilt down a bit more and take a pic. Keep going until the camera is pointed at the ground, then rotate the camera a few degrees to the right (or left depending) and start the whole process again.

Keep going until you have rotated a full 360 degrees. For me it took 104 pictures to complete the full panorama.

Once that is complete, upload all pics to the PC and start playing with any number of free or commercially available software that allows you to stitch photos together and with luck it will spit out a panorama that covers 180 degress vertically and 360 degrees horizontally. As mentioned somewhere else, when I took the pics, it was a cloudless blue sky and I have a number of photos that were plain featureless blue and I had a lot of trouble getting my software to stitch them togther it so I had to fudge it a bit and I ended up with a sky that I'm not happy with. I may have to end up photoshopping something for it yet to clean it up, or maybe even retake the pano on a day with some clouds about to get some features in the sky.

Having said all of that, it would of course be a heck of a lot simpler to have a camera with a pano lens that allows you to take a 360 pano photo in one shot, however that kind of thing is far beyond my budget!!!


RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - kizza42 - 09-03-2011

Need one of these Wink
http://www.gigapansystems.com/

I did find a guy one in Sydney a while back but he was having a baby at the time, I tried contacting him since but no luck...

--Edit--
Have just had a look and found someone else, sent him an email...

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - paulj - 10-03-2011

Thanks Mick,
Sounds like you have done a great job with limited
equipment.
Looking forward to seeing the finished article.

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - Lindamus - 10-03-2011

Well,

I for one am super peachy keen to get my hands on that pano for use in pheonix. Good luck with the stitching and I hope you are willing to share.


RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - Vince_b - 18-05-2013

(21-02-2011, 12:17 AM)smuzz Wrote:  A couple of months ago, Owen was talking to Gazz about flight simulators - Owen learned to fly pretty well using FMS (http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html) but for an industrial-strength simulator, Gazz recommended Phoenix RC.

Having purchased a copy of Phoenix RC a month or so ago, I can only reinforce everything positive thing Gary described about it. I got a copy from a local supplier, Brooknet (http://www.brooknet.net.au/Phxshp.html) and it arrived within a couple of days. Been really enjoying using it - time will tell whether it makes a difference to the skills levels, but it works seamlessly with Spektrum transmitter gear and is great fun.

Hi Stephen

It's Vince met you today 18-5-2013 your email bounced. And I can't seem to pm you. I'm vince_b on the web page not sure if this will notify you but if not ill catch you on the field soon

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - smuzz - 18-05-2013

Hi Vince - yes, I'm not sure what happened with the email message ... and I've PM'ed you, but you don't seemed to have received it? (perhaps it's an member-only function).

No worries though, the stuff I was going to send you isn't that urgent ... well, not until the nose retract trunnion has its axles sheared off anyway. When I'm heading over to the field next, I'll pack the sample retract unit I used into my bag full of crap and I'll show you precisely what I was talking about. I'm off to PEMAC tomorrow though, so perhaps next week.

All the best,
Steve

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - kizza42 - 19-05-2013

Sorry guys, PM's are for Club members only

RE: Phoenix RC Flight Simulator - smuzz - 19-05-2013

That's fine mate - no worries!