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Next to the rate gyro, computer simulation is probably one of the most helpful items introduced to help beginners learn how to fly. A friend of mine, a beginner, who could not hover his R/C helicopter, began practicing on a flight simulator, after only 5 hours he was then able to hover successfully. Flight simulators are also useful for experimenting with aerobatic routines that are risky to try on a real R/C model. Simulators condition the hand-eye coordination and build-up reflex. The new Tru-Flite simulator even allows you to use your own transmitter, the one that you use to control your real R/C heli, to fly the computer simulated one.
The programmed-in helicopter dynamics are fairly realistic. The Tru-Flite simulator simulates hover and slow forward flight more realistically than other flight regimes. However, like other simulators, the model tends to be unstable in high speed flight. This anomaly does not exist on R/C helicopters. In high speed flight, the nonlinear equations become computation intensive and difficult to solve even for the sophisticated programs used by full-scale helicopter manufacturers. Therefore, to make the equations solvable in real time on a PC, the equations must be simplified, or "linearized". By doing so, some of the highly nonlinear characteristics in forward flight will be lost. The effect of simplified equation is not noticeable in hover and slow flight because the dynamics are not as nonlinear. Consider the amount of manpower put into writing software, and how realistic the Tru-Flite simulator can capture the fundamental behaviors of an R/C helicopter, this model helicopter simulator sells for less than $200. In comparison, at Sikorsky Aircraft, flight simulators for full-size helicopters cost millions of dollars.
REQUIREMENTS
The Tru-Flite software requires an IBM compatible PC with a processor of 386 or greater, a color VGA graphic card, and a 3.5" floppy drive. The entire program comes on a single 3.5" floppy disk. The simulator kit also includes a cable that connects your transmitter to the 25-pin port or the 8-pin mouse port. The other end of the cable plugs into the trainer jack of your transmitter. It comes with a jack for JR transmitters. Century also sells adapters for Futaba or Airtronics radios. The Futaba 9 channel has a different trainer plug than their 7 and 8 channel radios, therefore, specify the transmitter when ordering. The special cable has a build-in non-duplicable hardware inside, hence, you can not just copy the program from your friend and make your own cable.
The Tru-Flite simulator is extremely realistic for practicing stationary aerobatics, such as hovering rolls, backward flips, forward tumbles, and switchless inverted flight. With the computer simulator I become fearless. So what if it crashes, just press replay and it's ready to go again; I love it! For people who already know how to fly, but are eager to try hot dogging, the computer simulator can prove to be a bargain.
The simulator comes with more than a dozen helicopter models pre-programmed in. You can start flying it as soon as you load the 3.5" floppy onto the PC. The pre-programmed models include X-Cell 60, Shuttle, Ninja, etc... You can also customize your own model by changing helicopter size, weight, horsepower, rotor dimension and many other parameters. By fine tuning the model parameters, you can make it fly very similarly to your favorite R/C model, or you can create an awesomely unrealistic hot dogging machine. Also, there are a dozen different build-in landscapes. For example, you can choose a model club field with a paved runway. Then, select the orientation that you want to view the runway. To make it exciting, there are a few trees around the runway. The model crashes when it hits a tree. To make it more challenging, you can crank up some simulated wind or try turning off the rate gyro. All these variables are easily changed by a window-driven menu. Just move the pointer and click on the parameter to be changed.
Tru-Flite comes in two versions. One comes with a simple dual-stick plastic transmitter ($229). The new version ($199) requires you to use your own helicopter transmitter. The benefit of the new system is - whatever pitch curves, throttle curves, exponential, dual rate, and programmable mix features that you have programmed for your favorite R/C helicopter will apply to the computer simulated model, too. Your transmitter must have a trainer cord capability; most transmitters produced in the last ten years have this feature. When you turn on the simulator, there will be a menu of many popular heli transmitters on the market. You simply click on the particular transmitter that you have. For example, if you have a JR 622, then just click on the JR 622, and you are ready to fly!
To facilitate the beginner, there is a special beginner model which is very stable and easy to fly. This feature is great for letting friends and family members try to fly an R/C helicopter. I have always wanted to try flying with a single stick radio. The computer simulator gives me the perfect opportunity. The beginner model allows me to get the feel without crashing and hitting restart frequently. There is also a night flying mode. The screen shows the dark sky and you get the sensation of flying at night. On a real R/C model, night flying is done by adding light bulbs or LEDs inside the blade tip, and adding light sticks on the skids. Tru-Flite simulates it by displaying a luminance color ring for the main rotor and a few spots of light on the fuselage. The effect is not bad at all.
Once tuned say to the parameters of an X-Cell 60, the feeling of flying the simulator is somewhat like flying the real machine. Idle-up 1, idle-2, throttle hold pitch curves, throttle curves, and programmable mixes that I have carefully set-up over the years for my X-Cell 60 are all reflected on the computer simulator model. Aerobatic hot dogging with idle-up on is very realistic. But like all computer simulators, doing autorotations with the throttle hold is not as real. This is because some important cues just aren't as real. When performing autorotations, the sound from the rotor serves as a big clue to the rotorspeed. It is more difficult to observe the fore/aft attitude change on the tiny screen. I believe over the next few years, computer simulators will only get better and better.
In conclusion, as an added bonus, the Tru-Flite software includes R/C airplane simulations. Again, it has a pre-programmed list of over a dozen of the most popular R/C airplanes on the market. The list includes trainers, pattern planes, acrobatic biplanes, etc. Just click on an airplane, and you are ready to go. Take offs are easy, but coming back for a landing on the runway is challenging and fun. After all we all need a break from model helicopters sometime, right!
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