PREFLIGHT INTRODUCTION
Congratulations!! You've completed ground school. Time for some preflight training.
Your heli is now ready to take to the air, but are you?
Remember that patience is key to success in flying RC helicopters, and knowing how to fly it before even flying the real thing is extremely important. Many real life pilots of planes and choppers will more often than not have knowledge of the plane or helicopter controls even before they sit inside the cockpit for their first formal lesson.
Flying RC is no different.
To begin, remember that RC Helicopters are controlled using 5 channels and planes can be controled with only 3 (some even only 2 by using engine speed to climb/descend, and rudder for turning). A heli require all 5 channels, and you must be proficient in co-ordinating your fingers for all the channels on your very first flight lesson - Hovering.
Luckily in today's hi-tech computer world, there are many PC based RC simulators that you can keep practicing on until your finger co-ordination is ready to take the real transmitter.I have personally used the following:
CSM/NHP Simulator I owe all my training and experience to the CSM Simulator. Although the graphics is somewhat antique looking compared to texture rich graphics games of today, the CSM Simulator does boast of accurate physics, which I can confirm.
The package comes with a CD for the software (you can download here), and a cable that connects your PC's printer port to your transmitter. You need to state the type of transmitter cord you require. This software won't work without the hardware interface. 
RealFlight G3/G4
Realflight G3 is perhaps the Roll-Royce of RC Simulators. At a price tag of US$299, it has super rich graphics with very sophisticated textures and photo-fields. Smoke exhaust is beautifully rendered and comes with it's own transmitter.
With a buddy cord, you can connect up your own transmitter and two person can fly different aircrafts at the same time.
FMS Simulator - Freeware
FMS is a free simulator that you can download and play on your PC immediately. Unfortunately, you would have to connect up your own transmitter to your PC on your own. Instructions on how to do so are scattered around the Internet, so if you're an electronic whizz, that shouldn't be much of a problem.
I've tested the FMS using the RealFlight Transmitter, and it works.
Graphics on the FMS is average, but the flight physics leaves much to be desired. It will behave according to your stick inputs, ie: Stick Up, and the heli will rise. Forward cyclic and the heli will move forward. However, the feeling just doesn't come close to the fluidity of real-life physics that the CSM or RealFlight simulator will give you.
To be this is more of a game than a training aid, and I wouldn't recommend any beginner using this as a means of learning how to fly a real RC heli.
You can download the FMS Simulator here.
Reflex XTR
Shown here is Reflex XTR. I've not personally tried this simulator, so I can't comment on it. But by the looks of the graphics, it looks great.
Lastly, practice all the flying exercises mentioned here on a Simulator like RealFlight G3 first before going out to the field. In fact, I will go as far to say, master each of the exercises on the simulator first. This will greatly prepare your fingers and reflexes on the field. It's a $299 investment that will save you $500 in repairs. |
