After Hours -Microsoft Flight Simulator Five

Realism is the name of the game for this upgraded version of the classic Microsoft Flight Simulator. After initially setting the standard for flight simulators, strong competition has prompted Microsoft to regularly update their flight simulator to keep pace. Version 5 reviewed here is the latest, and I must say, the greatest, from this software giant.

Many who already have version 4 will ask – “Is it worth the money to get the latest version?” My judgement is: definitely. The entire programme has been reworked to take advantage of the latest developments in computer hardware, although you do need a 386 processor or better. A fully optioned ‘486 is highly recommended. Many new facilities have been added, and many functions have been refined to make flying, to quote Microsoft, “as real as it gets. ” The first impression is that the graphics quality has been vastly improved. There is now a myriad of options for graphics presentation to make the aircraft and the surrounding scenery look as real as possible. However, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and after you have impressed all your friends with the graphics, you will need to turn most of the “prettys” off to regain a reasonable frame rate to be able to fly the aircraft smoothly and accurately. The alternative is to purchase a new computer with a pentium processor – at a cost of several thousand dollars.

Setting the graphics detail versus speed issue aside, each of the mathematical flight models has been substantially improved. Little touches like the nodding of the nose as brakes are applied are signs of attention to detail. In version 4, flying the Learjet was a knife edge experience and you had to watch the ASI like a hawk or the speed would decay to a stall or run away and overstress the gear. In reality, any aircraft with those characteristics would never have been declared airworthy by any responsible aviation authority. Now the Learjet flies properly. While its high speed can be a handful, it can be operated competently with normal attention to the flight controls.

Four aircraft are provided with the simulation: a Cessna Skylane RG, a Learjet 35A, a Schweizer 2-32 sailplane and a venerable Sopwith Camel. Each aircraft is representative of its genre, and is fun and stimulating to fly. Your ability to change from one aircraft to another in mid-flight can be useful. Launch from Meigs in the Learjet, climb to 15,000 feet over Chicago in a couple of minutes, then change to the Schweizer for loops and rolls over the city. With a skilled approach, you can glide back to Meigs, but if you make a mistake, switch to the Cessna, turn on the engine and make a standard approach.

The Learjet has some special features that are interesting. The cockpit is “glass” in that the presentation of the instruments, maps etc are largely depicted as electronic screens. In a way, it is rather whimsical to have a glass cockpit modelled on a glass screen. The simulation introduces the capability to control the individual engines, which allows you to practice single engine operations. What a contrast from the simple, but convincingly modelled Sopwith Camel! To increase the international appeal, international airports and scenery have been provided for a number locations, including France and Germany. The documentation leads you though a very interesting and scenic flight start- ing at Munich airport, over the Alps at 12,500 feet, then a landing at Innsbruck in Austria. You can see snow if you select “winter” as the season.

Version 5 introduces a spherical earth. All previous versions used a “flat earth” model which made it difficult to patch in local scenery in places like Australia. The new coordinate system will make the various add on products work more accurately. I have had advice from the Australian authors RHOV that their version 4 products will work with version 5, and they are working on upgrades to take full advantage of the new features.

Landing is the biggest difficulty non-pilots have when using a flight simulator for the first time. This version has a “land me” mode, so I put the Cessna on a perfect 1000 foot high downwind, and handed over. “You have control,” I said, and sat back and watched. The programme gave me a constant patter about what it was doing and made all the right moves, except it grossly over controlled. By short, it was swinging the aircraft wildly back and forth across the centreline. We arrived, crashed, and then the programme showed an external view of the damage. “Man,” I thought, “is smarter than machine. ” Pride comes before a fall, as I shall explain later.

The huge following that Microsoft Flight Simulator has generated has attracted a number of “add-in” products. Look for special scenery, flight planning aids, additional aircraft and special mission disks over the next few months. Microsoft produce an aircraft and scenery designer and I have a copy for version 4. I used this to create a model of my Q-200 homebuilt that is nearing completion, and managed to accurately create the low drag, canard handling characteristics of the aircraft. This model will be used to get practice on type before the real test flights.

There is one small “boo boo” in the product. The photograph on the outer packaging and on the cover of the flight manual shows an exciting approach into a mountain airport. The approach is going to be an especially memorable one, as the engine is off, airspeed is zero and the flight instruments are not working! Perhaps the cockpit was photographed on the ground. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of this faked shot and the overprint exhortation “As Real as It Gets”! Does somebody in Microsoft have a warped sense of humour, or was it just a mistake? Now for the scores.

The total score, while not being stupendous, is very solid for this type of simulator. The prime use of this programme should be to introduce newcomers to the art of flight, and the programme definitely has the quality and capability to form an adjunct to actual flying training. If you are struggling to maintain currency because of the high cost of flying, this product is for you. And if you just enjoy the challenge of aviating in different types of aircraft, this programme is tops.

Thanks to Macro Communications for the review copy.

CH FlightStick Pro flight simulations are to yield their full potential. CH produced an excellent joystick a couple of years ago, but competition has forced them to upgrade to a more capable product.

The “Pro” version has a coolie hat, two additional control buttons giving four in all, and an analog throttle. The stick is made to exceptionally high standards – using it feels like using a aircraft joystick. All the controls are silky smooth and the buttons and coolie hat have positive action microswitches that feel rock solid. CH claim a life in excess of 10 million operations for the microswitches. At that rate several people would get RSI before the stick wore out.

Installing the stick is easy- you simply plug it into a standard games port. I purchased this one from PC Aviator and they routinely supply an additional disc containing the driver for Microsoft Flight Simulator version 5. Again, installing the driver is simple, but you must do it each time you change the preferences.

With CH Flightstick Pro, you can fly a circuit completely “hands off” the keyboard. Throttle, elevator and aileron with coupled rudder allow fine control on the ground and in the air. Advancing the throttle, I took off and retracted the gear with the right button, then played with the flaps with the left and bottom buttons. The coolie hat switches the view forward, left, right and back in a natural sequence.

Middownwind, I reduced power, put down one notch of flap, and used the coolie hat to look at the runway to judge the base turn point. Another notch of flap on base and a small power adjustment to maintain 75 knots (140km/h) on final. “Boy, have I got this pinned,” I thought, revelling in the smooth control from the CH stick. On very short finals with the speed decaying below 65 knots (120km/h), I put down full flap and cut the power.

“Now for a smooth flare,” I thought, waiting for the chirp of the tyres. I was congratulating myself on the fine control I was using when I got that sinking feeling, followed very shortly by a grinding sound. “You forgot to lower your gear!” said the programme in blaring red, and switched to an external view to show the mashed propeller and scraped belly.

So is man smarter than machine after all? That is the first time I have ever landed “gear up” in a simulation or in real life. With considerable I resolved to reinstitute normal base and finals checks.

Of course, it was the fault of the CH stick all along. The joystick is so smooth to use and gives such fine control, I was experiencing the joy of flying rather than concentrating on the discipline of the approach. Is there any better recom- Having high quality flight controls is essential if modern for a joystick?