Questions on RC 7 Settings/controls

1st Official Post

    Hi-recently downloaded Aerofly RC 7 for Mac basic version, though plan to upgrade. Runs on my newer Macbook Pro Retina with 8 gb RAM. Overall, super simulator and really seeing improvement and learning feel as just started in RC last spring and have solo flights now.

    Couple questions -- under Settings, Simulation tab what does speed mean and effect. Nothing in manual, though does change flight characteristics to flyable to not flyable. How does one determine proper setting for various planes so they are realistic?

    Also, confused by manual in mentioning contols (rudder,ailerons,elevator, expo, etc) are set in advanced contoller settings but can use transmitter programmed settings. Transmitter settings do not appear to have any affect nor do trim slides. What am I missing or confused about?

    Do not see height option under simulation as shown in manual. Would really help on approaches etc. Only in upgrades?

    Probably have more down the road and appreciate any guidance.

    Steve

    • Official Post

    Hello Steve,

    The speed controlles how fast the simulation time runs. It can fast forward or slow down the simulation.
    If you decrease the speed you might be able to learn a certain maneuver and then speed up the time until you can do it in "real time"
    And if want to get from A to B faster you increase the speed.

    The speed does not affect the flight behaviour than thus does not make an aircraft more or less realisic.

    Most simulation cables for transmitters directly output the stick inputs and ignore their own inbuild mixers, digital trim settings for the aircraft and functions like expo. If you want to fly with expo then its possible to set that in the advanced settings of the aerofly rc 7.

    If the trim of your transmitter does nothing then its the "fault" of its hardware or software.
    The aerofly simulator can only work with the input it receives at the computer side of the cable. If the trim is never send through the cable then you cannot trim the aircaft with your input device.

    I hope that helped you a little!

    Regards,
    Jan

    Thanks Jan, helps a lot. Still confused though on sim speed -- what is realistic? 1, -.8, 1.5? At 1.3 with a Trainer model, plane was hard to slow down, and when cutting power to land seemed to stall at whatever speeds. Just would not settle on final approach as my Sensei or 182 does at the field. At 1.0 flys like my Sensei, descends nicely and settles properly at touchdown using a little elevator to flare which is close to the model in size, weight, etc. So wondering if 1.0 is the realistic level and the higher speeds are for 3d and acrobatic planes?

    Understand sim speed but even with low wings I see same changes in flying behavior. So, wondering if each model has an optimum, "realistic" speed?

    Thanks again,

    Steve

    • Official Post

    Well 1.0 is the only setting that simulates at the same speed as in real life. For all aircraft! 1.0 is the only setting that is realistic.
    Using anything but 1.0 is just for training purposes when you cannot keep up with the real speed of things happening.

    If you set it to 2.0 for example 1 second in front of your computer is 2 seconds in sim time. Everything is then happening twice as fast as it would in the real world.

    Higher figures are just there to save you as a person in front of the screen some time when you fly straight and level and don't want to wait hours to get to your destination.

    Cheers,
    Jan

    That's kind of what I thought. I generally run at 1.0 and will continue as I am still a novice and need to get solid on my landings. Now am adding wind typical of our field for practice. We winter in southern GA, so hope to fly a bit and be ready when return to NE Wisconsin in spring.

    Thanks so much for your help. Glad this forum is in place. Plan to upgrade so can practice on other models similar to what I have and am converting to electric.

    Steve

    Quote

    Still confused though on sim speed -- what is realistic? 1, -.8, 1.5?


    My experience is that this value depends also a lot on the processor speed of your PC.
    As I changed from a rather simple PC to a more sophisticated one I had to reduce this value remarkably.
    This to maintain a realistic flying speed especially for gliders.
    Without they flow rather like jets or bumble bees.
    Now I ended up with a value of 0.7 for RC 7. And they fly still "fast enough".
    Kind regards
    Jürgen

    • Official Post

    I cannot say it enough: 1.0 is the only realistic value!

    As long as you have more than 25 FPS the simulation will use the real time independent from your cpu frequency. Even with a weak laptop you can have the same simulated time even though your frames per second are worse.

    --> the simulation should not get quicker with the speed of your CPU... With my i5 at 3.8 Ghz I still use 1.0 as a simulation speed as I do with my 7 year old laptop. To me they feel the same and I have logged litterally thousands of hours with the aerofly.

    From a programing point of view: leave the speed at 1.0 and rather modify the aircraft. The computer does its calculations than waits couple of milliseconds (unless its to weak to maintain the 25 FPS mark), then calculates again. It measures the time it needs for a calculation and then uses this value to adjust the simulated time to fit the real time. That makes sure that the aircraft flies at the same speed independently from the processors frequency or the current work load.

    If it would be the other way around a computer with a 2 GHz would simulate hald the speed of a 4 GHz one. But this is not the case...
    The only thing that is affected by the cpu's frequency it the accuracy of the simulation. The smaller the simulation steps the more realistic the simulation can get.

    Warning!

    If you increase the simulation speed not only do all velocities now no longer fit the real ones but you also vary the effects of the gravitational force. If you slow down to 0.2 then your aircraft floats much longer (in regards to the time you feel), if its at 2.0 or higher the gravity is twice as strong as it would be on earth because the aircraft in the virtual world now dropps twice as much distance in the same (real) time.

    You can notice that effect in a glider if you fly a certain speed, pull up vertically and take the time it takes to reach the peak with no velocity left. This time is a constant value in reality that is independent of the aircrafts weight and when you then set a lower speed you are basically modifying the natural constances of the sim. Which absolutly destroys any training effect! So especially as a newbie: leave it at 1.0 as long as possible.
    Only if you are trying new things where your fingers are just not fast enough or you cannot destinguish between up and down in a fast roll, then its ok to slow the simulation down and try to learn the inputs at slow motion. Then step by step you'd increase the speed, speed up your muscles until you reach 1.0. Then you can pull of that trick you are trying to learn in the real world aswell.

    Cheers,
    Jan

    OK, but how do I reduce the flying speed only by mean of the editor?
    And what else is the purpose or intention of "Simulationsgeschwindigkeit" / "simulation speed" ?
    All I achieve by editor is a worse sinking speed or dynamic in or after a loop.
    So what to do if gliders (all!) flies like a jet in normal flight?
    Many thanks advanced
    Jürgen
    epilogue: I spent hundreds of hours in model flying, mainly gliders of all kinds, but less with simulators.
    So probably my feeling for "flying speed" in a simulator differs ? :confused:
    And I never notice "FPS". They do never appear in red.

    • Official Post

    Hi Jürgen,

    the airspeed is a function of the aircrafts weight and lift.

    a)
    You could either select a different weight of the aircraft with the slider that the aerofly rc 7 provides, double check the actual simulated weight within the editor of the rc 7. The total weight there is the one that is simulated, for some aircraft that weight is not the same as set with the slider!

    b)
    Or you increase the lift of the aircraft. This can be done by increasing the lift at Alpha / angle of attack = 0°. This value is set in the airfoil root and airfoil tip with the attribute "Cl0" (coefficient lift alpha = 0°). Realistically you can go up to 0.5 which dramatically increases the lift compared to before. This is the same effect as increasing the chamber of a real airfoil. Adjust the Cm0 (coefficient momentum alpha = 0°) so that the aircraft is trimmed again as desired.

    If you switch to "expert" edit level you can also increase the CmAlpha (1/°) value. This decreases the amount of elevator needed to maintain a certain attitude but also destabilizes the aircraft and thus making it more efficient in turns etc.

    You could also increase the AttachedRange so that the airfoil produces more lift before starting to stall. That requires a higher angle of attack than before though which might look odd.

    Cheers,
    Jan