Y
ou have to look at the sport of fly-
ing radio-controlled aircraft like you
would gambling: If you can’t afford to
lose (crash), you can’t afford to play (fly).
A basic almost-ready-to-fly trainer air-
craft (.40 gas motor, four-channel radio)
will set you back nearly $500 after you pick
up everything needed to get in the air and
maintain the airplane. If money’s tight, the
mere act of taking off for the first time can
put you in a panic!
RealFlight G3 is an RC simulator that can
give you the edge you need to make that first
flight a success, and keep you from commit-
ting basic mistakes that could put your bird
in the shop—permanently. Take it from those
who have crashed and burned!
With a robust hangar of 30 aircraft and
nine helicopters of the electric-, gas-, and
wind-powered varieties, you won’t get bored
for a while, either. The mix includes trainer
aircraft, high-performance aerobatics master-
pieces, and everything in between. Training
modes step you through basic maneuvers,
and your skills will also benefit from a variety
of optional onscreen visual aids—such as a
radio that mimics your control inputs, and
unlimited viewpoint windows to help you bet-
ter gauge runway approaches and obstacles.
(Each one you open puts a big hit on your
frame rate, however.)
The sim ships with a USB controller that
mimics an actual Futaba 4-to-10 channel
transmitter. The controller includes inputs
and patch cords to connect the transmitter
from your own RC kit, if you prefer to use that
instead, or you can connect with a second
transmitter to fly split-screen with a friend.
The game allows online play for up to eight
people, but Great Planes does not provide a
match-making service.
Also included are 17 airfields replicating
some 5,000 square miles of terrain mod-
eled from satellite and digital elevation data.
Locations range from open training fields to
the tight confines of a soccer field—complete
with the dreaded light posts! Each locale is
best suited to a particular type of aircraft, and
together the fields represent a generous sta-
ble of options. Still, you can use the included
tools to tweak just about anything on the
fields, and the aircraft themselves, which is
a big selling point for RC gear-heads. Want
to see how that PT Trainer will fly with a four-
bladed prop? No problem!
The 3D aircraft models are gorgeous,
with moving control surfaces and articulating
gear. They crash really well, too, thanks to the
addition of an enhanced collision-detection
engine. Brush a tree branch with your plane
and you’ll know it—you’ll hit the ground hard
and your craft will break into pieces. (Take
comfort in knowing that all you need to do
is hit the reset button on the transmitter to
put it back together.)
The engine is far from
perfect, though, as we
often hit objects with
no discernible damage
penalties, and terrain
effects are not mod-
eled—taxiing on grass
feels the same as a
smooth runway.
While the aircraft
look fantastic, the
rest of the sim looks
average at best—and
some background
objects are fugly tosay the least. RealFlight has a long way to
go before it will be confused with a high-end
PC flight sim. We also experienced some
nasty crashes when switching back and forth
between different views in-game.
At $200 RealFlight G3 is not cheap—and
you don’t even get a printed manual! If you’re
at all serious about the sport, however, it’s
worth the price of admission.
—STEVE KLETTRealFlight G3
All the RC fun—without expensive crashes!
Takeoffs are easy—it’s the landings that get ya!The basic act of making a helicopter hover is an art in and of
itself: Crashing early and often is par for the course. $200, http://www.realflight.com, ESRB: NRrealflight g3high-SpEEd paSS
Lots of aircraft/fields to
try; highly configurable;
included controller.
CraSh and burn^7
Expensive; background
graphics need work; no
manual; unstable.december 2006 MAXIMUMPC 97
The included controller looks, feels, and
performs like a real-world 4-to-10 chan-
nel transmitter.