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RV-8 / 8A model for x-plane flight simulator

I got it a few days ago. Been fun. Wish I could figure out altitude control for the autopilot.
 
ground handling?

How is the ground handling? I tried xplane and the ground handling was comical. Perhaps it was just the plane that I was testing.
 
Wow little close on that spin recovery don't you think? :D

Real nice. Makes me want to upgrade my computer just so I can run the new Xplane version!
 
...Seeing this post on the RV-8 spurred me on to trying the free X-Plane demo to see how it would work on my new iMac. ...

Not a gamer here either but I just switched from a Macbook Pro laptop to an iMac. From About This Mac :

iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)
Version 10.14.3 Mojave
Processor 3.4 GHz Intel Core i5
Ram 8 GB 2400 MHz DDR4
Graphics Radeon Pro 560 4096 MB

Do you think a sim will work on it?
 
Thanks, I'll test it.

OWC has a RAM upgrade for the 21" and after seeing the video seems pretty easy to do. I've bought their upgrades for my Macs in the past.
 
Yep, that's why I picked this year specifically. You're correct, other years you can't upgrade them.
 
ground handling

Hi Carl, how does it feel on the ground? Is the handling similar to the real thing? Thanks.
 
Hi Carl, how does it feel on the ground? Is the handling similar to the real thing? Thanks.


I find all flight sims/games handle terriable on the ground. At one point I had a full yoke, throttle quad and pedals and still had issues taxing and taking off/landing tail wheel planes. I found it especially bad in XP11.

I now use a spaceship joystick and hotas throttle. It?s a bit easier to twist the stick for rudder but still isn?t what I would consider realistic.

I actually am specing out a new computer so I can get a VR headset. Last time I had one was an Oculus Rift dev kit and between the poor resolution, low refresh rate and probably minimum spec computer I would get sick playing these games... and I don?t get motion sickness.

I hope a new computer and second generation vr headset will fix the nausea issue. Realistic or not it?s reaaly cool to fake fly with a VR headset.... it?s also cool to fight Darth Vader with a light saber.....
 
It?s a bit easier to twist the stick for rudder but still isn?t what I would consider realistic.

Justin - No rudder pedals?

Due to this post, I bought x-Plane, a Thrustmaster (I know) Hotas stick and throttle, and Logitech rudder pedals.

I took off in a C-172, and it felt about right. I then tried a Stinson, and couldn't do very well. I've never flown one in real life, but that seemed about right since I don't have my tailwheel endorsement yet. I then tried the RV-8, and after a few tries, I'm doing decent. I learned to not hold the rudder, and over correct.

I can pretty much nail it when I have the "Chase Plane" view. From inside the cockpit, I still need to work on skills. Too bad you can't fly from the rear seat.

If it even shortens my lessons by one session, the hardware and software will have paid for themselves.

I'm still building my 8, so I am very curious what anyone with a flying 8 thinks of the accuracy of the sim, if they have real controls, including rudder pedals. Mostly, I am curious about the accuracy in takeoff and landings.
 
I quit using the yoke, throttle quad and pedals mainly out of laziness. It was too much of a process to set up to play. I mainly use the game as a procedural trainer now so about 99% of the time I?m on autopilot. I fly the velocity twin which has some Dynon panels and a 650/750. Not too different from my current avionics.

However that said once I get a new machine and a vr headset I?m sure I?ll break out the pedals. Maybe I?ll dig out my old flight suit and put that on as well.
 
I then tried a Stinson, and couldn't do very well.

That Stinson in XP11 is impossible! Actually, it?s almost impossible. I watched a video on how to fly it and there?s like 5 steps to taking off. Still can?t land the thing consistently! There?s a free Glasair TD floating around that?s even worse. Can?t even taxi the thing without looping.

The new -8 is far more flyable. I?ve got the rudder pedals and they need some adjustment because it seems like with 1/4? of pedal movement I can go full deflection. Absolutely hate that stick full deflection also activates the parking brake but I believe that is able to be remedied by tweaking the code. Other than that, it?s pretty close to the real thing except for landings. The sim doesn?t bounce like I do!!!
 
I just got 1.3.1.

What happened!?

I've never flown an RV... I've flown a lot of Super cubs in real life... this is insane.

I hit realworld weather... 8kts crosswind

Completely untaxiable... once she's in the air no big deal.
 
ground handling

...

Completely untaxiable... once she's in the air no big deal.
I've tried several x-plane models and this is also my experience. I built a VR sim to practice tailwheel skills, and found that DCS has fairly realistic ground handling. Not clear to me if the ground handling issues in x-plane are in x-plane core code, or in the models. I suspect the former.
 
This model has (at least it was that way in v1.2) the automatic lock of the tailwheel activated: if the stick is pulled back the tailwheel is locked, if it's forward it's free castoring. Makes a big difference.
 
I use X-Plane 11 (also used to use version 10) with a 3 monitor setup along with the Logitech yoke, pedals, radio stack, and throttle quadrants. Running on a Linux machine with a Nvidia gtx1070 card, it is plenty smooth and has a great frame rate. Increasing the RAM from 8 GB to 32 last year had a good effect on the sim rate, and even with a 5 year old CPU it works great.

The throttle quadrants (I have two for simulating twins) are a bit touchy and it is tough to set a consistent power setting. I am going to have to see if I can mess with dead zones or if there is some damping setting I am missing.

Overall, I am pleased with the setup. I have had the yoke, pedals, etc. for about 10 years now and they still work fine.

I have a couple of older RV-10 models that were made years ago for older versions of x-plane and they definitely need updating but are decent enough. It would be great to have a professionally made RV-10 model available.

The only thing about X-plane is while they do graphics and visuals very well, the flight models are entirely up to the airplane plugin developer. I was surprised to find that the one Piper Cherokee model I got required significant LEFT rudder on takeoff! Other models suffer from stability problems in pitch but that may also be partly a controls issue.

If you are using a sim for IFR training or currency, I recommend PilotEdge (www.pilotedge.net) which connects you to a real time virtual ATC network (that covers most of the western USA.
 
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