Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/05
Page Numbers: 70,71

70 MODEL AVIATION
KNIFE EDGE SOFTWARE is the
company behind the hugely popular
RealFlight line of RC flight simulators. I
interviewed Jim Bourke, Knife Edge
Software’s general manager, to learn about
his personal RC experiences and learn more
about the company.
Jim was involved in full-scale aviation at
an early age, because his father sold
full-scale airplanes. Jim flew
everywhere his father went, and the
experience became as common as
riding in the family car. Delivering
aircraft, stopping at out-of-the-way
places for the famed $100
hamburger, and attending air shows
gave Jim an early appreciation for
the recreational-aircraft way of life.
As a child, paper airplanes and
rubber-band-powered gliders were Jim’s main
focus. He created airfoiled wings for them
and then tried to improve on their designs.
His first RC flight was at age 16, piloting a
yellow Sig Kadet Senior with his art teacher.
These experiences led Jim to obtain his first
RC model—the popular Goldberg Gentle
Lady glider—and a job in a hobby shop.
Jim made the decision to serve his country
and spent four years in the US Air Force.
During that time, he worked in the Martin
Bomber Bay in Nebraska, where the Enola
Gay B-29 was built. His duty station tied in
with his childhood; it was where he saw the
Navy’s Blue Angels perform for the first time.
In 1995 Jim started on a quest to promote
electric flight in model aircraft, because he
thought it was destined to become the
dominant power system. A frequently-askedquestions
piece that he sent out via e-mail lists
soon grew into a Web page and then The E
Zone and RC Groups.
That year was also when Scott Kemp
founded Knife Edge Software. His original
vision was a CD-ROM encyclopedia about
RC models that included the process to build
an airplane and an RC simulator on the CD.
When Scott pitched the idea to Great
Planes, the company was most interested in
the RC simulator, and Knife Edge Software
was born. It was tasked with creating the first
3-D-capable RC flight simulator.
Jim got involved with Knife Edge as a
programmer, and in 2002 he was given the
opportunity to run the company during the
development of RealFlight G3. Although his
job as general manager entails many duties, he
shared with me one of the most important.
“My job is to make people comfortable
with RC, making it approachable,” he said.
To help him reach that goal, Jim has a
talented group of employees who know the
subject matter. Each is required to know how
to fly RC aircraft.
If you have ever tried a version of
RealFlight, you might wonder how
the models and flying sites are
chosen. Jim explained that the
aircraft are a mix between new
airplanes and those that are
commonly found at hobby stores.
The goal is to have a little of
everything.
The Knife Edge staff also likes
to throw in a couple off-the-wall
subjects, such as one of Jim’s
favorites: the Wolf Spyder. It is powered by
four engines on four pods that rotate 90°. The
flying sites, especially PhotoFields, are based
on places that the team visits or popular
locations, such as the E-Fest indoor arena.
Once the models are selected, it is
confirmed that they fly as closely as possible
on the screen to the real airplane they
represent. In earlier versions of RealFlight,
this required more work. Now the software
Knife Edge Software
“My job is to make people
comfor table with RC,
making it approachable.”
Knife Edge Software employees (back): Zach, Dusty, Jim Bourke, Ryan (front), Adam, Annette, Ted, Lisa, and Alek. Not shown
are Chris, Ed, and Neal.
05sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 2:35 PM Page 70
May 2010 71
can get the subjects extremely close, based on
the aircraft parameters. But Jim or his team
still tries to fly every model, to fine-tune it for
the most realistic experience possible.
Jim shared with me that Knife Edge
Software is driven by customer feedback. It’s
also under continual development, including
bug fixes—which are given the highest
priority—new features, and expansion packs.
The company even focuses on hardware
included with RealFlight. It upgraded the USB
transmitter to have digital trims and menu
buttons when G4 was released.
Jim also stressed that he and his staff are
constantly flying RealFlight for testing
purposes as well as to be a learning tool. This
was never more evident than in Jim’s brokenwing
incident with a real RC aircraft.
During the development of G3, the new
“break apart feature” was implemented. It
enabled models to have components such as
the rudder, landing gear, or wing broken off
and continue to fly, but the airplanes would
react differently depending on what was
missing.
Jim tested this program feature repeatedly,
by purposely breaking off a model’s wing and
then trying to successfully pilot the aircraft.
After roughly a week, he was comfortably piloting the airplane
and landing it with half of the wing missing.
While at the flying field piloting a friend’s Yak, its left wing
unexpectedly broke off in a snap roll because of a weak point from
a previous repair. No other damage was done to the model. Jim
calmly rolled the airplane into knife-edge flight with the remaining
wing on top.
He was able to land the Yak, and he did so without damaging it
further. Jim put it down on its wheels, on the runway! He was
thrilled not only to save his friend’s aircraft, but also to learn that
the RealFlight G3’s physics for flight failures was accurate.
Jim’s love of aviation, both full-scale and RC, is shared by his
son, Raymond; daughters, Camma and Haley; and fiancée,
Annette.
In addition, he is the proud owner of “Russian Thunder”: the
only full-scale Yak-54 that is currently flying in the US. The Yak
is also one of the models in RealFlight, but it was available long
before Jim became Russian Thunder’s pilot.
Knowing that, I had to ask him one more question: “Which do
you like more: RC or full scale?” He replied:
“I like them both; they are not the same thing even though they
are similar.
“Flying an Unlimited class aircraft is such a rush! RC provides
a wide variety; you can own and fly all different types of aircraft
you could never own.” MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
Knife Edge Software
885A NW Grant Ave. Suite A
Corvallis OR 97330
www.knifeedge.com
The E Zone
www.ezonemag.com
RC Groups
885 NW Grant Ave. #B
Corvallis OR 97330
www.rcgroups.com
Win RealFlight G5
from MA and
Knife Edge Software!
Jim (L) and Alek discuss the Sopwith Pup used in RealFlight G5.
Photos courtesy Knife Edge Software
To get the opportunity to win a copy of the G5 flight
simulator, submit your answer to the following question.
What is the name of the toolkit used to create models in
RealFlight? (You can find the answer on the Knife Edge
Software Web site.)
To submit your entry via e-mail, send your answer, full
name, postal-mail address, and telephone number to MA
Assistant Editor Jay Smith ([email protected]). Please
put “About Us” in the subject line. To enter via postal mail,
send the preceding information to MA at AMA, to Jay Smith’s
attention.
Entries will be accepted through May 31, 2010. Winners
will be selected on or before June 4. One entry per person is
allowed. Those that are lost, late, misdirected, garbled, or
incomplete for any reason will be ineligible.
This contest is open to legal residents of the 50 states and
District of Columbia and US military members with APO/FPO
addresses. AMA employees are not eligible to win.
Winners will be selected in random drawings, from among
all eligible entries with the correct answer, by an Academy
employee or employees. Those whose names are drawn will
be notified by telephone or e-mail. Their names and states of
residence will be published in a future issue of MA and on the
AMA Web site. MA
Sources:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
05sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 2:35 PM Page 71
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/05
Page Numbers: 70,71

70 MODEL AVIATION
KNIFE EDGE SOFTWARE is the
company behind the hugely popular
RealFlight line of RC flight simulators. I
interviewed Jim Bourke, Knife Edge
Software’s general manager, to learn about
his personal RC experiences and learn more
about the company.
Jim was involved in full-scale aviation at
an early age, because his father sold
full-scale airplanes. Jim flew
everywhere his father went, and the
experience became as common as
riding in the family car. Delivering
aircraft, stopping at out-of-the-way
places for the famed $100
hamburger, and attending air shows
gave Jim an early appreciation for
the recreational-aircraft way of life.
As a child, paper airplanes and
rubber-band-powered gliders were Jim’s main
focus. He created airfoiled wings for them
and then tried to improve on their designs.
His first RC flight was at age 16, piloting a
yellow Sig Kadet Senior with his art teacher.
These experiences led Jim to obtain his first
RC model—the popular Goldberg Gentle
Lady glider—and a job in a hobby shop.
Jim made the decision to serve his country
and spent four years in the US Air Force.
During that time, he worked in the Martin
Bomber Bay in Nebraska, where the Enola
Gay B-29 was built. His duty station tied in
with his childhood; it was where he saw the
Navy’s Blue Angels perform for the first time.
In 1995 Jim started on a quest to promote
electric flight in model aircraft, because he
thought it was destined to become the
dominant power system. A frequently-askedquestions
piece that he sent out via e-mail lists
soon grew into a Web page and then The E
Zone and RC Groups.
That year was also when Scott Kemp
founded Knife Edge Software. His original
vision was a CD-ROM encyclopedia about
RC models that included the process to build
an airplane and an RC simulator on the CD.
When Scott pitched the idea to Great
Planes, the company was most interested in
the RC simulator, and Knife Edge Software
was born. It was tasked with creating the first
3-D-capable RC flight simulator.
Jim got involved with Knife Edge as a
programmer, and in 2002 he was given the
opportunity to run the company during the
development of RealFlight G3. Although his
job as general manager entails many duties, he
shared with me one of the most important.
“My job is to make people comfortable
with RC, making it approachable,” he said.
To help him reach that goal, Jim has a
talented group of employees who know the
subject matter. Each is required to know how
to fly RC aircraft.
If you have ever tried a version of
RealFlight, you might wonder how
the models and flying sites are
chosen. Jim explained that the
aircraft are a mix between new
airplanes and those that are
commonly found at hobby stores.
The goal is to have a little of
everything.
The Knife Edge staff also likes
to throw in a couple off-the-wall
subjects, such as one of Jim’s
favorites: the Wolf Spyder. It is powered by
four engines on four pods that rotate 90°. The
flying sites, especially PhotoFields, are based
on places that the team visits or popular
locations, such as the E-Fest indoor arena.
Once the models are selected, it is
confirmed that they fly as closely as possible
on the screen to the real airplane they
represent. In earlier versions of RealFlight,
this required more work. Now the software
Knife Edge Software
“My job is to make people
comfor table with RC,
making it approachable.”
Knife Edge Software employees (back): Zach, Dusty, Jim Bourke, Ryan (front), Adam, Annette, Ted, Lisa, and Alek. Not shown
are Chris, Ed, and Neal.
05sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 2:35 PM Page 70
May 2010 71
can get the subjects extremely close, based on
the aircraft parameters. But Jim or his team
still tries to fly every model, to fine-tune it for
the most realistic experience possible.
Jim shared with me that Knife Edge
Software is driven by customer feedback. It’s
also under continual development, including
bug fixes—which are given the highest
priority—new features, and expansion packs.
The company even focuses on hardware
included with RealFlight. It upgraded the USB
transmitter to have digital trims and menu
buttons when G4 was released.
Jim also stressed that he and his staff are
constantly flying RealFlight for testing
purposes as well as to be a learning tool. This
was never more evident than in Jim’s brokenwing
incident with a real RC aircraft.
During the development of G3, the new
“break apart feature” was implemented. It
enabled models to have components such as
the rudder, landing gear, or wing broken off
and continue to fly, but the airplanes would
react differently depending on what was
missing.
Jim tested this program feature repeatedly,
by purposely breaking off a model’s wing and
then trying to successfully pilot the aircraft.
After roughly a week, he was comfortably piloting the airplane
and landing it with half of the wing missing.
While at the flying field piloting a friend’s Yak, its left wing
unexpectedly broke off in a snap roll because of a weak point from
a previous repair. No other damage was done to the model. Jim
calmly rolled the airplane into knife-edge flight with the remaining
wing on top.
He was able to land the Yak, and he did so without damaging it
further. Jim put it down on its wheels, on the runway! He was
thrilled not only to save his friend’s aircraft, but also to learn that
the RealFlight G3’s physics for flight failures was accurate.
Jim’s love of aviation, both full-scale and RC, is shared by his
son, Raymond; daughters, Camma and Haley; and fiancée,
Annette.
In addition, he is the proud owner of “Russian Thunder”: the
only full-scale Yak-54 that is currently flying in the US. The Yak
is also one of the models in RealFlight, but it was available long
before Jim became Russian Thunder’s pilot.
Knowing that, I had to ask him one more question: “Which do
you like more: RC or full scale?” He replied:
“I like them both; they are not the same thing even though they
are similar.
“Flying an Unlimited class aircraft is such a rush! RC provides
a wide variety; you can own and fly all different types of aircraft
you could never own.” MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
Knife Edge Software
885A NW Grant Ave. Suite A
Corvallis OR 97330
www.knifeedge.com
The E Zone
www.ezonemag.com
RC Groups
885 NW Grant Ave. #B
Corvallis OR 97330
www.rcgroups.com
Win RealFlight G5
from MA and
Knife Edge Software!
Jim (L) and Alek discuss the Sopwith Pup used in RealFlight G5.
Photos courtesy Knife Edge Software
To get the opportunity to win a copy of the G5 flight
simulator, submit your answer to the following question.
What is the name of the toolkit used to create models in
RealFlight? (You can find the answer on the Knife Edge
Software Web site.)
To submit your entry via e-mail, send your answer, full
name, postal-mail address, and telephone number to MA
Assistant Editor Jay Smith ([email protected]). Please
put “About Us” in the subject line. To enter via postal mail,
send the preceding information to MA at AMA, to Jay Smith’s
attention.
Entries will be accepted through May 31, 2010. Winners
will be selected on or before June 4. One entry per person is
allowed. Those that are lost, late, misdirected, garbled, or
incomplete for any reason will be ineligible.
This contest is open to legal residents of the 50 states and
District of Columbia and US military members with APO/FPO
addresses. AMA employees are not eligible to win.
Winners will be selected in random drawings, from among
all eligible entries with the correct answer, by an Academy
employee or employees. Those whose names are drawn will
be notified by telephone or e-mail. Their names and states of
residence will be published in a future issue of MA and on the
AMA Web site. MA
Sources:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
05sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 2:35 PM Page 71