46 MODEL AVIATION
JAY SMITH
Power Switch: Great Planes RealFlight G5
Above: Virtual Flight Instruction teaches you
several maneuvers. Here Frank Nol l
demonstrates a Torque Roll. You benefit from
seeing maneuver and stick inputs, and the pilot
verbally walks you through the steps.
Left: RealFlight G5 is installed, and it’s time to do
some flying and experience online combat.
MANY AEROMODELERS have turned to
RC flight simulators, either to help teach us to
fly or to push our skills further using a system
that has no emotional investment. Repairing
virtual RC aircraft is as simple as pushing the
space bar or reset button on the transmitter.
My first experience with RealFlight goes
back to G2, when I was looking to step up
from FMS (Flying Model Simulator). It was
nice to have a dedicated USB transmitter, and
I used it so much that I wore out the throttle
stick. Even though it was beyond warranty,
after one call to technical support I received a
replacement transmitter free of charge.
This level of support, as well as the
features of the program, led me to stick with
RealFlight and upgrade to G3, G3.5, G4, and
G4.5. Each new version added more elements,
such as the “break apart feature” for
collisions, online game play, and the ability to
fly off of water.
The release of G5 offers a whole new level
of online play, with Combat. These events
include Streamer Cutting, Paintball, Rocket
Launching, and Machine Guns. G5 Combat is
best flown from the First Person Video (FPV)
perspective, and some of the selected aircraft
include improved cockpit details.
My first opportunity to try Combat in G5
was at the iHobby Expo in Rosemont, Illinois,
in October. I was a bit concerned that cockpitview
Combat might be a little too arcade and
less of a tool for becoming a better pilot.
I quickly learned that it is fun to dogfight
with other players and that you have to be
smooth on the sticks to keep up with the
movements of your flying target. Even using
the rudder helps get a tighter turn on
opponents and allows you to spray them with
machine guns from wingtip to wingtip.
Flying Combat at iHobby was fun and
provided me with the opportunity to fly
against as many as three other players.
Playing via the Internet gives you the
capability to customize the entire experience,
from the airport to the type of airplane and
number of players—as many as 32.
Dogfighting with a dozen people can get
intense!
Installation: Setting up RealFlight G5 is a
breeze, thanks to the fact that installation
requires only one DVD. During this process,
you will be prompted to enter the serial
number of the software (located on the jewel
case) and the USB transmitter. Then you can
register the software and check for updates. It
is recommended that you get the latest
version; players with different versions might
not be able to play online.
A great feature of RealFlight is that once
you have authenticated the software and
transmitter, you can run the program without
having the DVD in the drive.
Once installed, you have two ways to
launch G5: by using the RealFlight launcher
or by using the RealFlight G5 icon. I use the
launcher, because it checks for updates every
time I start the program.
Navigation: If you have experience with
previous versions of RealFlight, you will find
the navigation in G5 to be similar, only with
more options. Since G4, selecting aircraft,
flying sites, and other in-game options can be
done via the transmitter as well as on-screen.
RealFlight is a menu-driven program with
a list of options across the top of the screen. It
contains submenus and pull-down lists for
related choices within the program. You can
access the menu bar by simply clicking on the
menu item you want to expand or by pressing
the first letter of the menu item on your
keyboard, such as “S” for Simulation.
I won’t go into great detail about
navigation, because that is covered in the
manual, but one of the first things many users
want to try are the different flying sites and
aircraft. The locations are in the Simulation
menu item, and then Select Airport. Airplanes
are under the Aircraft menu item and then
Select Aircraft.
RealFlight G5 has a total of 81 flyable
The trusty
training tool
has added
online combat
05sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 2:23 PM Page 46
May 2010 47
RealFlight provides Flight Failures and allows the user to choose
which ones and how often they occur. The author found
Structural Integrity the most interesting, because you can fly
aircraft with parts missing.
The Aircraft Editor is a simple way to change or tweak airplane
parameters. You can fine-tune an aircraft to your liking!
This note is posted on a helicopter that is part of the Boneyard
airport. Several “Easter Eggs” are planted throughout G5. You
can leave your aircraft to explore by pressing “Q” to orbit or
“W” for walk mode or by using your mouse.
Online combat is so much fun! The author has targeted Randy,
one of eight players, during this warbird round. Information
about the author is in the top left and information about Randy
is at the top right.
The author flies the new Aeroworks Cessna 195 he found on
Knife Edge Swap Pages. He will review that model in the future,
so this is a great opportunity to try it before flying the real thing.
The helicopter orientation trainer, shown, requires you to
hover your helicopter in the same manner as the transparent
red version. You can’t move on until the bar at the top is full.
Photos by the author
05sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 1:47 PM Page 47
48 MODEL AVIATION
Minimum Recommended System
(Some graphical features might be
disabled; aerodynamic calculations
will remain high in quality.):
• Windows XP, Windows Vista, or
Windows 7 (local administrator access
required)
• Intel Pentium 1.0 GHz or equivalent
• 512 MB RAM
• 4 GB hard-drive space
• DVD drive
• 3D accelerated video with 32 MB dedicated video memory full Windows DirectX 9 compliant (Pixel Shader 1.4 support)
Optimal System (for best graphical performance):
• Dual-core 2.4 GHz CPU
• 2 GB RAM
• 3D accelerated video with 512 MB dedicated video memory (Pixel Shader 3.0 support)
Multiplayer Requirements:
• Broadband Internet connection
• Computer microphone for voice chat
• InterLink Elite Controller
• USB port
• Compatible FM or FM-selectable transmitter (if using the interface mode)
The connectors on the InterLink Elite cord and included adapters make the InterLink Elite compatible with the trainer jack on
most Futaba and all JR, Spektrum and Tower Hobbies systems. Special adapters for use with most older Futaba and Hitec systems
are available separately. Activation is required.
Review System:
• Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 3)
• Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz processor
• 4 GB RAM
• Sony DVD drive
• NVIDIA Geforce 8800 GT video card (512 MB)
• Realtek High Definition Audio
RealFlight G5 costs $199.98 for the full version and $79.99 for the upgrade. MA
—Jay Smith
Float-flying was added with RealFlight G4 and is also in G5. This
is Lake Douglas—one of nine PhotoField sites. There are other
float-ready aircraft, but the Cub is a classic.
The “break apart feature” in G5 is interesting. This CAP 232 lost the
elevator. In real life, it’s best to ditch a damaged model, but trying to
save it on the simulator can give you an idea of how it will react.
RealFlight G5
Details
05sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 1:48 PM Page 48
aircraft, which include 20 helicopters and six
sailplanes. There are 32 flying sites; nine of
them are PhotoFields that use high-resolution
digital images of real locations.
You might want to calibrate your
controller, which is done by selecting
Controller and then Controller Calibration.
This allows you to confirm that all sticks,
switches, and knobs are working. Once
calibrated, it will be easier to trim aircraft in
the simulator.
Multiplayer: The new multiplayer
functionality, especially in Combat, is a
blast. It’s a nice break from focused flying,
and it gives you the benefit of being able to
finesse the sticks while competing with other
pilots.
As a player, you have the option of
hosting or joining a session. Hosting gives
you all of the options, such as the name of
the session, number of players, and type of
session played. As the host, you have total
control over the online session.
If you want to play, choose to join and
select a session that can accept additional
players. This will quickly get you into the
action and is a good way to learn about the
different options.
In multiplayer, each user can set up a
pilot profile. That allows him or her to pick a
name, choose an avatar, select a streamer
color, and have a tagline. Another cool
feature is hours logged, which shows the
amount of time spent flying on the simulator.
I was surprised by all the time I spent flying;
it adds up quickly.
Voice chat is another great feature that
has been improved in G5. Starting with G4,
you no longer have to type on your keyboard
to communicate. With the use of a
microphone and speakers, or headset, you
can communicate online in real time.
I chose to use a gaming headset that has a
built-in microphone from Microsoft. Being
plug-and-play, it requires only an open USB
port on the computer. There’s no messing
around with the sound card, it works great to
use to talk to other players, and it helps cut
down on external noises.
When using chat, you can adjust ingame
sounds from normal, reduced, or
off, to allow you to better communicate
with other players. This is controlled
under Multiplayer and Simulation Sounds.
Combat: Since I received my copy of
RealFlight G5, I have spent more time
enjoying the various types of Combat than
anything else. You can fly with biplanes
(Sopwith Pup), warbirds (P-51 Mustang), or
jets (L-39).
Each aircraft has a detailed cockpit and is
capable of firing machine guns and rockets.
Using the Pup or P-51, you can also fire
paintballs.
If you prefer your Combat up-close,
streamer cut is another option, using foamies,
jets, or warbirds. When you cut another
player’s streamer, his or her aircraft is reset
on the runway to start again.
Targeting helps you follow your
opponent, and you can choose any of the
players in the game to be targeted. This
feature will also provide you with that
person’s name, score, and ranking.
To target a player, you can use the
QuickSelect button on the transmitter. You
can also press the “[” and “]” keys on the
keyboard to cycle through targets.
In-game pop-ups show health,
ammunition, and bonus points. It does seem
arcadelike, but it helps to get restocked when
you are in the middle of a huge fur ball with
several pilots on your tail!
Training: There are several training aids in
RealFlight G5. For airplanes there is a takeoff
trainer, landing trainer, airplane hover trainer,
and virtual flight instruction. Those for
helicopter pilots include hover trainer,
helicopter autorotation trainer, helicopter
orientation trainer, and virtual flight
instruction.
I have enjoyed using the Virtual Flight
Instruction, with which you can receive
training from some of the top names in RC
including John Glezellis, Jason Noll, Frank
Noll Jr., and Jason Shulman. Included voice
instruction with the aircraft completes the
sequence with an on-screen radio to walk you
through the exact movements to perform
basic maneuvers, up to 3-D flying.
The control menu can be helpful if you
want to master a complicated maneuver and
don’t want to take control of all channels at
once. You can pick each channel you want to
control, and RealFlight will control the rest
This allows you to build confidence and
master each control input when you are
ready.
Flying: Once you have selected your
aircraft and flying site, you are ready to
fly—unless you want to change other
parameters. I also like to dabble with wind
and weather. Flying in wind is part of the
hobby, and I enjoy setting up crosswinds in
which to practice landings.
Not only can you set wind speeds and
wind direction, but you can also adjust wind
gusts. It is better to get comfortable with
these conditions on the simulator, so that
you will be more comfortable with how
your model might react to them in real life.
If you need a break from focused flying,
turn up the wind to 20-30 mph and fly.
Doing torque rolls into the wind and
attempting to hold maneuvers is not only
challenging, but it is also fun.
Another feature of G5 is flight failures.
These will allow you to experience reversed
servos, a dead engine, or radio range or
interference issues.
There are several other features to
choose from, but structural integrity is
definitely one of the most interesting. With
this, you can break parts from your aircraft,
such as landing gear on a hard touchdown
or the rudder on a tail touch. Even wings
can come off, and the simulator allows you
to keep flying while the aircraft mimics the
loss of these components.
In reality, your best bet is to ditch a
damaged aircraft if you think you don’t
have full control. But on the simulator it is
challenging to try to successfully land a
broken aircraft on the runway.
Another interesting function is the new
onboard cameras. It can be accessed
through View or by pressing the “C” key.
This feature allows you to place a
camera almost anywhere or select from
fixed locations such as the nose, tail, or
cockpit. You can also put the camera in a
movable module and rotate it with a
channel, to achieve almost any camera
angle you could want.
RealFlight has helped me learn several
maneuvers using versions G2 to G5. With the
help and confidence from the simulator, I
successfully transitioned those moves to the
real thing at the flying field. I started
performing everything from inverted and knifeedge
flight to Four Point Rolls and Slow Rolls
by mastering them in front of the computer.
For those who own previous RealFlight
versions G3 to G4.5, advancing to G5 has been
streamlined; an upgrade is available for $79.99.
This allows anyone to use his or her existing
controller and get the benefit of all the new
features without dealing with rebates or the
possibility of having to sell an earlier version.
RealFlight contains an aircraft editor that
allows you to change or fine-tune any
parameters. The AccuModel editor gives you
control of all aspects of the aircraft to change
what you want, and you have more than 1,500
airfoils at your disposal. You can also access
the Knife Edge Swap Pages online, to
download aircraft and flying sites that others
have created or modified.
As I am writing this article, 262 aircraft are
available for download specifically for G5.
Another 2,499 are available under G4 and
G4.5, which will also work with G5.
In addition to obtaining all of the free
aircraft and flying sites, you can purchase
expansion packs. These give you access to
even more aircraft and flying sites that Knife
Edge Software has designed. Six expansion
packs are currently available.
If you have a version of RealFlight from
G3 to G4.5, the G5 upgrade is a nice option
through which you can get all of the new
online features and additional aircraft for a
reasonable price. If you are shopping for an RC
simulator, G5 brings a lot of excitement to
online game play with live voice chat and the
Combat events. It also makes improvements to
the single-player experience, such as making it
easier to edit aircraft.
Before you purchase G5, be sure your
computer meets or exceeds the optimal system
requirements posted on the box and included in
this review. That is necessary to take full
advantage of all that this system has to offer.
To learn more about Knife Edge
Software—and to get an opportunity to win a
free copy of RealFlight G5—visit the “About
Us” section on page 70 of this issue. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Great Planes Model Distributors
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
(217) 398-8970
www.realflight.com
Sources:
Knife Edge Software
www.knifeedge.com
Knife Edge Swap Pages:
www.knifeedge.com/forums/downloads.php
Other Published Reviews:
Fly RC: April 2010
Model Airplane News: April 2010
