Happy New Year

OK, 2008 has gone and 2009 is here...I think I flew something RC every month last year, Woo Hoo! What about you?

So far 2009 has been slow for me...with RC stuff -- It's been raining and cold. But, I did fly my simulator today -- and that was fun. I use FMS...cause it's free and I'm cheap :)

Hope you have a great year of flying!

-JoeFlyer

Fly your own "Virtual" Enticement

Hey I found an FMS model of the Enticement...Download it from RC-Sim-Download.

It flies pretty good...though this model seems to be a bit of a memory suck -- the frame rate of FMS drops considerably when flying this model. So, for the best experience, get it up high to get trees, buildings and landscapes out of the drawable objects.

Have fun!

New favorite FMS plane

A 3D Foamy Edge...If flying this model is anything like a real one, then I'm dying to get one -- this plane is fun.

Download it here

Been using the simulator alot during the holidays...

It has been pretty wet, windy, and cold...so, I haven't felt like braving the weather to fly. But, simulators are good for these days. I mostly use FMS -- that's what my laptop can handle and it's cheap, i.e. FREE :)

Here are several of my favorite aircraft I've been flying:

The HH-65A Dolphin USCG is a great looking and responsive scale heli.







The Colco Lynx-380XL is a very agile and fun 3D heli that should help keep your skills up during bad weather.








And, my HobbyZone Super Cub. This is basically a repaint of the "Super Cup" that comes with FMS...I just wanted a plane to practice with that looked like my favorite HobbyZOne plane, the Super Cub.

Didn't get a lot of RC stuff done today...

So sad :(

I had plans to go to a hobby store and get some parts, but I stayed up late watching my download of the IRCHA 2007 video...and, I kinda slept in. By the time I woke, my wife and I had to get some groceries etc. then she had to work. Even if I had made it to the hobby store, it was pretty wet and stormy today...so, flying for the better part of the day, wasn't going to happen.

But, I did put in some FMS simulator time...I'm trying to practice the heli maneuver where it circles around on a horizontal plane with it's tail down and inward and the front of the heli is pointing out of the circle and upward -- wish I knew the name of the trick -- but, I think I'm figuring it out.

Anyone watch "My Name is Earl"? It's all about karma...you do good things, and good things happen to you. Well, I stayed up late with downloading and burning the IRCHA video to DVD, and then I gave an RC friend of mine a copy I promised him...and he, unexpectedly, gave me a disc with RC videos on it that I hadn't seen yet. Thanks Karma! So, help out your RC buddies, and they'll help you :)

Only flew in simulation this weekend

Not as fun as the real thing...but, it usually makes me look pretty good. I use FMS (because it's FREE), and my new favorite heli model is the "Colco Lynx-380XL.par" -- it's a fun 3D heli.

Today's a Simulator Day

Have you used a simulator? When I started this hobby 1 year ago, I spent my first month on a simulator -- I used and still use the free one FMS. When I bought my first plane, the HobbyZone Super Cub...I flew it without crashing on day 1 -- I believe it was from the simulator practice. FMS is a great and free RC-Based flight simulator that has hundreds of models available from all over the Internet. There's a forum at the FMS web site that is full of FMS info and links to different models and landscapes. You can even connect your existing transmitters or buy a cheap USB transmitter to fly your simulated models with the same controls that you're used to at the field.

There are more expensive simulators, like Great Planes RealFlight ($199, +extra $ for additional plane packs etc)...and, many hobby stores carry this simulator and even have a stand setup so you can try it. It's a nice simulator...very realistic...and when you crash a model, it has great simulation of parts flying off. I suppose if I had the extra money (you can make a donation to my efforts here, hint, hint) I might actually buy a simulator like this. But, when it comes down to it...I think you can learn all the necessary flying basics from the free one and save your money for the plane or heli you've been dreaming about.

Other simulators I know of: Pre-Flight, AeroFly PRO Deluxe, ClearView, RC Flight Master eXtreme64 & RC Plane Master, RCFSim v6.01, and A general link that lists several simulators

I've tried FMS, Pre-Flight, RealFlight, and RCFSim v6.01 -- They each have their pro & cons. You should find the one that fits your needs by trying several of them out. Most have a free demo download.

An RC-Based simulator is a definite must for the RC enthusiast. You should use one before your first flight...and have one available for late night urges or when the weather doesn't permit flying. Get one...Use it...Love it!