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X-Plane 12 Flight Model Update – Supersonic Transition, Delta Wings and Mass - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31827301 - June 2022 (126 comments)
X-Plane 12 Early Access
71–80 of 94 posts
Re: X-Plane 12 Early Access
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
Have you tried something like a TrackIR? It gives you the ability to do what you describe in a cockpit, as well as using your head to fix your eyes on a point of the horizon/landscape/object during maneuvers. I haven't tried a flight simulator with a VR headset, but TrackIR increases immersion so much that I never felt like I was missing the experience. Admittedly it can take some tweaking to get the response curves…
TrackIR doesn’t really compare. I went from TrackIR to VR for multiplayer IL2 and the difference is stratospheric in terms of actually feeling “in” the aircraft. It also significantly improved my gunnery.
What headset do you use or recommend? Thx
Re: X-Plane 12 Early Access
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you're a light player an T.16000m will work but they all die with hardware issues at some point. The matching TWCS throttle has similar issues. I'm a heavy space sim player and went through 2 T16000Ms and 3 TWCSs before switching fully over to VKB sticks. VKB sticks last longer (no issues after 2+ years heavy use), are repairable and VKB will sell you parts. Much nicer if you can afford it. Take a look at their yo…
Just a VKB stick isn't actually as functional as a cheaper T16000M HOTAS with separate stick and throttle quadrant, so I'm not sure I'd recommend VKB unless you're getting the rest as well. A VKB setup is about $800 (dual THQ+SEM+FSM+stick+rudders) so... don't look at VKB until you've flown with a <$200 HOTAS for a while and actually know what you enjoy flying (and whether that kind of flying even justifies buying in…
The OP was just about a joystick and the VKB's Gladiator NXT EVO is a very nice one within their budget (<$200). It has a simple analog/throttle wheel on the base. IMO one of those is a much better investment than the thrustmaster HOTAS setup as it will last much, much longer and is still in their budget.
Re: X-Plane 12 Early Access
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah if you fly VFR in areas you know real-world, it's really helpful to have the photorealistic scenery in MSFS!
It's only photorealistic if you use 10-20m DEM, otherwise any mountainous area just feels completely off and unrecognizable (try to fly over Alps with the default DEM, I couldn't recognize anything around Oberstdorf etc.)
I don't know the alps area :) But I find the surroundings of Barcelona very realistic!
Re: X-Plane 12 Early Access
#75Earlier quoted context omitted.
The experience in VR is much much better in X-Plane. Sadly it doesn't have the amazingly realistic cities and world textures of MSFS but the controls work so much better. Especially X-Plane's "ergonomic yoke" which uses the tilt sensor in the controller instead of having to hold up your hand in thin air. MSFS is far behind this. And why call out VR specifically? Well, VR is in my opinion absolutely groundbreaking in…
I used to spend a lot of time in flight simulators and am very interested in VR. What headsets have you used? Just a Quest 2? Or one of the high end ones?
I have used a Rift CV1, a Quest 1 and now a Quest 2.
What I like about the Q2 is that it's cheap and offers wifi capability so I can sit on the couch far from the PC. More relaxing that way.
Sometimes I use real controllers and I got a USB extender cable for that.
Re: X-Plane 12 Early Access
#76Does anyone know if they've fixed the AI and ATC? I distinctly remember in previous versions watching the AI aircraft bounce off the ground repeatedly in an attempt to reach an incorrect flight level given to them by the ATC. That kind of ruined the illusion for me. It's a great sim, overall, I think it has a different set of priorities from MSFS, which is totally fine. I only wish I could have the best of both world…
Perhaps the flight level given by ATC is correct, but the instrument calibration is not set correctly.
Re: X-Plane 12 Early Access
#77Earlier quoted context omitted.
During the early access / beta period one of the keys might be for X-Plane 11. I think that's the deal.
I would have thought the second email would have stated "Xplane 11 key"? Both say 12.
Hmm odd, not sure then. I'll take it, if it's not being used ;)
I had a look on where I read about the X-Plane 11 keys during the beta, it's here - https://developer.x-plane.com/2022/05/x-plane-12-development...
Re: X-Plane 12 Early Access
#78Random question but do you people who play flight simulators but never flown a real plane think that if you were on a commercial passenger jet and the pilots became incapacitated that you would be able to take over the controls and land the plane safely?
We do come across the news some passengers landing the plane with guidance from ATC time to time, and maybe ones with prior "training" with flight simulators may know at least how planes operate in certain extent, perhaps even where right switches are located. This alone may reduce a lot of back and forth with ATC, as they could say "turn the heading knob to 010 within autopilot cluster" as opposed to "you see there's a section of instrument called autopilot on the top center of the console -- you should see the knob that says heading, turn it so it says 010." At least it would be less intimidating to ones that has seen them in simulations. (after all, that's what simulations are all about...)
It's probably safe to say you'd get 50% edge just by knowing how plane controls works (roll, pitch, yaw) -- I don't think a lot of "general public" would have idea what they are, let alone how they are mapped to things in a cockpit.
Re: X-Plane 12 Early Access
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
It kinda depends on what kind of aircraft you want to fly. Thrustmaster t16000m is more geared towards military aircrafts. If you want to fly Airbus, TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition (which under the hood is the t16000m) is very good and works well with FS2020's Airbus A320 (even better with the free FlyByWire A320 mod) If you want to fly general aviation aircrafts, the Logitech Yoke is pretty good. The Honeycomb Avia…
I fly gliders and helis (for which, btw, x-plane is excellent), and none of the sticks I’ve tried feel right for these, neither of which have center return springiness. I’ve tried to clip the springs off of various sticks but just ended up breaking them. Any advice for a stick that doesn’t have center return dynamics?
You'll be looking for one with force feedback, so it will use motors instead of springs to "return".
There are also some which use force sensors and the yoke itself doesn't really move at all. Much more of a fighter jet style stick.
Unfortunately, I'm years out of date on what controllers are available with which mechanisms; sorry.
Re: X-Plane 12 Early Access
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's only photorealistic if you use 10-20m DEM, otherwise any mountainous area just feels completely off and unrecognizable (try to fly over Alps with the default DEM, I couldn't recognize anything around Oberstdorf etc.)
I don't know the alps area :) But I find the surroundings of Barcelona very realistic!
Does Montserrat look realistic in FS 2020? I remember how recognizable it was from Tibidabo but I couldn't find it when I was flying around Barcelona last time.