C337 Flight Simulator

[rick bell]

fantastic!! really glad you have incoperated up to date avonics.
nice to see my ups/appollo ifr stack
in it. great work, very impressive.
how about shaddin fuel flow and jpe
760 engone monitor, 400a or stec.
you guys are the "mans".

[Owen_FSD]

An early alpha shot of the 337D Virtual Cockpit!

[Owen_FSD]

One more!

[KyleTownsend]

Owen:

Fantastic attention to detail. Some of the best I have seen. Very impressive. I am more eager than ever to try it out.

Rick:
While crude in comparison to the work Owen't team is doing, I did include a quickie 400A in my panel (at the right bottom of the switch panel - see above). I don't have a JPI (yet) in the real plane, so I haven't added one to the sim. I am having a GNS480 put in the plane right now (replacing the GX60). I dread trying to write that for the SIM! Maybe some one else will do one so I won't have to.

[Ernie Martin]

Here's a concern: with fuel costs soaring and the kind of stunning realism you guys are achieving, why not just sell our "real" Skymasters and fly virtual copies. All of a sudden Skymasters are being dumped in the marketplace, prices are dropping and much of the flying becomes virtual.

Ernie

[Owen_FSD]

Originally posted by Ernie Martin
Here's a concern: with fuel costs soaring and the kind of stunning realism you guys are achieving, why not just sell our "real" Skymasters and fly virtual copies. All of a sudden Skymasters are being dumped in the marketplace, prices are dropping and much of the flying becomes virtual.

Ernie

Ha Ha Ha ... Certainly our intent is not to replace flying these great machines in real life. As real as we try to mimic the real deal, there is no way to fully simulate flight. We like to think of our wares as a way to polish skills in a safe environment. I realize that MS FS isn't considered an FAA approved simulator, but is sure is a great tool for flying IFR ... practicing for emergencies ... Just as Kyle mentioned above.

Certainly there would be no way to fly to Key West in one of our birds

Best,

Owen

[KyleTownsend]

Owen:

Since you are actually in the business of making simulator aircraft, I want to get your opinion on a thought I have had.

I understand that microsoft flight simulator was viewed mainly as a "game" at first. However, the program is sophisticated enough now to be of real aid in practicing approaches and stuff like that. There is an increasing community of pilots who use it in that way. I know of several who will go and fly the intended approaches for a real trip on flight simulator before making the actual trip if they are not familiar with the destination.

However, for most pilots, the primary handicap of flight simulator is that (1) their airplane type is not available or is not well modeled, or (2) even if the type is available, the panel doesn't conform to their own airplane and so the utility of the sim is somewhat compromised.

I can't tell you how many pilots wish that they had their "own" panel on flight simulator. I wanted it so badly that I took the time to build my own crude approximation. But I doubt that most pilots care to take the time required to do that.

So, I have wondered if a "virtual avionics shop" would be a viable business to cater to this segment of the simulator market. I mean, if a guy is going to go out and drop $100K or more on an airplane, and tens of thousands on those little black boxes in the panel, I would think that some fraction of them wouldn't blink at dropping perhaps $10 to $50 per simulated instrument (depending on complexity) and perhaps $100 to have someone custom build a panel file for them based on their own airplane?

I know I would sure like it if I could just go buy the instruments and avionics I need, and have them all put in a panel for me.

Regards,

Kyle

PS: In regards to all of us flying "virtual" airplanes, there is a kernel of truth in this. For routine practice, it is far less expensive to sit down at flight simulator and shoot a few approaches than to go drop $150 per hour or more doing the training in the airplane. And as far as keeping your scan up to speed, the simulator is as good (or better) than the real thing. This doesn't mean that we stop or even cut back on the amount of "real" practice we do. It just means that we can get a lot more practice for very little money, and be a lot better prepared to maximize our training dollars spent in the airplane. This can only enhance safety; especially for the many owner-pilots who are not priviliged to fly several hundred hours per year due to time and money constraints.

[Pat Schmitz]

Owen -

I have been flying another 337 in my Sim, and it is 'sad' compared to yours... The detail is stunning!

Please put me on your list - I want one!

pschmitz@starband.net

Kyle - Great Idea! A virtual avionics shop.... Now that is a cool idea!

Pat

[Owen_FSD]

Originally posted by KyleTownsend
Owen:

Since you are actually in the business of making simulator aircraft, I want to get your opinion on a thought I have had.

I understand that microsoft flight simulator was viewed mainly as a "game" at first. However, the program is sophisticated enough now to be of real aid in practicing approaches and stuff like that. There is an increasing community of pilots who use it in that way. I know of several who will go and fly the intended approaches for a real trip on flight simulator before making the actual trip if they are not familiar with the destination.

However, for most pilots, the primary handicap of flight simulator is that (1) their airplane type is not available or is not well modeled, or (2) even if the type is available, the panel doesn't conform to their own airplane and so the utility of the sim is somewhat compromised.

I can't tell you how many pilots wish that they had their "own" panel on flight simulator. I wanted it so badly that I took the time to build my own crude approximation. But I doubt that most pilots care to take the time required to do that.

So, I have wondered if a "virtual avionics shop" would be a viable business to cater to this segment of the simulator market. I mean, if a guy is going to go out and drop $100K or more on an airplane, and tens of thousands on those little black boxes in the panel, I would think that some fraction of them wouldn't blink at dropping perhaps $10 to $50 per simulated instrument (depending on complexity) and perhaps $100 to have someone custom build a panel file for them based on their own airplane?

I know I would sure like it if I could just go buy the instruments and avionics I need, and have them all put in a panel for me.

Regards,

Kyle

PS: In regards to all of us flying "virtual" airplanes, there is a kernel of truth in this. For routine practice, it is far less expensive to sit down at flight simulator and shoot a few approaches than to go drop $150 per hour or more doing the training in the airplane. And as far as keeping your scan up to speed, the simulator is as good (or better) than the real thing. This doesn't mean that we stop or even cut back on the amount of "real" practice we do. It just means that we can get a lot more practice for very little money, and be a lot better prepared to maximize our training dollars spent in the airplane. This can only enhance safety; especially for the many owner-pilots who are not priviliged to fly several hundred hours per year due to time and money constraints.

Hello Kyle,

I certainly see your point about wanting to have a custom panel built into the sim that exactly replicates one you own in real life, so the realism of trying approaches becomes that much more an aid.

As a developer of these types of wares, I do have to say that it is quite difficult a challenge to create one or two panels of an example aircraft for use in Flight Simulator. Just one photograph if the panel is usually not enough to generate the correct look. I often take over 50 pictures of the instruments and panel when I do a walk-around of an aircraft. From these 50 or so pictures, a "composite" as you would say, is built taking pieces here and there and fitting them all back together to show a complete panel. It's a daunting task, and takes quite a bit of time. When we do create such aircraft panels, we try our best to accomodate most of the avionics that would normally be found in a said aircraft.

As far as complex avionics go, there is a company that we are partnered with that provides highly advanced GPS units. I invite you to check it out: http://www.reality-xp.com

Most of our aircraft come pre-configured so that if you own a Reality-XP unit, it will be selectable as an option in our configuration manager program.

I understand that there are a lot of avionics packages out on the market today. Developing an exact working replica of each of those devices is incredibly complex, many taking years to get done (Reality XP has worked for over a year now on their upcoming GNS 430).

A virtual Avionics shop is sort-of what R-XP is. But you see from their rather limited selection, that they take very long to develop. A good idea ... just not enough time or manpower to accomplish making them all.

Regards,

Owen

[Owen_FSD]

Originally posted by Pat Schmitz
Owen -

I have been flying another 337 in my Sim, and it is 'sad' compared to yours... The detail is stunning!

Please put me on your list - I want one!

pschmitz@starband.net

Kyle - Great Idea! A virtual avionics shop.... Now that is a cool idea!

Pat

Hi Pat,

Check your email!

Regards,

Owen

[OSCARDEUCE]

Now,
How about some rocket launchers and 7.62 mm miniguns for the O2 guys!
Hit My Smoke!
Great job!
Tom

[WebMaster]

Put me on your list too, please.

ljb@safetyservicesinc.com

I have FS, but only a joy stick, and need to get the other accessories to make it work. I was so bad at it, I gave it up. Also, it only had planes I could not relate to. I kept crashing the malibu.

It would be great to get in the virtual 69 337D, (mine is a 69 337D) and go shoot some approaches. run out of fuel, cool things like that. I did that once. Switched to the Aux's, both, at about the same time, and forgot about them. It was brought to my attention just after I captured the glide scope.

Oh,and other than the throttle quadrant, what other items are needed. Yoke, pedals, anything else? who makes a good yoke and pedals?

[KyleTownsend]

You can get a yoke, pedals, and throttle quadrant all from CH Products. To my knowlege, this is the least expensive way to go without moving down into the "toy" category.

I believe their web site is www.chproducts.com

Kyle

[Owen_FSD]

Originally posted by larry bowdish
Put me on your list too, please.

ljb@safetyservicesinc.com

I have FS, but only a joy stick, and need to get the other accessories to make it work. I was so bad at it, I gave it up. Also, it only had planes I could not relate to. I kept crashing the malibu.

It would be great to get in the virtual 69 337D, (mine is a 69 337D) and go shoot some approaches. run out of fuel, cool things like that. I did that once. Switched to the Aux's, both, at about the same time, and forgot about them. It was brought to my attention just after I captured the glide scope.

Oh,and other than the throttle quadrant, what other items are needed. Yoke, pedals, anything else? who makes a good yoke and pedals?

Hi Larry,

Glad to put you on the list! I wouldn't say the CH Products hardware is required, but it sure adds to the realism of the aircraft while flying. I currently have the USB pedals and yoke, and I'm trying to convince my wife that I need the throttle quadrant.

I flew in the 337D version we have depicted ... I love the visibility of this aircraft versus the pressurized version.

Best regards,

Owen

[Owen_FSD]

Originally posted by KyleTownsend
You can get a yoke, pedals, and throttle quadrant all from CH Products. To my knowlege, this is the least expensive way to go without moving down into the "toy" category.

I believe their web site is www.chproducts.com

Kyle

Best place I have found for purchasing these items is on Amazon ... they seem to have the best prices!

Regards,

Owen