Ralf Gerlich wrote:
Heh, I'd like to see you looking at the Autopilot _and_ out of the
window in a real plane. ;-)
As was mentioned, the nearest you could come to the "flow" in the
cockpit IRL - not looking at the instrument and still changing its
setting - is probably using the keyboard...at least as far as I see
that as a pure simulation pilot ;-)
This touches on one of the *big* differences between a 'toy' and a real
pilot training tool. Having the entire instrument panel available at
it's correct scale and location as well as having all the cockpit
controls in their right location with the right amount of force feedback
is a *huge* thing in terms of making the simulator realistic.
This is why all those oddball home/hobby cockpit builders aren't as far
off their rockers as it might first appear. They are taking a huge step
towards a more realistic simulation environment. And I'm sure all these
people have spouses who understand the importance of a realistic flying
experience.
You could have *perfect* flight dynamics that nailed all the numbers and
all the nuances of the model exactly right, but if you are sitting at
your desk, holding a $20 joystick in one hand and typing on your
keyboard with another, while peering at a 17" monitor ... it's just not
going to ever be all that realistic of an 'experience.'
I will even go so far as to assert that when creating a 'realistic'
flying experience, having the flight model right exactly on, is less
important than having a full scale cockpit with controls that have the
right amount of force feedback at the right times. An enclosure is a
huge addition because it blocks out many of the real world distractions
that can snap you back to reality. In addition, assembling a wrap
around visual system that projects a field of view that exacatly matches
the field of view covered by your display device is also very helpful.
All of this is said from the perspective of creating a realistic flying
experience. If you are using flightgear for other purposes (such as an
engineering simulator or visualization tool, running it on a desktop PC
or laptop may be exactly what is needed.)
Regards,
Curt.
--
Curtis Olson http://www.flightgear.org/~curt
HumanFIRST Program http://www.humanfirst.umn.edu/
FlightGear Project http://www.flightgear.org
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