So the ASK21 is anticipated to be more superior than the DiscusX?

Hi Brendan, sure, when you say superior, from what I've seen it's certainly has superior textures, in fact it looks pretty awesome. That additional texture quality shouldn't come as too much of a performance hit because unlike some of the more complicated aircraft with HD systems it has a handful of basic instruments. As for the FDE,  the Discus is pretty good IMO, so we will have to wait and see.

 

As Nurmblitz said, it is a trainer with dual cockpit, which IMO I think is rather a strange marketing decision, but hey, there we go. As some of the other guys have said, if you are at all serious about sailplaning then you MUST get Cumulus X, it has had an update earlier this year and is a truly wonderful little app. It effectively creates thermals and ridge lift and via a GUI you are able to set the strength and size of thermals. Peter Luerkens, the dev, is also working on wave lift, which will be fantastic if he can pull it off. The latest update also includes cloud shadows. BTW in answer to your question about adverse yaw in the Discus, the answer is yes, it does have it and it takes quite a lot of handling to fly the glider correctly.

Thanks for the clarification.  I just got hold of the Discus and tried a few things on it.  I have never been critical about FDMs but it feels the Discus's rudder is too effective?  I've never flown a real one but when I compare with Puchatek or PW6, even the M200, the rudder is very effective, I don't need to boot it on turns to get a straight yaw string.  However, if I boot it (like I do with the real things), the yaw string swings the other way.  Is that normal?

 

Another issue, I've tried aerotow, it gave me an error saying "Cannot find FSX Aircraft List" or something.  I looked around for solutions, can't really find any in English (most of them are in German).  And had a look at Cumulus X, there seemed to be an aerotow plane option, does that mean it has aerotow capabilities the application if we buy it?

 

Cheers,

Thanks for the clarification.  I just got hold of the Discus and tried a few things on it.  I have never been critical about FDMs but it feels the Discus's rudder is too effective?  I've never flown a real one but when I compare with Puchatek or PW6, even the M200, the rudder is very effective, I don't need to boot it on turns to get a straight yaw string.  However, if I boot it (like I do with the real things), the yaw string swings the other way.  Is that normal?

 

Another issue, I've tried aerotow, it gave me an error saying "Cannot find FSX Aircraft List" or something.  I looked around for solutions, can't really find any in English (most of them are in German).  And had a look at Cumulus X, there seemed to be an aerotow plane option, does that mean it has aerotow capabilities the application if we buy it?

 

Cheers,

 

Although, as I'm sure you know, some refer to it as the yaw string, it is really more accurate to be called a slip string, as it's used to basically show slideslipping or skidding in turns. Sideslipping occurs with too little rudder, while skidding occurs with too much rudder. You are right about the rudder in the Discus though, it is very sensitive and I'd be surprised if it is a true rendition, having never flown a Discus it's difficult to say one ay or another.

I would recommend some of standalone glider simulations like condor.

 

http://www.condorsoaring.com/

Thank you for clearing that up Howard.

I would recommend some of standalone glider simulations like condor.

 

http://www.condorsoaring.com/

 

Wow!  I didn't know that existed!  Thanks for bringing it up!

Maybe the sensitive rudder is realistic. With bigger planes from Cessnas upwards you hardly need a rudder, but gliders need a lot of rudder and you use it extensively in thermal flight. If you are in the center of thermal lift you try to keep the plane "clean", but if you are still trying to find the optimum lift position, you usually slideslip the glider a bit towards the center of the thermal by using the rudder.

Well, I had missed this thread :-(

 

I concurr with the recommended payware products.

 

I really like the Discus X!, and look forward for their K21 bacause it's one of the gliders I have more hours logged in RL...

 

CumulusX! is also a great add-on, and innexpensive, although ASN will do a comparable,  certainly not inferior work ate least in as far as ridge lift / mountain soaring goes. I confess I haven't tested the thermals that much, but I intend to...

 

The rudder authority, sideslip behaviour, and most of the flight characteristics of the Discus X! are very well done! In the SLG ( Self Launching Glider ) version you really have to keep your tail wheel on ground before you get rudder effectiveness!  Stalls and spins are also very acceptable.

 

I have used all dedicated soaring simulators you can name :-) starting with SFS2, then v3. Also SOTS, Condor, SilentWings and a few more ( RC ). Recently I tried and liked Aerofly FS, although there are some problems with the stall characteristics of most of it's aircraft, including the gliders, IMO...

 

Among all soaring simulators, by far the one which matched closer to real my experience was SilentWings - no longer under much development I'm affraid :-( 

 

I will see if I can try some thermal flying on FSX DX10 + ASN and report back about it. I will use the Discus X!

I am looking forward to the ASK21 with ASN using orbx on P3D.  Will be interesting to see how it goes.

 

There was suggestions on XPlane, and we have a copy of XPlane at work.  So probably install it on my work computer and see how far I can take it in terms of gliding.  If it's good, I'll get myself a personal copy.

By the way, are there anymore update about the ASK since sept?

 

 

There was suggestions on XPlane

 

Yep, I use X-plane too - it's very acceptable for soaring too, and you also get plausible ridge lift and thermals!

Yep, I use X-plane too - it's very acceptable for soaring too, and you also get plausible ridge lift and thermals!

 

X-Plane has better FDE, so I hope to have more realistic model through there.  Just crossing the thread a little, any suggestions on good X-Plane package for gliders and environments?  After seeing some recent X-Plane threads of the default scenery, I was gobsmacked! 

Unfortunately I can't recommend, yet, a good glider for X-Plane. The default AS-K21 is not bad, but still leaves a lot to be desired...

 

There is at least one project for a DG-1000 that I am really looking fwd.

 

Ridge / mountain soaring in X-Plane 10 is nice. Thermals exist but are populated randomly, instead of using a more coherent algorithm like those used by either CumlusX! or ASN, based on Sun incidence angle and type of terrain, etc...

 

I noticed your question regarding the rudder authority. The rudder authority in the XP10 AS-K21 is closer to real, but the real K21 will run out of roll authority if you use full rudder deflection! Also, particularly when performing sideslips during approach, when one uses full rudder, it can be "gluded" to it's extreme position, and some additional force be required on the opposite rudder pedal to release it from there :-). Meaning that, the rudder authority in the Discus X should be considered underdone. I've never flown a Discus in RL though... 

 

The problem of the AS-K21 and other aircraft in XP10 is the way sideforces due to sideslip are presently modelled, the role of the fuselage not being correctly taken into consideration. With v10.30 it can get much better! There's an abrupt surge in the drag and lift forces when you reach extreme sideslip angles, and the downwind wing will stall and fall, irrealistically...

 

Although on my last post in this thread I pointed out that I didn't like the way Aerofly FS models stalls, I should say that nonetheless it provides probably the best available flight experience, both from the flight dynamics and weather, and also visuals, one can find in the most recent simulators. I keep an eye on the upcoming v2 of Aerofly!

I haven't bought the new glider available as addon from JustFlight for Aerofly FS. 

 

Condorsoaring is good, but it's a rather old program not up to today's standards. 

I'm super looking forward to the ASK, looks very close to the gliders I trained on.

 

Anyway, was there any more update on "Aerotow" besides the one found in this link: http://lennundus.orgkaos.org/failid/workinprogress/aerotow/?M=D  ?

CumulusX! includes it's own aero and winch tow routines. I only used those. They're very good.