Study Level Sim List

[Jimmy RFR 406]

To be honest, a few of those aircraft listed through this thread aren't quite at the level of study sims, in my opinion. 

 

The definition could be highly open to interpretation, but to me, a study sim is defined not only by the quality of the simulation, but by how much of the aircraft is simulated.  A true study level simulation should have as close as possible to full systems simulation, right down to the circuit breakers. Very, very few developers go to those lengths; in many cases, I don't believe the added complexity and cost of development are worthwhile to do so.

 

As such, it's pretty rare to see study level sims outside of popular airliners, where a dedicated user might fly nothing but that plane for years on end.

 

It's a very vague area though.  For example, many would consider the current MJC Q400 a 'study sim', since the areas that are simulated follow the manual very precisely.  However, there are areas of the aircraft not currently modeled, most of these are set to release with the upcoming 'pro' version.

 

So, the question then becomes:  If a simulation allows the user to follow the instructions given in a certain percentage of the operating manual perfectly, it could possibly be defined as a study level simulation, but what percentage makes it so?
 

A good guideline might be the percentage of operable controls in the aircraft that have the proper, real world effect when used.  If you apply that guideline at a high percentage (100% - 90%), very esteemed releases quickly fall off of this list.

 

Just food for thought.

 

Oh, and if you start to rank the Carenado / Alabeo releases by those guidelines, you'll quickly see that they don't even come close.  However, in their defense, they were never intended to.  Different segment of the market.

[jcomm 5,890]

Although I do not own it, I would also include in this category a product for X-Plane 10 - LES / X-Aviation Saab 340, as well as the FlyJsim 727, and of course the upcoming PMDG DC6 and XEG 737.

 

If I would buy ( again ) and install XP10, which I really do not believe I will, it would be as a base for the LES Saab 340, the XEG 737, and the PMDG DC6.

 

To give an example of where flight dynamics and study sim aren't necessarily implied by each other, I can mention ELITE, which has great flight dynamics provided the modules are flown withing the normal IFR envelope (just don't stall them, or put it into inverted flight, or try to perform loops, but sideslips / fwd slips are OK), with ground landing being a true misery, or DCS World where the ww2 birds are indeed fully detailed / clickable, like other modules for that sim, but as far as I am concerned, nothing comes closer to the feel of those wonderful war machines like IL2 BoS, where most functions are executed automatically and we cant even interact with the cockpit using clickable objects, but the flight and overall physics modeling is superb, (IMO superior to what is presently provided in DCS World, or in any other flight simulator in as far as prop flight dynamics are concerned...). Or even PMDG, that brings for p3d and fsx the top in simulating NGX, 777, ... but, being dependent on the underlying MSFS limitations in terms of flight dynamics, brings moments of true deception when you try some maneuvers that the core flight dynamics aren't able to deal with, the same applying IMO, btw, to A2A's or RealAir's  excellent models....

 

I did try the Q400, and it is surely a study sim, and uses an outside flight dynamics engine, but there was some strange feel about the way it performed under some circumstances... 

 

I'd say the APEX of flight simulation as a study sim is probably Aerowinx PSX, of which I am a proud owner. This 747-400 simulation is so detailed that it even goes further than some LevelD 744 sims in some aspects, and it has remarkable flight dynamics. The default visuals are rather limited though, but do serve the purpose of the sim, although fsx, p3d and xp10 can easily be used for external views...

[BeechPapa 32]

For RealAir, you can probably add the Lancair Legacy, it's definitely up there with the Dukes (which are both at V2 btw)

 

I've always associated study sims with complex systems and procedures, but this thread has made me reassess that idea. Flight dynamics can certainly be an aspect of study, and though the Lancair Legacy is very simplistic systems-wise it is spectacular in the flight dynamics category. It's possible to learn aerobatic maneuvers straight from the book and apply them in practice within FSX using this addon. It has taught me much about aerobatics, angle of attack, and stalls, and remains predictable yet challenging in its control responses.    

[Holdit 551]

I was about to start a new thread on this topic, but a search turned up this thread. Not sure if this counts as "necro-posting" but the information here is very relevant. With my own original question answered (it was effectively the same question posed by the OP), and if the definition of "study level" is "it work sin the sim as it does in the real world, and controls do the same thing in the sim as they do in the real world", meaning that even the humble A2A Cub qualifies even though it lacks even an electrical system - and I would agree wholeheartedly with its inclusion, I was wondering how people feel about these...

 

• RAZBAM Metroliner
• Digital Aviation (Aerosoft) Piper Cheyenne
• SigWings An-2 Colt
• Captain Sim 737 & 757
• Aerosoft Catalina

 

Or, to put it another way...if Carenado Alabeo are, say, 50%, and PMDG/Maddog are 100%. What percentage would the above weigh in at?