Control lag compared to X-Plane?

[BlinkNFG 0]

Hi,

I hope someone can help me.

I have Prepar3d V4.5 having used earlier versions, FSX and FS9. I recently downloaded the X-Plane 11 demo out of curiousity. Obviously there are lots of threads comparing the relative merits of P3D and X-Plane. However the thing that struck me most clearly I have not seen mentioned before - X-Plane is much more immediately responsive to my control inputs than MFS and Prepar3d. In X-Plane moving the yoke to the right (for example) causes my C172 to immediately bank right whereas in the other Sims there is a slight delay.

 Is this just a symptom of a different approach to flight modelling or does it suggest that I have something wrong in how I have set up either sim? In particular should I be concerned at the input lag in my P3D or is it perfectly normal?

Many thanks 

Jon

[MarkDH 234]

Do you see an actual delay in the movement of your controls in the virtual cockpit? If so, you need to reduce the 'Sensitivity' slider. It doesn't actually control sensitivity, it literally adds a delay into the response if it's set anywhere but zero. There is also non-linear scaling of the movement, so it is possible you are describing that instead (or as well). Unfortunately you can't remove that. (All the above assumes nothing has changed in P3Dv4 from earlier versions.)

[BlinkNFG 0]

If there is a delay in the VC controls it is not noticeable to me. My sensitivity is set to the furthest right on the slider (127 believe) with null zone to the furthest left - is that not the best setting?

The lag or possibly the scaling means I find it easier to line up with the runway when landing to X-Plane than in Prepar3d / FSX. With the latter I need to apply controls sooner when making adjustments as they do not seem as immediate. I hadn't really considered it a problem before until I noticed X-Plane was different and more particularly that no one else who has used both seems to have the same difference

[LHookins 3,103]

The earliest flight simulators had instantaneous control response.  Some time in the 90's Microsoft added some inertia.

You might find it worthwhile to take an introductory flight lesson at a local airport.

Hook

[BlinkNFG 0]

Thanks - that is interesting to know. 

I first worried about / noticed the lag some years ago when my Dad who flies gliders complained my controls in FSX lagged compared to his real world experience. Is that simply as the sim is intended for powered aircraft for which lag may be more realistic and/or I didn't have a payware glider?

I then forgot about the issue until I noticed less lag in X-Plane than I am used to. I would have thought it too would model inertia.

[MarkDH 234]

5 hours ago, BlinkNFG said:

My sensitivity is set to the furthest right on the slider (127 believe) with null zone to the furthest left - is that not the best setting?

Yes, I said zero when I meant Max! I guess it would be useful to check if the lag you are noticing is proportinal to the aircraft size, in which case it's probably a function of the flight model.

[LHookins 3,103]

Actually, there's more than inertia involved but that's the simple explanation.

The flight models can be tuned in FSX/P3D to have as much or as little "inertia" as you want.  Aileron effectiveness, roll stability, moments of inertia.  I don't know if wing geometry is also used.  Then you can tune the response curves on your controls.  Ideally you can get very close to real aircraft response.

I do know that A2A does a lot of fine tuning on this to match actual aircraft performance.  I suspect they also mess with the flight model a bit outside of the sim to get everything correct, including things like stall behavior.

In the end, our sim controls aren't exactly the same as real aircraft controls so we end up making the airplane fly the way we like and calling it good.

Hook

[BlinkNFG 0]

Many thanks both for your helpful thoughts.

I used the Piper Cub in Prepar3D and I can indeed see the cables moving as soon as I use my controls. As such I think you must be right and it is simply a reflection of the flight models. 

Jon