Legacy Flight Model More Realistic Than Modern

[David Mills 4,729]

I use an XBOX controller. So my comments here may or may not apply to you as well. But I just discovered that I get far more realistic control over my aircraft's aerosurfaces when I use the Legacy Flight Model than with the Modern Model. It shouldn't be this way of course, but currently, it is this way. For example, when I'm rolling down the runway, steering is almost impossible with the Modern Model. The slightest movement of your rudder will send the plane lurching uncontrollably to one side or the other. With the Legacy Model, however, things behave more realistically. You can steer down the runway without chaotically spinning out of control. Likewise in flight: The plane behaves more smoothly and predictably using the Legacy Model than the Modern Model. So if you've been suffering controller problems like I have, you might switch for the moment to the Legacy Model. Now, if the Modern Model worked perfectly well and truly represented the behavior of an aircraft, then I would say that regressing to the Legacy Model would be cheating. But for me, at present, the Legacy Model is more realistic and true to life than the Modern Model. Let's hope this problem is addressed in future patches from Asobo, especially since the XBOX controller will be the controller predominantly used with the XBOX release of the sim.

[Pugilist2 878]

Interesting, I have been having instability issues with the modern flight model. I will give the legacy flight model a test.

[HiFlyer 9,343]

Legacy flight model is uncontrollable for me. Like I'm fighting for control with a drunk co-pilot...

[flyinpilot212121 724]

I just realized this setting a couple days ago, I’ve been having control problems since day 1 to the point where it wasn’t really flyable.I just recently changed it to legacy and now having a great time with the sim....So for me, I agree, switching to the legacy setting may help others.

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

Back in the 90's with my initial flight training I was banned from flightsims by my instructor as he called them "navigation simulators" and said they taught people bad habits, especially in flare and landing.

The current sim seems better though the default Cessna's remain oversensitive to approach speed and tend to float.  However the one really unrealistic thing that has carried over from older flight models is the insane amount of elevator authority at low speeds. You can pretty much do an Immelmann with too much back pressure whereas in the real thing the yoke is pretty much in your chest at the end of flare.

 

Have you tried adjusting your control sensitivity ?

 

[sd_flyer 6,031]

Modern is more realistic but you have to assign axis for control surfaces. If not everything will be as you described 

[JonP01 104]

17 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

Have you tried adjusting your control sensitivity ?

 

As someone who gave up on this sim because of controller issues I can definitely say its got zero to do with control sensitivity. There were very long threads about this within days of the sim coming out. If you try to muck with control sensitivity all it does is create an exponential movement of a control surface relative to controller joystick movement which might make for better flying within a tiny envelope of very small control surface deflections but then even worse in something like a landing flare and fighting significant variable winds at low speed.

There is definitely a huge issue with handheld controllers and this sim that has not effected any other flight sim I have used in all my years of simming. How much of that issue is to do with a software / flight model issue and how much it has to do with a handheld controller having a very small range of physical movement is of course endlessly debatable. 

I found the OPs post very interesting though since as mentioned I completely gave up on this sim as it was just uncontrollable yet all previous MS sims as well as other sims like X-Plane, the older IL2 combat sims, Cliffs of Dover, Rise of Flight do not have any issues whatsoever when used with handheld controllers. 

[sd_flyer 6,031]

1 hour ago, JonP01 said:

 

I found the OPs post very interesting though since as mentioned I completely gave up on this sim as it was just uncontrollable yet all previous MS sims as well as other sims like X-Plane, the older IL2 combat sims, Cliffs of Dover, Rise of Flight do not have any issues whatsoever when used with handheld controllers. 

MSFS fly the same as IL2 and X-plane for me using the same controls TM Warthog and CH rudder. I did have similar issue described above in alpha when I bind control wrong! Primary flight control must be using to axis (pitch, bank, and yaw); otherwise, airplanes will be unflyable  

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

31 minutes ago, sd_flyer said:

MSFS fly the same as IL2 and X-plane for me using the same controls TM Warthog and CH rudder. I did have similar issue described above in alpha when I bind control wrong! Primary flight control must be using to axis (pitch, bank, and yaw); otherwise, airplanes will be unflyable  

You could be correct - if they have somehow assigned the left and right on the Xbox to full left and full right instead of an axis that would definitely give all or nothing behaviour.

[XCLTM3 112]

I changed my settings to "Legacy" mode after hearing that this would invoke a more realistic flight model.

I mainly flew the A320 (Vanilla and Modded and it made no difference which) - as soon as I deployed Flaps 1 on approach, the aircraft went into an almost uncontrollable steep ascent which completely threw the final approach out the window. To add insult to injury, from Flaps 1 to Flaps 4 (Full) the aircraft would nose down with trim all the way down.

Despite attempting to trim it back to normal manually using my assigned trim controls, the flight model would force revert trim all the way back down. Mind you I learnt how to land it without destroying the aircraft and all lives on board despite this handicap. But the immersion was well and truly killed in legacy mode.

My SOP for flying the A320 was correct and valid - but, the "Legacy" mode caused that inconguous/unrealistic reaction.

Needless to say, I jumped back to "Modern" mode .........and no such problems since.

By the time 3rd party devs bring their masterpiece aircraft to MSFS......well, need I say more?

 

[Isaiah53six 134]

3 hours ago, JonP01 said:

As someone who gave up on this sim because of controller issues I can definitely say its got zero to do with control sensitivity.

 

agreed. This has also been my experience

[wim123 758]

38 minutes ago, Isaiah53six said:

agreed. This has also been my experience

and not mine..lol

amasing how we can get so contradictory expereinces.

i play with xbox controller and have no issues with controlling. (modern flight model)

[tweekz 2,165]

4 hours ago, sd_flyer said:

Primary flight control must be using to axis (pitch, bank, and yaw); otherwise, airplanes will be unflyable  

I have the same issues. Especially noticable with elevator being far too responsive. Small inputs - even at low speeds - cause big reactions. It helps to reduce sensitivity below 50%, but that's not a natural 1:1 transmission.

The fundamental mechanics of the modern flight model are amazing. Never had a more authentic feel of those small bumps and movements in air. But it does seem like dynamic pressure affecting control surfaces too much.

I repeat myself. Everyone experiencing this issue, go vote on the official thread in my signature. vvvvvvvvvv

Edited October 5, 2020 by tweekz

[CFIJose 5,485]

Interesting thread. I've never tried this setting. I've relied on FSUIPC for adjusting controller sensitivity. I have to test this setting. Thanks!

[Ixoye 1,812]

Legacy Flight Model is unplayable for me, it's like flying in a storm all the time.