So I have seen some amazing pictures with the new CFD in MSFS for SU 11. Here is a picture of a 1 foot sand beam affecting the air flow:

Another example of the CFD:

And here you see the air hitting the trees and going above/around the trees:

I got most of these pictures from a thread in the official MSFS forum.

So I was out of flight simming for over 10 years between FSX and MSFS. Obviously, there may be more more advanced flight simulators out there at NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, that model this better but those are probably for commercial or military use, and not for home consumer use.

My question is, do any of the other home market flight simulators simulate air flow across terrain like this, even the combat flight simulators? Is this new 20 KM CFD in MSFS revolutionary for a home market flight simulator or has it been done before by another home market flight simulator, including the combat flight simulators? How advanced/revolutionary is this for a home market flight simulator?

Edited October 18, 20223 yr by abrams_tank

X-Plane 12 plans to implement a similar feature. Actually, MSFS was talking about this two years ago, and I thought part of it has been implemented already. At least, hang gliding was possible in MSFS and X-Plane for a long time. I would like to see thermals at right places, however. Of course, the effect of buildings or small hills on the wind would also be amazing to see. 

38 minutes ago, flyingpauls said:

X-Plane 12 plans to implement a similar feature. Actually, MSFS was talking about this two years ago, and I thought part of it has been implemented already. At least, hang gliding was possible in MSFS and X-Plane for a long time. I would like to see thermals at right places, however. Of course, the effect of buildings or small hills on the wind would also be amazing to see. 

I think the air currents in the new 20 KM CFD in MSFS is also affected by buildings and small hills. I see CFD pictures in the thread at the official forums where the air is affected by buildings and hills. Looks like any terrain, and any object, can affect the air currents now in SU 11.

So how advanced is the air currents and CFD in XP 12?  I would be interested to know (pictures/videos would also be nice)

On the surface, when I saw the these CFD pictures for MSFS, it looks like something that is advanced for a home market flight simulator.  But I'm not that sure if it has been done before like this, so better to ask first than to make assumptions - for all I know, I could be wrong, and perhaps one of the other flight simulators, including the combat flight simulators, has already done what MSFS has done, and is even more advanced than MSFS.

 

 

Edited October 18, 20223 yr by abrams_tank